Talk to me about cockapoos

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We have a lab and are thinking about getting a cockapoo as Ddog 2. Would be very grateful for your cockapoo thoughts & experiences

Hi recently had a cockapoo puppy, named ruby,we have had her for about ten weeks,she was nine weeks old when we had her,we have always had big dogs in the past,but have looked into everything about a cockapoo,we decided to have one,she is company for dad while we are at work,and is so pleased to see us when we get home,she is so funny and loving with the grandchildren,they call her the waffle dog, everyone we meet on our walks thinks she is adorable,and she knows it too,she has learnt to do so much is a short space of time,best thing we have ever done with her, is to do the crate training with her,and watch training videos on doing the commands,as long as youcan found one that has come from a family home environment, and train they property,they are good dogs.

I'm carefully looking for a full mini poodle for, maybe, autumn time. They are seemingly quite hard to find these days as so many are being mated to become cockerpoos.

I have archie (a 2 1/2 year old cockapoo)and he is adorable, very loving and very obedient. We leave him for 4 hours max, he has never chewed anything he's not supposed to. He can be a bit anxious around loud noises but then just wants to sit on your knee. Lol. He's a brilliant dog, wouldn't change him.

I'm carefully looking for a full mini poodle for, maybe, autumn time. They are seemingly quite hard to find these days as so many are being mated to become cockerpoos.

The number of miniature poodles being registered is increasing rather than decreasing. It's a fairly modest increase compared to the rise in popularity some breeds have seen in years but there's been a definite upward trend over the past decade.

Registration numbers of both standards and toys are also fairly stable.

Don't think anyone has mentioned it get but they need a lot of grooming (something to consider if you're used to labs) they get matted easily and will need to be brushed every other day at least & even more when they are going through coat change to their adult coat. They also need professional grooming every 6-8 weeks at £30+

Firstly make sure both parents are health tested, min hip score

I've seen a lot of them in the agility world. They only do anything on their own terms! They are stubborn stubborn stubborn!!!!

You'll get a fair bit of negativity here about cockerpoos. And any poodle cross.

Chosen carefully they can be lovely dogs but their intelligence (like any poodle cross) can be both good and bad. It means they take to training very easily BUT they also need a lot of mental stimulation.

If you can give this, in the form of continued lifelong training of some sort, then you will have a happy dog who is less likely to be the 'bonkers', 'hyperactive' sort so often criticised here.

I have a (different) poodle cross that we waited almost 2 years for (wanted specific health tested lines from a certain bitch for temperament). She is an absolute gem. The first year was extremely hard work with training. We do a lot of training so she is a very happy dog. She is a therapy dog and very well suited to that role.

Less intelligent breeds might be easier... but if you're up for the training, and prepared for the first year or two to be full on, then you might suit a cockerpoo.

We have one. He’s amazing, but he resource guards me. As a PP said, I got him when I was off work for 4months and i think it made him bond really strongly to me. But it means we have to tell random strangers not to touch him because he growls and tries to nip if he thinks I’m threatened. It’s hard because he looks so cute and everyone assumes he wants to be petted.

I have a Springer x Poodle and a Cavalier x Poodle and couldn't ask for kinder dogs. They are honestly wonderful. I find them quite lazy and they sleep a lot. Not clingy as such but definitely happy to see me. Even if I've just been to the loo for a minute!

@BorderlineExperimental that's interesting thanks

We have a cockapoo. She is bloody lovely. Met both parents who were health checked etc etc.

She is the sweetest natured, most gorgeous dog. She is brilliant with other kids and is very sociable.

She's not much of a barker and we do leave her for a few hours a day. We have a hive cam on her pen and she just sleeps mainly so no issues with separation anxiety.

She is 7 months old now and we can't imagine our lives without her.

She isn't clingy at all. In fact, the opposite. She will have a cuddle for a few minutes, but then she will do her own thing really.

I'm fact. After seeing ours, my sister got one a few months later.

A brilliant family pet.

You know the owners of both parents? Have you asked why they want to breed? for holiday money

@Crimebustersofthesea might know my parents’ cockerpoo as she described him to a tee. He’s a lovely dog, super intelligent, and very emotionally intelligent when it comes to humans, but completely thinks he is a person and can be off with other dogs. He knows loads of commands but picks and chooses what he does.

Does it matter why they want to breed? As long as the proper health checks have been done on both sides and documented, so what? I have a friend who bred their family dog for 2 litters - first time because their children wanted to experience the birth and puppy stages (children being teenagers, not young children) and second time because they enjoyed the first time. They have no plans to breed again, and they really enjoy the pupdates they get and even have doggie family get-togethers.

You know both parents? So backyard breeders who won’t bother to do health tests?

I can't win, can I? If I don't know the breeders, they must be puppy farmers. If I do, they're backstreet breeders

Actually, the owner of the sire is a highly experienced, reputable professional. The owner of the bitch is a new breeder but taking it very seriously and being mentored by a professional. All health checks for the respective breeds have been done. DH and I only have one Ddog at the mo, but are experienced owners who have had many breeds, from a Great Dane to a Springer. But this would be our first cross-breed, which is why I'm looking for guidance.

