Suggestions on where to get a dog from?

[Wingingit202122]

First time owner trying to find somewhere reputable to buy a dog from!
Was advised to look on pets4homes but not sure how reputable the sellers are
Spoke to one woman who told me she would only allow me to do a doorstep viewing! This immediately raised my suspicions so was wondering, how do we go about not falling foul to a backstreet breeder?

Mumsnet Doghouse hates Cockapoos.
We have one and he's the best dog EVER. Sociable, friendly, cuddly yet not in your face. He's not in the slightest neurotic or hyper. Can't fault him.
BUT, we got him over 11 years ago, before they became so popular so there is something to be said for being wary of puppy farms.

Does your local council have a dog pound? There are often puppies.

Why do you want a cockerpoo?

My friend went through a similar process and ended up getting a poodle from a registered breeder. He is a modestly sized dog, I think the middle size that poodles come in but a large example of that. I had some misconceptions about poodles but I have to say he's a fabulous dog. Really clever, fun, confident and loves to do "jobs". He doesn't have that show cut, his hair is the same length all over and a lit of people don't realise he is a full poodle.

Why does anyone want any particular type?
I'm not remotely interested in bull-type breeds or greyhounds or whatever. They just don't appeal to me.
Although see above as to why I think mine is fab.

The trouble with cockers is that breed numbers have exploded, and most litters are not bred by people who know anything about either the show breed standard especially on temperament or working trial performance. They breed only for their pockets. Moving from that poor base and cross-breeding with poodles that also haven't seen a show ring for at least 10 generations will throw up undesirable temperaments, non-breed standard colours (which are advertised as if they are sought after) and health issues.

It is never a dog's fault what they are. It is entirely the breeder's fault. There are plenty of 'pedigree' and crossbred puppies at rescues, why encourage puppy farmers? No breeder that respects the breed will plan and produce a cross breed because that's entirely against the point of improving the breed lines to the standard. Buying a crossbreed is just being part of the puppy farm problem.

@Floralnomad well I'll never know will I, but the best you can do is to trust your instincts. Not every Pets4Homes seller is dodgy.

Buying a crossbreed is just being part of the puppy farm problem.

MASSIVE generalisation and very judgemental.

"Buying a crossbreed is just being part of the puppy farm problem."

Just crossbreeds? I know loads of people who've got a whole range of different breeds from what are likely to be puppy farms. It's certainly not confined to poodle crosses.

Poodles come in anything from toy to standard. Most cockerpoos are from miniature poodles. Poodles are very intelligent and their energy levels cannot be addressed just by exercise. Exercise will give you a fitter dog that will still be bored and potentially destructive if you don't provide mental stimulation. A miniature or even toy poodle in a puppy cut, properly bred with good temperament will be a highly intelligent and loving companion without joining the puppy farm club.

Mumsnet Doghouse hates Cockapoos

i don’t think it’s that, as such.

more that people see a cute fluffy one in their local park, and decide they want one.

it’s the misunderstandings around them which means they often aren’t suitable for what a prospective owner wants. They aren’t “hypoallergenic”, they’re often very intelligent and need a lot of training and exercise, fur can shed, and can mat, so high grooming needs. First timers tend to think they’re getting a cute lapdog that won’t trigger allergies and is an easy first puppy. Plus the fact that their popularity means they’re almost exclusively bred for profit.

i would never recommend or get a cockapoo for those reasons. Not that I hate the dogs themselves.

Sure, did I not say that choosing a breeder that demonstrably bred to the breed standard was the start of the process? Those breeders are careful to preserve good lines, and by default cannot "farm". Puppy farms' breed lines rarely pass examination.

Not every Pets4Homes seller is dodgy.

Depends how you define 'dodgy'. I don't believe that anyone selling an animal on that site genuinely has their best interests at heart.

"i would never recommend or get a cockapoo for those reasons. Not that I hate the dogs themselves."

