cockerpoo

[aladdinsane]

Hi
After growing up with Labradors and a Great Dane I have decided its time we got another dog
Both DC have asthma and allergies though so I have been looking at poodle x

A friend has a Labradoodle but it is very nutty and I have been told they sometimes still shed
Cockerpoos seem a good size, we want to walk but do work part time
There are lots of dogs around us so a good temperament with other dogs and kids is essential

Has anyone any experience they can share of Cockerpoos
Also, I have looked on-line at breeders but how can you be sure they are not from puppy farms

When we got Great Dane many years ago we were a little naive regarding puppy farms and I am sure he came from one even though we viewed him in a house. Things just didn't seem right

A poodle X is not necessarily ok for asthma and allergies.

I'm allergic to dogs, afaik, it's the dander (flakes of skin) that cause allergy, not the actual fur.

Are there any dogs you are not allergic too?

Sorry realised it should be Cockapoo

No, all dogs I'm afraid

Maybe you could borrow a friend's dog for a week or so to see if allergies flare up?

See this thread from just yesterday.

All the same advice applies as you are looking at another poodle cross.

There are plenty of pedigrees that will be lower allergy than a cocker/poodle cross. My daugher is a groomer, has no allergies but cockers are the only dogs that set her off, every other breed is fine. I have a friend that seems allergic to boxers and another to samoyed. It can be breed specific, even dog within a breed specific. If your children have allergies then a cross breed, even with the breeders assurance (worthless) won't be suitable. Poodles, Bichons, some terriers, schnauzers tend to be less problematic but definately no guarantees.

Do your research very carefully, and research is not just looking online, go to a few dog shows, look at the breeds, speak to the owners, visit breeders of the breeds you are interested in and spend some time with the dogs, including your children, watch for allergic reactions and take it from there. A genuine breeder and lover of the breed will spend time with you and accessing your situation with regards to the allergies. Don't jump in and buy a poodle cross hoping it will be magic, and even if it is as a puppy, when the adult coat comes through it can all change.

I hear Greyhounds can be good for allergy sufferers?

My friend got a wire coated lurcher because of her allergies.

Why a poodle x and not a poodle?

I started a thread about a golden doodle OP. Now I am not sure why I wanted that breed in teh first place!

I think I have been put off poodles because of all the fancy cuts the poor things have
I have just looked at some web sites and have to say they look great

Our Great Dane was KC registered with a good pedigree but had tons of health problems too much inter breeding I think. So I was thinking that a X may be healthier
Having read the other thread I am now confused

The allergy thing - DC tests showed allergy to dog hair so will that be dog hair or could it be the dander?

We have owned a cockapoo for just over a year now (check out my profile). I am allergy-prone but have had no problems at all with him. But, as others have said, there is no guarantee with a cross-breed. DH's cousin came over and practically had to be stretchered out, such was his asthma attack! He is particularly sensitive though.

In terms of temperament, I just can't fault him. He's intelligent, lively, playful yet placid inbetween, and quite simply the most friendly chap you could hope to meet. Everybody he meets is his new best friend and he just bounces around them smiling and wagging his whole body. Always up for a walk or a game with the kids outside, yet will slob around a lot of the time too. Loves going through the waste paper bins and laundry baskets. Can often be found with a sock hanging out of his mouth. Bit of a counter-surfer too - we've had to be a lot more efficient with keeping the kitchen tidy! He's bigger than many cockapoos I've seen - around 19" at the shoulder and weighs about 13kg, but that's fine, as we thought a lab/retriever would be too big for us and yet didn't want anything too ratty and small.

There's a FaceBook group called "Cockapoo Owners Club" as well as the "I love my cockapoo" website, which gives you access to many other people's experiences.

The thing is, it's really up to individuals owners how their poodles are clipped, and many do still persist in shaving faces and feet etc, but we just clip the fur on ours to 1 inch length all over every 6 weeks or so. I think though, that most people don't actually know what poodles really look like, since people very frequently ask us what ours (a standard poodle) is, and most people ask us if he is a labradoodle. We even had one woman who insisted that we had been mis-sold him because he was obviously some kind of doodle!!

As far as the allergy thing goes, would it be possible for your dc to meet a poodle to see if they have any kind of reaction to their coats? If you were considering buying one, I am sure that a reputable breeder would be more than happy for this to happen, rather than risk placing one of their puppies in an unsuitable home.

