Cockapoo / a poodle, etc

[BingBong36]

Seriously considering getting a dog, ideally a fairly small one.

Loving the look of the cockapoo's , can anyone advise on what these breeds are like?

I have 2 young children 3 and 6.

Many thanks

We have a miniature poodle and he's gorgeous! Friendly, (mostly) obedient, super cuddly and non-shedding.
He needs a clip every 8 weeks or so and occasional combing for seeds etc which get stuck in his coat but he's totally worth it!
I really recommend them as a breed but they need plenty of company and mental stimulation otherwise they get jumpy and irritating.
Good luck with your search

Bingbong - what do you want in a dog - size (you say fairly small so cocker size is the biggest?, or would springer size be fine - not suggesting those breeds, just to give an idea), amount of walking you are happy to do a day....would you like to do agility, do you or your husband run so want a running companion? How do you feel about prey drive? Do your kids want something they can play fetch with?

Thanks for your responses. My husband loved and was brought up with springers but they are very active (apparently). I basically want a low maintenance dog that doesn't jump all over the place.

My friend came over with her mini-shnowzer (sp?) she was the perfect dog in temprement but I just didn't like the look of her. I know I sound so shallow, but to me she didn't look cute!! Will I get a flaming now? Ha ha

My son is very active, he is 6 and although he doesn't wAnt a dog I know he would love it, he is always in the garden kicking the ball around, etc, my younger son is very patient and loving with animals, he is desperate for a cat tho.

I walk a lot, to school and back, we go walking as a family to woods etc so walks would not be an issue, the fig would be guaranteed 2 walks a day.

Thanks again all xx

Dog not fig

And no bigger than a spaniel, thank you.

I have a cockapoo who is coming up to 4yo now, and he is a fantastic dog - can't fault him. It's true that you can't guarantee exactly what you'll end up with, but as we weren't unduly fussed about that, it was part of the fun of watching him grow. And boy, did he grow! He's probably the largest cockapoo I've met (and I've met lots), but he's actually a good family-dog size for us. Greatest temperament ever, loves to be with people (everyone he meets is his new best friend), but is OK being left too (normal lengths of time presumed). I'm allergic to a range of dogs (even short-haired labs) but not him, although dh's cousin, who is very asthmatic, had a bad reaction to him.

We have him clipped around every 2-3 months, otherwise the matts get unmanageable as we're not terribly good about brushing him. He's loads of fun, and terribly cute-looking. If I had a pound for every person who's stopped one of us in the street to say how gorgeous he is, I'd almost be able to afford another one!

Here he is....

I've loved every poodle cross I've ever met and despite all the predictions, that designer doodles would all get bought by feckless wasters and end up in the dogs home or on gumtree, the dogs home is actually full of staffies and huskys and their crosses. I think this is because doodles are relatively easy dogs to keep so people keep them.

Just don't feed the back yard breeder market who never health test and have back to back litters off bitches and I doubt if you were intending to do that or choose your pup solely on price anyway.

I have two pure bred miniature poodles.
I can recommend them for family pets, plus they love training and tricks.
Grooming is a pain and is expensive £65 every two months and that's discounted too.
They need playtime mine are 16 and 14 so have slowed down but they still love games.
The fun side is they enjoy being fussed and they can have different hair cuts so they are super cute
My oldest is currently wearing a lamb cut and his bruce lee tshirt and looks devastatingly handsome.
Downsides.
They are super clever though and bored poodlesare unhappy.
And poo winnets on their bum fur.

whippet?
poodle - just not with a poodle cut.....there are some great poodle rescues?
entelbucher - so much personality, but rare in this country
Border Terrier
Tibetan terrier (its not a terrier breed though)
spanish water dog

love cockers - but a working line would probably need too much exercise maybe.....

I would say a king charles spaniel - but they have health issues

Ding something like discover dogs is something really good to do

The Cockapoo Owners Club (UK) have a fb group that you can join if you want to know more about owners' experiences. They are a very friendly bunch and will give lots of advice.

My friend has a Tibetan Terrier he's s nice size, very laid back, lovely dog.

Only downside is he loves water and mud and his fur grows at a fantastic rate. He's non shedding as well. If you can cope with the grooming they are excellent dogs.

I get very at all the designer crosses on gumtree, reputable breeders breed to maintain their lines and to show not to make loads of money (well most do)

I never quite understand why,
on these threads, posters come on to say 'I'd like to get such-and-such a breed' and then follow loads of posts with people piling in saying 'what about a such-and-such?'

The OP has said she'd like a cockapoo/poodle and asked what they're like. So why are people suggesting Tibetan terriers etc?

Just to say, grooming doesn't have to be expensive. I groom my boy myself. I bought clippers and scissors and just keep his coat at a manageable length. I like him to look a bit scruffy, so his ears being different lengths doesn't bother me. I brush him regularly to avoid matts, but am not precious about cutting them out if they can't be brushed out easily. His comfort is paramount. Here's his face

clam 'cos the OP asked about breeds, based on a set of criteria she outlined above

Show cocker would be fine too OP, lovely natured dogs, cocker rage is a thing of the past.