So you haven't got one? Probably better that the OP takes advice from those of us who have, then?
Select your source carefully (which is what she's asking advice about), train them well so they're not needy (applies to most dogs) and get them groomed regularly (I have mine done every 10 weeks or so). I am allergic to many dogs but not mine. Whilst of course it's not guaranteed that they are hypoallergenic, there's still a better than average chance. I can't even touch my sister's Lab without it triggering an attack.

Well because with a breed you get breed characteristics @CallmeAngelina. And you can find a decent breeder. It's much much harder if you want a cross breed. It's harder to find a decent breeder and there's no guarantee of the mix.

Most unclipped poodles look like cockerpoos. So I was wondering if it was the cute little fluffy ewok look the OP wants.

How did you find your good breeder @CallmeAngelina if they're not kennel club registered and can't show etc?

Mumsnet Doghouse hates Cockapoos.

I don't think that's strictly true. Mumsnet hates dodgy breeders and owners (or potential owners) who don't do their research, and who just pick breeds because they're cute/fluffy/look like teddy bears.

I walk multiple cockapoos. None of them look even remotely similar. They're all completely different sizes, colours and shapes. They all have completely different temperaments, needs and behaviours.

None of them are bad dogs by any means, but if someone said "I want a cockapoo" - they'd be a perfect example of "well, what do you mean by a cockapoo?" because it's a real genetic lottery and you have no idea what you'll end up with once they're fully grown.

There is a labradoodle in my park who is a gorgeous boy, but he molts like a lab, and looks just like a lab but with a slight kink to his coat. Not what the owners were after, but a gorgeous dog nonetheless, and they love him dearly.
I think it's a shame that owners like OP don't have a trusted route to get the dogs they want, the best you can do IMHO is speak to other local owners and see where they got their pups from - might give you some leads...

This reminds me of a labradoodle I met at work once.

Owner had been been promised a mini-labradoodle - only she never met the stud dog, and it turned out that he was a standard poodle. This dog was HUGE lol. I mean, don't get me wrong, he was lovely but not at all what was advertised and the owner really struggled with him due to his size and strength.

This will not be a popular view, but please don't bother. There are far too many pet dogs out there as it is, and as the cost of living rises may are going to end up in rescues, but unlikely to be rehomed. Please do not add to the heap of euthanased unwanted dogs.

We lucked out with a local friend of a friend who was having one litter with her show cocker before spay. Dad is well known local stud WCS and has a good pedigree and health tests.

Ours is a sweetheart but cockers are not for the feint of heart or short of time. A cocker cross, especially from WCS stock will be high energy, high intelligence and need a lot of time and work

A mini poodle might be better for you if you're not up for 90-120 minutes of walking and training on top. And mine is low octane compared with lots of cockers, my gundog trainer says he's chill!!

We have a cockapoo. He's well trained and needs grooming regularly. Like every dog they need input. He can be stubborn.

Ours was rejected as a disable aid dog puppy as he was too laid back. That might be a place to start.

One thing I would say is, how a dog behaves is not just down to its owners. Dogs are not all the same no matter how much training they get. Yes, it's very important to train a dog properly, right from the start, but every dog is different.

It's common to read that a dog's behaviour is purely down to how it's been raised, but that is not the full story. Every breed has different traits. For example, most retrievers will want to retrieve, collies like to round things up, hounds like to follow a trail, I'm sure you get the idea. Even within a breed, personalities differ. Two labradors won't be the same, even if they live with the same owners. Anyone who has had more than one dog, of the same breed, will know this. Just because peeps keep repeating that how a dog behaves is down to its owners, doesn't make it true.

Not every Pets4Homes seller is dodgy
I'd agree. One of our dogs is from there. The breeder gave us a thorough grilling, was happy for us to visit the puppies several times, and has kept in touch.

You have to do your due diligence. And to be honest, you need to do that with any breeder, even one from ChampDogs who claims to be all bells and whistles, health tests done, the lot. I've seen some fab litters on there, some good ones and some that are... Yeah.
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@EdithStourton ours was the same. It does annoy me when people jump to assumptions. I like to think I'm a good judge of character.