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

Why is your husband against getting a rescue though ?

We have a rescue. We were going to have an unwanted left over pup from a litter of westie/bichon but was concerned that the terrier might prove to be a problem.

I also didn't want a pup because a) I don't want to toilet train b) I didn't want a little biter, mouthing everything with sharp teeth.

I got approved with a couple of reputable animal rescues & our beautiful 18mth old cavalier came along.

She is just lovely, she's a companion dog, so not high energy (originally breed to keep ladies laps warm), she's gentle & adores the DD's (dd1 9 at the time, was also terrified of dogs).

Ddog was in a foster home & they knew her history & they were very picky of the home she should go to.

There a few doodle characters running around the park & they are as mad as hatters. And huge !

Good point, I forgot to mention poodles can stand.
Even my old boy can steal sausage from frying pans and he is blind and toothless

"They are insane."

See, I've met loads and I just don't recognise this description. Fun and lively, yes, but more than capable of vegging on the sofa for hours too.

I've seen quite a few jump all over my dc's. For bloody hours.

Think a lot of 'breeds' would do that though, not just cockapoos.

I wouldn't call mine insane at all. The most insane dog I've ever owned was an Afghan Hound mixed with some unknown other breed(s). She was a hyper, nervy, crazy dog. Our Cockapoo (and I hate that name! I never use it IRL!) s a dream compared to her.

He does lounge on the sofa an awful lot. He doesn't like to stay awake for more than 1.5-2 hours at a time and during that period he potters about for most of it. I tend to do a few short (15 minutes) play or training periods during each of his waking periods plus he gets two walks a day (school run but this includes off lead woodland run abouts).

Mine's a lazy bugger. Quite happy to snooze for hours.

We have a 8 month old Cavapoo (cavalier/ poodle) he is amazing and so friendly with everyone

Thanks again for your replies and sharing pics of your dogs they see gorgeous!!! Will also look into cavapoo and labradoodles too. I know everyone keeps saying the are not a 'breed' but I honestly don't mind that.

I would ideally like to rescue one as do not fancy the idea of a puppy so will look in to that.

The walk to school is 10mins there and 10 mins back through a huge park so would get a run around walking and exercising is not a problem.

Why do you have to go to weekly classes? Can i not train myself?

I'm very excited, we are taking our time thinking about it at the moment.

Thanks for all if your advice!!

You can train yourself but I'd highly recommend going to a class. In general, these dogs adore other dogs and going to class where they are surrounded by other dogs but forced to focus on you, can help their self discipline when out and about. We've been taking our puppy to weekly classes since September and have no plans to stop- we're on the third type of class now and there's still loads to come (scent work, agility etc). It's great fun for us and our puppy- he's zonked by the end of class and has been known to collapse in an exhausted heap for the last 10 minutes!

Just googled the cavapoo and they look smaller than the Cockapoo is that correct?

The labradoodle looks to big.

I just absolutely adore the look of these dogs.

Morning Taz. that is good advice I would do the classes in that case, I'm sure they are good fun!

Weekly classes - but you said you have never had a dog? Even the most experienced owners take there dogs to classes, they don't need to learn about how to train their dog, but the classes are about socialisation for the dog, learning how to behave around other dogs and learning to listen to you even though there are other dogs around.

You say you are not worried they are not a breed, that is fine, that is not the point about them, the point is about genetic health issues that they may inherit because they are not tested for , and the health of the bitches who are often treated as breeding factories. There is a vet nurse on here who will often talk about the terrible health conditions she see's these "poo's" and doodles with. Certainly get one, but please, please, please choose v carefully where you get one from.

Oh and I should add that if you google and research there are "poo" and "doodle" rescues, that you could adopt an adult dog ( or older puppy) from. You just want to ensure they assess the dog to make sure what it needs, ie will it cope with children etc, and they offer after adoption support.

Labradoodles can be huge, or the can be smaller - it depends on the size poodle that is in the mix.

My DM had a Poodle cross Bichon Frise which was a lovely little dog and small.

Labradoodles are lovely, but very very variable in size. I know a few but one friend has one and he is absolutely adorable. He has a mans name and it suits him totally. You could be naked walking him and no one would even notice you because everyone adores him. She wanted a mid size dog. She's ended up with something that rivals Clifford! He is enormous! So, be prepared.

Cockerpoo we have one in the family. She's adorable, but full on. Needs a lot of walks and ball throwing...but then conks out for ages. A good friend has one too, she's much the same.

Good luck deciding what to do and you and DH being able to come kind of agreement over age/rescue etc. and we need a pic when you get it!

OP rethink, rethink, rethink.

10 mins there and 10 back on the same walk every day is nowhere near enough for a young, energetic dog. I would consider a one hour walk with a lot of off-lead work to be an OK everyday walk if you also did longer walks at least once a week.

