Is the cockerpoo a good family dog?

[GlitterGreySparkle]

I had a shih tzu before DS (3) came along. He was a bit snappy with us, but unfortunately turned on our little boy so he went to live with my auntie who loves him very much (and he does bite her!)
It’s been about 18 months and we do miss having a dog. It’s a case of once bitten twice shy though. We’re considering a cockerpoo but want to do plenty of research first. Are they good family dogs?

Get a poodle! We have a toy poodle and she is gorgeous. We have her groomed Teddy bear style so no pom poms or shaved face. She has a very sweet, cuddly temperament and her exercise needs are 1hr per day so really manageable. Poodles are the second most intelligent dog so respond well to training.
Maybe consider waiting till your ds is at school so the puppy gets a break and chance to sleep undisturbed. Puppies need a lot of sleep and they don't always get it with kids running around wanting to play.

Cockerpoos are very popular where I am. They have the potential to be lovely, family dogs but they are very energetic.

A properly trained cockerpoo is a great dog (the well trained one I know is very sweet), but I'm just fed up of the untrained ones being a yappy nuisance.

As others say, they are perfect for puppy farmers so be very careful with breeders.

My MIL’s is fine with my D.C. and her cousins - but they invested a lot of time and effort in training her, so the same treatment probably would have given the same results for most dogs.

I know several people with poodle/spaniel/Labrador crosses. Most of them are owned by experienced dog owners and are well exercised and socialised. Contrary to the negativity around these popular cross breeds, many of the people I know with them have chosen a cross rather than a pedigree for health reasons. Plus they want a puppy and rehoming rescues just isn't the right choice for everyone.
The only cockerpoo I know that actually isn't so great was a rescue. It's pretty indifferent to people so has been very hard to train.

Oh katienana! your dog is gorgeous 🤗😍

Create a shortlist of breeds by all means but ultimately I would focus more on the parents of the puppy than the breed.

You can pick a so called ‘family breed’ but if the pups parents are nervous, snappy etc it is highly likely your puppy will grow up much the same.

Equally, you can pick a ‘not family breed’ and if it’s parents are calm and friendly and stable, most likely your puppy will grow up the same.

I have a breed commonly thought to be a poor choice for children and busy family homes.
She came from sweet gentle parents and is an exceptionally gentle tolerant child friendly adult dog.

My parents have a cockerpoo, hes a lovely boy, extremely energetic, affectionate and very confident but has an issue with resource guarding which is better now hes a bit older and better trained but I still wouldn't risk him with a young child despite being very good with kids in other ways.

We have a cockerpoo. No issues with resource guarding and he’s not high energy. We’ve had a lazy day and he’s been snoozing in his basket with us since 9am this morning. Taking him for an hour walk now and that’ll do him. He is a lovely dog and great temperament great with children. He has already helped a friends children who are terrified of dogs and initially screamed whenever they saw him but now will come over and let him. Their parents are delighted so definitely a good dog for families. We do have issues with separation anxiety and nervousness And allergies and he is an extremely fussy eater however we have no financial constraints so it’s fine for us. He also doesn’t Matt his hair at all. It’s lovely and soft and smooth. Non shed is brilliant as well.

I would not get a dog with young children however. Wait until they are older.

@katienana. Your dog is gorgeous. One of the reasons I don’t get the “poo” fad, why get a cross when poodles are so bloody lovely. I strongly suspect it’s the perception of ridiculous pom poms and sharp faces.

I have a currently very unpopular breed. Probably because most people want the “poo” version 🙄

He’s lovely. And I can’t go anywhere with him without positive comments, and one one occasion a group of toddlers crying when we left 😂.

Thank you for all your comments and advice x

My friend has got one and she is lovely, really good family pet and brilliant with her kids. She's really soft natured and good with other dogs and strangers. But... she's mad a box of frogs and needs a lot of exercise as she has a LOT of energy. No walks and she's running a round the house and garden constantly, jumping on anyone and everything.

We have a cocker spaniel pup and he’s awesome but I wouldn’t do it with a 3yo! My dc are 9-12 and being able to let them watch him while I have a wee is great. I honestly think dh and I would struggle without the extra pair of hands even though we do most of the care. After pup gives us a night of limited sleep, my dc get themselves dressed and make their own breakfast. Honestly, you won’t be able to give the puppy the time it needs and it’ll end up biting again. Wait a few more years.

My question would be - what happened that let your last dog to bite your son, and what would you do differently this time to ensure it didn't happen again?

Dogs of any breed (or mix) can bite - the background is important (parental temperament, upbringing with the breeder, health) but how you raise them is important too. You can have two (say) cockers from the same litter, but give one to irresponsible owners and you could easily end up with a dog that bites.

Honestly If you weren't willing to bother training or seeking a behaviourist for your last dog you shouldn't be getting another.
I work with dogs and find cockerpoos to be a mixed bag. Hard dogs to read due their faces being obscured by shaggy hair, but no it doesn't sound like your up to the commitment tbh.