We have a cavapoo. She's a fantastic dog and we wouldn't be without her. We've done a lot of training classes and agility which she she adores. Is well worth the effort as the poodle part is very quick and needs occupying. My only problem with her is that she can be jumpy and licky with strangers. It's getting better but has been difficult to train her out of it as she adores everyone and assumes everyone will adore her.

Bing you mention that you don't want a dog that is going to jump everywhere. I have a Cockapoo and know a large number of others mine was able to clear 2 foot by 18 months and regular walks round the kitchen on his hind limbs checking out what's on the surface. Great for me as I was looking for an agility dog.
I love my boy to bits, but I am getting a second dog later this year and he is a miniature poodle.

We have a small minature poodle. She has a lovely temperament - she is very loving and playful. She is very cute! We have her in a very simple cut which is about £25 every 6/7 weeks. We initially crate trained but rarely use it now (though still have it up in the kitchen as it is her den and she takes herself off to it). She was very easy to train for beginners and loves games. We do work so have a dog walker for the middle of the day and she gets on brilliant with a whole range of breeds (most a lot bigger than her!)
Please don't discount a poodle - a lovely breed! And a minuture would be a fab size. My oh is allergic to dogs generally but is fine with her (he knew this before we got her).

Thanks all for your help. I will read it all tomorrow as off out now so am a bit rushed!!

X

I posted a few weeks ago on a similar thread. We have a cockapoo. I did some thorough research and a friend recommended a breeder. I was really impressed with them and would recommend them/go to them again (if we ever have another). Ours has the loveliest nature. As Clam said above, everyone is her new best friend. She is utterly adorable. I wouldn't hesitate in having another if I could afford it. Feel free to PM me if you would like more info.

Whippets are fabulous dogs, I never understand why they're not more popular as family pets.

They're loving, affectionate and very gentle. Despite being daft as brushes and endlessly entertaining they're generally very chilled in the house. They're very easy to satisfy as far as exercise goes but will also take as much exercise as you can give them. They need very little grooming, just a quick go over with a rubber grooming glove once a week and should they get filthy on walks they rinse off easily and dry really quickly. They do shed but they don't have undercoats and their hairs are so tiny you don't get the drifts of hair floating around like you can do with hairier breeds. They love training and brain games but they don't need huge amounts of mental stimulation every day to keep them happy.

They do need the opportunity to run off lead regularly, they wouldn't be happy with just on lead walks. This isn't necessarily difficult though as they're generally very trainable and learn recall pretty well. I know a lot of whippets and there are very few who don't recall well enough to go off lead in normal dog walking areas.

They really are fabulous dogs and I'd happily have a houseful of them. I've currently got three (plus a non-whippet rescue) and they're just wonderful

If you can get to Birmingham there's a Discover Dogs area at Crufts in March. It's a fabulous opportunity to meet lots of different breeds and talk to really knowledgeable people about them.

We have a cockerpoo puppy & I have had wonderful advice from mumsnetters. He is about 4 and half months old now. He is relatively easy to train. He is very good humoured if a little over enthusiastic at times. He has taken the socialization thing to heart! It has been like having another child at Times & I truly live him. We have never had a dog before & it has been a learning curve. We investigated rescue but decided Not to due to having two cats & kids. We were also steered away by two rescues we approached.

A friend of mine has three (yes, three) whippets - all sisters from the same litter. He'd be the first to admit that they've been an absolute nightmare (and 2 of them never go off-lead as they run off and don't come back). They were very difficult to train, but I suspect (although I'm no expert by any means) that part of this might be down to the fact that they were all from the same litter, and therefore bonded with each other rather than him.

Think through your requirements:

• doesn't jump up: all puppies will jump up until they are trained not to. Are you prepared for weekly training classes and daily training and socialisation? You generally get what you put into a dog.
• low maintenance: I am not sure what this means, but puppies of all breeds are quite demanding. Two walks a day are great but dogs need to go on a variety of different routes, smell and see different things, you won't easily get away with the school run walk (10-20 minutes?) with a young dog. An older rescue dog may be a better option if you go for a very reputable rescue centre that assesses dogs very carefully and matches you to the right dog.

Cockatoos and whatnots are not breeds so that means:

• it is more difficult to predict what you might get from a litter. Anyone who picks the best of both breeds and claims to have produced them by crossing the two dogs is talking rubbish.
• top dogs of both breeds will not be available to the breeding lines because no reputable breeder wants to breed mongrels.
• you have got to question the motives of anyone crossing breeds. At the very least ensure they have all the health checks for both breeds and meet both parents.

They are insane. Too much cock and not enough poo.

Labrapoodle sounds much more sensible.

Mine's more poo than cock. He walks beautifully on his back legs.