Getting a puppy on Friday

[Pumpkin5piced]

I’m a mix of excited and terrified.
I’ve been looking for over a year and finally felt ready. Was planning to get a pup around Christmas time as I was in touch with a breeder.

But things just fell into place this weekend when I got talking to a lovely breeder and I’m now bringing home a cockerpoo which isn’t the dog id planned to get, and on Friday, so a weeks notice instead of the few months I had planned. It’s happening very quickly but I’ve been researching for a hear so I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.

I’m a little scared that a cockerpoo is going to be more mental than id prepared for though

I've never met a dog that didn't have a character!

Ours has got a lovely personality.

I have a cockapoo. I also have the MN approved labrador. Both dogs have different challenges and different quirks. I think we’ve been unlucky in that both seem to have a difficult adolescence (it’s certainly looking that way with the lab).

We know a few other cockapoos and no other cockapoo was as difficult as a teenager! We just found one with a lot of attitude. It was hard work training her but we’ve come out the other side and she’s fantastic now. I’m not just saying that as her owner, a lot of people often comment on how well behaved she is. There’s a lower tolerance for cockapoos. My lab can get away with a lot more with strangers than the cockapoo was ever able to (he’s got one of those faces).

I do different activities with my dogs. The lab is far more switched on than the cockapoo. He needs a walk everyday. The cockapoo is happy to climb mountains for 8 hours but she’s also happy just having a lazy Sunday. She doesn’t need a walk everyday. If you want to find out about what I do with my dog, PM me.

The only reason I wouldn’t get another cockapoo is because of grass seeds but this extends to all non-shedding dogs now. If you live in an area where grass seeds are an issue then you need to be extra vigilant and it’s a lot of grooming. My dog does enjoy scurrying under bushes and likes being dirty, you might have a clean loving cockapoo and find that grass seeds, brambles, leaves and twigs aren’t constantly stuck in your dogs fur!

Do get her used to brushing right from the start. Even just using a soft nail brush to get her used to the action. We distracted with cheese and then brushed her.

They need brushed every day unless you keep them really clipped short. And proper getting to the skin brushing too as they mat really easily.

And groomed every 6 to 8 weeks.

Ours is a complete water baby and keeping her short is the best way to go.

@Justcannotbearsed
I've never met a dog that didn't have a character!

The family has two dogs, totally different breeds, and they are both the same. Completely blank when you interact with them. Unless you see them it is hard to explain. I don't think they are ill treated - they are more spoilt than my boys - but they just have no life to them. Their only interest is barking at people walking past the house.

@Branster

She's gorgeous OP! I think I'm in love.

I do not know a single cockerpoo (no idea how to spell it) that is not a total nutcase 😁 I'd never had one and wish they would be bred less or not at all.

But they are absolutely adorable and great with kids and easy in terms of maintenance. Every owner I know absolutely loves theirs and would get the same mix breed so you'll be absolutely fine.
However, they need to keep busy. They are absolutely mental otherwise. Their behaviour in a larger breed would border on dangerous purely because they are on the go nonstop and chaotic. A lot of them seem to be quite vocal too and in most cases have a very annoying bark.

Honestly you'll be fine, stay 100% committed, invest most of your time and money in training and activities. Grooming should be secondary, behaviour is what you need to establish. But in a way that works for the dog, hopefully you'll find an activity your dog really enjoys even if it's not your choice of activity, go with it. Dog will be content and you'll have an easier time.

Not my experience at all. My fella is snoozing beside me here. We’ve to drag him out on a walk in the morning round the village. He’s more alive for his evening walk. He’s excellent on lead - never pulls. Excellent recall, very good with my nieces / nephews (ignores them largely) and incredibly loving and gentle. My parents mind him for us sometimes and they adore him as he’s such good company and so intelligent. I do find those with these views of cockapoos also never seem to be cockapoo owners.

BeQuietBrenda
Our pup isn't always placid I guess.
He gets very bitey with DH and likes to hump legs a lot (although not mine strangely!)
He loves playing with me in the garden.

I suppose what I meant is that, so far, he tends to do what he's told and hasn't destroyed anything!

And he loves his cuddles which I find so calming.

It baffles me why people don’t just get an actual poodle. Standard or miniature are both wonderful family dogs and you’ve got a better chance of finding an ethical breeder who health tests. You can have their hair cut so they look like labradors with a perm, you don’t have to have the pom-poms.

Absolutely. I’d love a standard poodle but I only have rescue dogs

Why did your breeder have a puppy available at such short notice

I wonder. They always seem to have just that one person who dropped out. Awful.

Does it matter why the breeder had puppies available? All the others went to people she knows locally. She doesn’t advertise. I got speaking to her on a fb group for breeders. I drove 3.5 hours to get her.

How is she settling in xx

I doubt she will need so much exercise she seems to be more poodle. She's lovely x

She’s definitely more poodle looking. She’s settled really well. Struggling with sleeping for more than an hour at a time at night but she’s happy enough and making progress every day. She’s actually pretty calm, I’m sure that will change.

Does it matter why the breeder had puppies available?

Yes it really does. And if you don’t know why, you’re very naive and part of the problem.

Not every dog that isn’t purebred from a kc registered breeder is puppy farmed. I spoke to some shockingly bad kc breeders actually.

She looks lovely and it's great that she's settling in so well. Any more pictures?

Sleepy pup

🥰 she's gorgeous!!!

Does it matter why the breeder had puppies available?

Yes it really does. And if you don’t know why, you’re very naive and part of the problem

Can't be repeated often enough

@somethinginthewater Infeel like nobody would say this about a whippet breeder though. It’s because it’s a cockapoo. Honestly what is the difference between a kc registered breeder that has a litter or two a year or a cockapoo breeder that does the same, ensuring all health tests ect are carried out?

I would say it about a whippet breeder.

I would say it about a whippet breeder.

So would I.