Cockapoo & cavapoo breeeders

[Lifeisaminestrone]

Good evening!

This is something I wonder about, with all the criticism of oodle / poo dogs and their problems, has anyone thought of breeding cockapoos and cavapoos responsibly?

I’ve absolutely no plans to, as I prefer other breeds but they are popular and obviously a market for them so would love to hear of good responsible breeding.

If I was a lover of their temperament/ looks etc, would think it a good idea but sadly I’m just not drawn to them.

Anyway, just a nice friendly chat as to whether you have done this. have thought about doing this, and what put you off, struggles had.

Because cockerpoos are cuter than poodles/people prefer the look

In my experience, most people can't actually tell the difference unless the poodle is clipped into a show cut.

I have a cavapoochon and a cocker. Both rescues. The CPC is very sweet and a complete dick . She is oddly proportioned and is likey to have some back problems when she is older. Her hair is kept short as even with a visit a ro groomer every 2 weeks and daily brushing, it matts terribly.

She is super sensitive but also very stubborn. She was given up at 10 weeks because she was terrified of anyone stood up, doors, any noises, tall people, feet and so on. That's all massively improved. She still jumps and sprints away if you move unexpectedly. However, when it comes to training She gives no fucks unless there's food. Can't be off lead. Her recall is great, until you try and put a lead on.

All in all she is a lovely but not easy dog and I don't have an actual issue with their breeding. I have an issue with poor breeding in general.

But I do dispute that poodle crosses all have great temperaments and make great pets. They are usually more difficult dogs to manage. As they are fairly new it's difficult to predict temperament. Can be very difficult to manage, especially for first time dogs owners.

If they were bred properly, by good breeders, then alot of people would be disappointed because the decent breeders would probably turn alot of people down.

People forget that poodles are working dogs. The breeding doesn't calm the cocker down. I have always had spaniels and they are amazing dogs. They need owners who know what they are doing.

And as for looks, imo, they all usually look like an unclipped poodle. So don't see an advantage. But I wouldn't object, if they were well bred, Potential owners were well vetted, breeders were honest about what f1/f2 etc means and the likelihood of shedding etc

The vast majority of modern breeds have no function beyond being a pet - schnauzers, wolfhounds, pugs, dachshunds (as opposed to working teckels), frenchies, most terrier breeds (the vast majority of working terriers are non-KC JRTs and Patterdales). Working poodles are like hens' teeth (though I do know a working poodle X springer).

So I really don't see the problem in breeding crossbred puppies for the pet market PROVIDED the parent dogs are tested for recessive genetic illnesses common to both breeds, have their hips scored etc, and are given the right care and attention that you'd expect for any well-bred litter.

So yes, it would be good to have people breeding these crosses properly, not just chunking them out in some grim dark filthy shed.

I can tell the difference between poodle and cockerpoo/cavapoo. I prefer the look of cockerpoos. That’s not to say the other two breeds are ‘ugly’ but if I was getting one a cockerpoo would be to my personal taste.

Greyhounds aren’t for me. I would want a dog that I could take on long walks and let off the lead. Oh and live with cats and chickens.

@Velvetorsilk

I can tell the difference between poodle and cockerpoo/cavapoo. I prefer the look of cockerpoos. That’s not to say the other two breeds are ‘ugly’ but if I was getting one a cockerpoo would be to my personal taste.

Greyhounds aren’t for me. I would want a dog that I could take on long walks and let off the lead. Oh and live with cats and chickens.

How do you know you always get it right?

Its mor elite down to the clip.

Most poodle owners will have some sort of poodle cut, especially with a shaved snout. Most cross breed owners, do not. They have no intention of making their dog look like a traditional poodle.

I can guarantee that if they all had the same clip, you would struggle to spot the difference.

So I really don't see the problem in breeding crossbred puppies for the pet market PROVIDED the parent dogs are tested for recessive genetic illnesses common to both breeds, have their hips scored etc, and are given the right care and attention that you'd expect for any well-bred litter.

Totally agree, @EdithStourton. Though I suspect that with 2 sets of breed specific conditions to screen and test for it would be financially prohibitive for most breeders. It shouldn’t be, of course, it should be accepted as a basic, fixed cost of breeding a litter but it’s a corner that gets cut to maximise profit.

Bolding went well there

@Velvetorsilk

I can tell the difference between poodle and cockerpoo/cavapoo. I prefer the look of cockerpoos. That’s not to say the other two breeds are ‘ugly’ but if I was getting one a cockerpoo would be to my personal taste.

Greyhounds aren’t for me. I would want a dog that I could take on long walks and let off the lead. Oh and live with cats and chickens.

I think my point is that there isn’t a look of a cocker x poodle because there isn’t a standard. Fair enough if you don’t like the look of a breed. You’re not certain what you’re going to get with any dog but you’re far less likely to know what it’ll look like with a cross breed.