Personally, I am allergic to cat and dog fur generally, but not our poodle's fur.

What is your poodles personality like and do the personality traits differ amongst the different sizes

Poodles are fab, very intelligent and full of mischief, loving and independant. Our toys have been more clingy, happier to sit on your knee, the standard will come up and sit on our knees or lie beside us on the sofa but prefer their own space. I find the miniatures, especially black to be very whiney but I do think around here they are from very similar lines and seem to be more highly strung than the toys. Very quick to learn (good stuff and the bad) brilliant at agility, obedience when it suits them and people loving dogs. Sorry I'll be in the minority here, but since I have also showed them I love the show clips, and keep all ours with short face and tail but there are so many clips to choose from they can look however you want them too, including other breeds such as bedlington or Kerry blue.

Our standard is an absolutely brilliant family dog. Really playful with children, but seems to instinctively know to be more gentle with younger children than with older ones.

He is very intelligent, so was easy to train. Loves being 'busy' - as soon as he hears the shed keys being moved, or the washing machine door opening, he's standing by the door ready for play or jobs.

He's very cuddly too. The thing we have found most noticeable is that he adapts to the mood of the people in the house on any given day - so a day when there might be lots of children or teenagers around, he's full on ready to play (less so now as he's 12 so likes a bit more peace and quiet), but on a day with just me in working, he's very happy to lie down and sleep next to me.

We take him on holiday most years, either UK or France, and he gets lots of attention because of his appearance, which he loves.

We meet two standard poodles on one of our regular walks. Neither has a show clip and they look very "doggy", not the least bit "poncey" (sorry multi poodles ). Gorgeous, intelligent dogs; I would have one in a heart beat if we had room for a third dog.

I have an 8 month old cockapoo. She is friendly and funny, and brings us immense joy :) but boy is she high energy!! She constantly demands attention, and likes to be outside running most of the day. Fortunately I am at home all day, and we have our own fields to exercise her in, as she hates being walked on the lead.

Agatha I love the sound of your dog! 12 years old too - you must love having him in your family

We have a x King Charles Cavalier spaniel/ Bichon (Cavachon). My DD and I both have allergies to dogs but are fine with him.

My DH has asthma and is badly allergic to long haired dogs, cats and horses. We ended up with three greyhounds - they have a very fine, short coat which is suitable for most allergy sufferers, and he is fine with them. Unfortunately, even lurchers with relatively short coats set him off so you really need to get to the bottom of what exactly your DC are allergic to. I'd recommend going along to some local dog shows/events and asking politely if your DC could stroke a variety of dogs to see precisely what triggers them. Once you've established that, you can then work within those parameters to find a dog that suits.

Good luck - it is possible to combine allergies with happy dog ownership.

Also just wanted to add that anti-asthma housekeeping helps a lot too. HEPA filter vacuum cleaner, lots of damp dusting, no carpet downstairs, washing regularly at hot temps of dog bedding, sofa covers etc all help to reduce allergen load.

Another vote her for poodles. We have a toy poodle. ( Piccies on profile) .. DH has allergies but is fine with "Rafa".

I have to say he is full of mischief ( dog, not DH!!) , runs like a mad thing, trails mud into the house and considers anything he can reach to be his personal property.

We don't give him a show clip, he is just our family pet, but he is affectionate and loppy, and clever and funny, and everything you could possibly want in a dog . He is great with the DC.

We have a cockapoo, she is great. She's 5 months and turning into the loveliest doggy ever. We had the usual mouthy, jumpy over excitable first few months but she's already calming down.
She loves all people and all dogs, she's happy to be out with us for hours at the park but also copes with one 30 min walk in a day. She's not overly chewy and and has been housetrained since about 12 weeks. She does not cast (most cockapoos don't, ours has a wavy coat more cocker than poodle but she doesn't loose hair even when combed) and is not very smelly at all. As far as allergies go, it depends how allergic you are. My friend has one and her asthma flared up when she got him but settled down after a few weeks.
She wasn't from a puppy farm as we were very careful, here's a good place to start:
www.cockapooclubgb.co.uk/ccgb-approved-breeders.html

I am asthmatic and horrendously allergic to dogs and other furry animals, except greyhounds, I love not being allergic to my dog :) I have said before that this is what it must be like for people who aren't allergic to dogs :o

I would consider a greyhound in your situation, or if you don't want a horse big dog, a whippet?