Thanks to everyone who has offered constructive advice- very helpful

They wouldn't be on their own if you already have another dog OP?

All dogs are results of cross breeds - they were bred for specific tasks and in e they maintained a consistency in firm and characteristics became recognised breeds. Just mating a breed with a poodle isn’t going to produce a consistent animal - too much variation and the patents would have to be pedigreed to ensure they were purebred.
I have an Australian labradoodle - the poodle cross because they are low to non shedding and this led to breeding with Labrador (and some other breeds) to provide service dogs for people who would be allergic to a shedding Labrador. My dog looks identical to five generations back and these dogs are on their way to becoming a purebred breed now.
If you know the parent dogs and they are if good health and temperament, then a cockerpoo can be a good size and character for a family. But training and socialising is key to raising any dog, you can’t rely on inbred characteristics alone.

We have a cavapoo, I was worried about the cocker side as previous posts they are very high energy etc, as long as he gets a hour off lead walk a day he sleeps pretty much the rest of it! Very lovely natured, easy to train, loving etc. Would recommend x

Hi. I've got one, now 14 months. She is my first dog. She has been, and is, a delight: she;s good with young kids, with other dogs, with people. She's been easy to train, was toilet-trained quickly, for example, although I don't know whether that's because she's bright or just eager to please me. Knowing no better, I took socialising duties and training really seriously, and that has paid off.

As PP have said, she needs regular grooming and that's expensive.

She likes walks, and can go for miles if asked to, but equally when I was injured recently she coped ok with much less exercise. She's a lovely little dog (only 9kg now), affectionate, but happy left on her own. She can be a bit bouncy but never is with my DGD (12 months) interestingly. I'm really glad I got her.

I get mine groomed about once every 3 months. Coat doesn't get matted and I definitely don't have to brush him every day.

I wouldn't have one although I know a lovely cockerpoo.
It's too much of a gamble, as cross breeds usually are, I also wouldn't want to encourage puppy farmers or backyard breeders ( no matter how well meaning the latter appear to be).

l also wouldn't want to encourage puppy farmers or backyard breeders ( no matter how well meaning the latter appear to be

How does one become a professional breeder, then, if no one is allowed to have a first litter, even after research, professional mentoring etc?

Some of the attitudes on here are just silly. No wonder people end up with puppy farmers, if the only breeders they are 'allowed' to buy from are the current professionals, and no one else is allowed to enter the cartel. I see how that benefits professional breeders (puts up prices), but not dogs.

Professional reputable breeders of poodles and cocker spaniels would not be interested in muddying their bloodlines by a deliberate mating of two separate breeds. You can't KC register a crossbreed and it has no place in the showring at present. There is no breed standard as there are too many variables. I don't mind poodle crosses but the people breeding them are in it for the sales, not preserving a specific bloodline.

I agree OP.
Dog breeding in this country is in a right mess and attitudes are bizarre!

Many purebreds are in critical need of outcrossing; Cavaliers, Doberman’s and bulldogs come to mind but there are absolutely loads.
But outcrossing is automatically seen as the hallmark of a bad breeder.

Breed clubs and the Kennel Club are promoted as something wonderful but the Kennel Club has absolutely destroyed our most loved working breeds of dogs, their versions of Setters, Spaniels, retrievers etc bear very resemblance to the authentic article, both in looks and personality and the breed clubs are no better.

When a healthy Dalmatian was created the breed clubs wanted nothing to do with it because it, god forbid, contained a bit of Pointer instead of ‘pure’ Dalmatian.

Many top show winning breeders have been found guilty of poor breeding practice, neglect and deliberately mating dogs with severe temperament faults but who fitted conformation wise.

There a number of regular people out there with healthy family dogs of a beautiful, stable temperament who produce really lovely family pets who are thought of as ‘backyard’ breeders and I think it’s really wrong.

That said, poodle mixes are a commercial puppy farmers dream.
So great care needs to be taken to ensure the parents aren’t mistreated breeding animals.

And the two breeds used to create the cockapoo, like all purebreds, are predisposed to some nasty health conditions so yes, any breeder, professional or otherwise should be health testing.

When it comes to cockapoos, the majority of the time it’s the poodle traits that attract people.
An unclipped poodle is indistinguishable from a cockapoo that has inherited the poodle coat.
I do think it would be more sensible to just buy a toy or miniature poodle.

I roll my eyes at bloodlines, etc. All of the current breeds evolved from breeding dogs with certain characteristics which were desirable and did not come about de novo. Today's society has a set of characteristics which are seen as desirable and dogs are being bred to try and meet that need. This will probably result in new breeds being created and I see nothing wrong with that. It is healthier for the longevity of dogs as a species to mix about the gene pools instead of narrowing down pure breed gene pools until undesirable genetic traits become problematically evident.