I’d rather have a poodle than a cavapoo. Poodles are healthier than cavs and just as bright and trainable. Plus the hairdo thing,

@AlDanvers there’s a difference in the face. I prefer the look of the cockerpoo (or cockapoo).

Poodles tend to be slightly more pointy, cavapoos more flat. Cockerpoos are a really attractive shape (for me personally, others will prefer different looks.)

I’ve googled poodle mixes and honestly, there’s a huge variety. There isn’t a breed standard.
I’d say 99% of people cannot identify my poodle as a poodle. I’ve had multiple poodles. They always assume they’re mixed because of the way I groom them.

People like them as pets, that's a reason - dogs shows have lots of criticism in their own right! I have a working breed, they are not for everyone, you need to be able to deal with their traits, responsibly bred for pet trade is better for most people. The issue is that anyone can breed, they are smuggled from overseas and most of all anyone can own a dog - proper licensing etc would solve many issues because only those who know how to care for a dog would be allowed to own one

I can tell the difference between poodle and cockerpoo/cavapoo. I prefer the look of cockerpoos.

But the point people are making is that there isn't a standard cockapoo look. It depends on so many things - was the spaniel working or show, what colour was the poodle parent, how the is animal clipped etc.

I just googled cockapoo and these are the two photos used as examples - and both look completely different!

there isn’t a standard cockerpoo look

I know on MN they all differ wildly because they are mongrels and MN will never let you forget that you have a mongrel you paid ££££ for (funnily enough there’s also a thread on here lamenting the loss of mongrels) but to be honest all the ones I know look similar enough, especially around the face.

Even the two I posted photos of @Velvetorsilk? They look completely different to me!

I’ve never seen a cockerpoo that looks like the one you posted a picture of. Google images isn’t necessarily the best indicator!

This comes back to having good breeders, though. And I don’t think ‘pedigree’ means that the breeder is ‘good.’

[quote Velvetorsilk]@AlDanvers there’s a difference in the face. I prefer the look of the cockerpoo (or cockapoo).

Poodles tend to be slightly more pointy, cavapoos more flat. Cockerpoos are a really attractive shape (for me personally, others will prefer different looks.)[/quote]
Again, that's the clip.

The shape of the face of a cockerpoo looks fairly standard to a lot of people, because that's the clip the owners tend to go for.

Not many poodle owners, donr have a poodle like clip.

So the face shape of the dogs looks different.

But again, generally, if both dogs are clipped the same you can't tell the difference. Which was the original point.

It’s not just the clip. It’s fine if you think they look the same or prefer poodles / different breed altogether. I prefer cockerpoo over poodle and incidentally both cockerpoo and poodle over cavapoo. It’s the face shape, nothing to do with the clip.

I’ve never seen a cockerpoo that looks like the one you posted a picture of. Google images isn’t necessarily the best indicator!

Whereas I know some that look like either image. Some more poodle-like, some more spaniel like, some that don't look like either picture - yet they're all cockapoos.

The point is - unless you ask and know the owner is telling the truth, how can you be so sure you can tell the difference?

Have to say even by MN ‘poo’ threads standards, this is turning very weird. No, I don’t quiz every single ‘poo’ owner so possibly some could be poodles masquerading as cockerpoos. As a general rule however I am not a huge fan of the poodle face. I prefer the look of the cockerpoo.

@Velvetorsilk

Have to say even by MN ‘poo’ threads standards, this is turning very weird. No, I don’t quiz every single ‘poo’ owner so possibly some could be poodles masquerading as cockerpoos. As a general rule however I am not a huge fan of the poodle face. I prefer the look of the cockerpoo.

I am not against cross breeds at all, I just find it weird the insistence there is a “look” when it cannot possibly be so. I don’t care if people don’t like the look of dogs, I shan’t name any but there are some pedigree breeds I find very unattractive.

There’s no insistence. I’ve just expressed the view that I prefer the look of cockerpoos over poodles and I can tell the difference, and for some reason this won’t be accepted and poodles and cockerpoos look the same and any cockerpoos I do see must really be poodles!

Cockerpoos definitely don’t all have the same face shape under their fur... I’ll need to get photos of a friends’ pair sometime, one has a poodle face shape, one has a spaniel face shape - she gets them trimmed to match each other and they look identical.

Cockapoo and poodle puppies look similar, but full grown poodles have a very different face shape. It’s personal preference - around the nose. I’m not a huge fan of the poodle nose. Just personal preference. Thankfully, you don’t need to justify preferring one type of dog over another in RL!

They’re 3 and 5... not puppies, one is pretty much a spaniel with a poodle coat, one is pretty much a poodle with spaniel ears.

They come back from the groomers with identical faces, as a shorthair dog person, it’s actually quite disturbing, lol.