Training classes are as much about training you as they are about training the dog. The trainer will be able to answer questions, show you techniques, and help you deal with specific problems. They are also essential for the dog who has to learn in different environments and around other dogs. Some trainers now offer classes on the go as the group walks through town, or in a park. All the trainers I know take their dogs to training classes for the dpg's benefit.

Also don't underestimate two possible complications. A puppy will need a lot of socialisation, this takes weeks and will take up most of your time. An older rescue dog will come with some ingrained habits and missing some parts of its training so that will also take time.

I was coming on to say the same thing as booboostoo.

You need to agree what you want first. An older rescue or a puppy.

10 minutes twice a day in the same environment is not enough for the types of dogs you are looking at. No where near enough. You need to understand that.

Training classes are vital. Training in the home is vital. Lots of sessions (short) through the day.

It's not about the look of the dog. It's about the health of the dog. Whether you choose a standard breed or a cross breed, you need to ensure that ALL appropriate tests for BOTH breeds have been done and that you understand the results and what they mean for the litter.

With a cross, which is what all these dogs are, you could have the very best of the crosses, or the very worst.

Getting a reputable breeder for a standard, recognised breed is hard enough, adding in the designer dog fad, it's much harder.

I think it's brilliant that you are considering all these things, but you need to really get your head around and understand what you want. I wasn't interested in what my dogs looked like, I was interested in their temperament and health first and foremost.

Good luck

Nothing I say is mean in a negative way, but think hard too.

I said 10 mins walk to school there and back across a park so clearly it would be running around in said park!! That would be at least 30 mind in the morning, then 30 mins in the afternoon, so an hours daily walk without fail, and that us the minimum!!!

Sure that us enough? I also have a relative size garden and 2 very active playful sons.

Are we saying 2 30 mins walk a day (minimum) is not enough?

Honestly, go onto the Cockapoo facebook group (ask to join). You'll get dozens and dozens of owners who will be very honest about their experiences and how much walking/mental stimulation etc is needed.

They do love being off lead and exploring. I do the school run twice a day but on the way back I'm able to go through a park (where he usually meets his best doggy pal and they spend ages playing chase) then wooded area then river walk. As he gets older I'll be able to lengthen the distance to include fields and a local reservoir.

What you describe may be enough for an older dog who needs a quieter life, but not good enough for a young dog.

Don't overestimate how much your DCs will play with the dog. Puppies are annoying, they mouth, they take toys and run off, they burst balls, they jump up and have very scratchy nails, etc. it will be a while before the puppy has manners that endear it to the DCs and the DCs will have to learn how to play with the dog which is basically to train the dog. You will also need to supervise 100% of the time.

I have a nice example for you. My DD who is 3.5yo now adored our elderly cat who sadly passed away last spring. She does not like our new kittens. Recently she pushes the kitten off her chair and when I asked why she couldn't put up with the kitten on her chair like she used to put up with our old cat she said "Maggie didn't piss on my chair". Young DCs don't mix that well with puppies and kittens.

My Dad has 2 cockapoos. Both very different to each other. I don't know much about dogs, but I get the impression that as these aren't a 'breed' there's not a 'standard' you can expect regarding looks or personality.

My dad has had these dogs from puppies. They are now about 1yr old. He walks them everyday for an hour / hour and a half then will do one or two much longer sessions with a group most weeks. Both dogs also do one obedience training class a week. And have free reign of the garden all day.

They are reasonably good with my young DCs although very jumpy and excitable to begin with. One is slightly less mad than the other. They do a lot of licking. (Yuck!!)

I'd also say you really need to get on to the cockapoo FB page.

Mine is licky, too. They do like to taste you. I have to say, mine really isn't that much work. We're out for an hour off lead every morning because the Bastard Spaniel needs to run off some crazy, but my Poodley Thing tends to prance about next to me weeing on things. Sometimes he only gets a couple of twenty minute lead walks, and as long as he can wee on things he's content. I do play a lot of search games with both dogs, though, which wear them out.

I have a Springer and a Cocker, both young. They get about 45 minutes in the morning, same route, they are quite chilled on this walk and will just mooch, as it is so familiar. Then in the afternoon they get at least an hour, always a different route (I have a few, to include woods, parks, lakes, fields) where they run, non stop, for the whole time

DH does the walks at the weekend and will be out with them for at least 90 minutes both days, with a shorter walk.

Once a week they might miss the morning walk if I have to get into work early, and they are fine.

They also get a lot of training too, in short sharp sessions, we clicker train too. They also have interactive feeding bowls to work their minds and Kongs for mental stimulation.

They are both extremely chilled dogs, but they are probably getting their needs met.

Indeed, both have had injuries that have curtailed their exercise and they were both fine on less, but, for us, that's not the point of having spaniels, they come alive when they are outdoors and exercising.