Family dog, Cockapoo?

[User0919]

Hi, we are considering a family dog. Now might not be the right time as 2 of my DC are still quite young and I want to be able to give the right attention to any dog. I’ve never had a dog so looking for some advice for anyone with experience.

Would need a dog who gets on with children, relatively low maintenance and is able to be left in for short periods of time. I also visit my mum, she has a cat and wondered if this is a definite no that a cat and dog would never get along.

I have mainly looked at Cockapoo? As I say this might just be a bit crazy to add into the mix and would maybe need to wait a year or 2 but at least then I can have a look at what might be the best breed for a family dog in future. Thanks

Cockers are a working breed and it makes me cross when they are sold as family friendly. Yes they are great family dogs IF trained properly from Day 1 but thousands are re-homed every year due to resource guarding/biting etc. They need a have to do eg gundog work or agility otherwise they can quickly become bored and destructive. In my opinion they should only be sold to experienced owners who will give the dog a job.

Why ever not? What a daft thing to say!

For the reasons I've listed above:
The sheer number in rescue centres at 6-9 months old because very little training has been done
Prone to resource guarding if not trained/managed earlier which is a danger with young kids
High prey drive coupled with lack of training

Highly intelligent dogs who get bored if not given sufficient mental stimulation and a job to do.

Look at the 1000s in rescues who are surrendered for all of the reasons above.
With good training from Day 1 they are amazing pets but ultimately they are a working breed so need to be treated accordingly.

I know five people with cocker poos. They are all needy, energetic nut jobs...the eldest one I know is now 6 and she has calmed down ( a bit)

Every second dog you see these days seems to be a poo of some sort- they all seem to look the same to me.

Strange, when I got my first dog they were called mongrels and now they are described as "designer dogs" and people pay silly money for them!

I am currently house-sitting for two cockapoos and honestly, they're enough to put me off for life.

They're anxious, reactive and hugely noise sensitive. They lick everything - themselves, each other, furniture, blankets, people - it's constant and definitely a way of self-soothing. They hyper focus on everything and never truly settle - every noise or movement has to be focused on and barked up - it's incredibly exhausting and honestly quite stressful.

It's a shame as I've met some lovely ones but as with all mixes, there's no standard so you have no idea what you'll end up with.

We have a Cockerpoo (I was not a dog a person at all and just gave in hoping I could tolerate it!)
Im absolutely in love with her and now I get the whole dog thing.
Shes so good natured, we had no issues with resource guarding (whenever playing with toys from a pup I always kissed her head) she’s great with our kids and loves playing and cuddles.
We groom her ourselves to save on the expense.
she does bark and react quite a bit to cars outside but a lot of noises she is now used to and doesn’t react (kids playing outside , dogs barking across the road , thunderstorms don’t faze her at all)
She is definitely a Velcro dog though ! She is pretty chill and not super high energy but she needs to be relaxing where she can see one of her humans ! She is crate trained so she goes in there fine for a few hours without any fuss - if we go away longer she stays with her doggy friends. I wouldn’t for example be able to leave her free roaming in the house for 5 hours she’s to anxious when alone.
She’s great on the leash, she likes a walk but doesn’t need one every day ! we wfh and she knows when we’re at our desks it’s not playtime she will just lie and sleep near us . she has so much personality I wouldn’t be without her .

Would need a dog who gets on with children, relatively low maintenance and is able to be left in for short periods of time.

Not RTFT. There's no guarantee that any poodle cross dog will be completely non-shedding. You'll be needing to get it groomed regularly. A puppy will need training.

If the poodle traits are strong, you'll have a dog that gets bored easily.

It looks from the OP that you have thought of cockerpoos because they look cute and a bit teddy-bear like.

@twistyizzy but all of those things are down to the owners and their lack of responsibility, not the (cross) breeder.

My 'why ever not?" was meant to quote the fact that someone said it's not possible to have a trustworthy breeder.

MN hates cockapoos. I've had mine for over 12 years now and got slated on here when he was a puppy, accused of promoting puppy farms and given dire warnings of a life of hell ahead. Not quite sure how anyone knew anything much about them then, as they were few and far between at the time. The number of times we were stopped in the street for people to ask us what sort of dog he was! Now, no one bothers because they're everywhere.
Anyway, he's been THE best dog ever. Seldom barks, loves humans but can be left for "normal" periods of time. Good fun - energetic out on walks but excellent recall but is a complete couch potato at home. We have him groomed every 10 weeks or so.
My only reservation about your situation would be the ages of your children but that's nothing to do with cockapoos but getting a dog in general.

I really wouldn't rule out an older rescue dog. Over the years we've had a puppy, and two rescues - first one was 2, second one was 5. The puppy was by far the hardest work - they needed training on literally everything as you would expect! Even though the 5 year old is an ex-puppy farm stud dog who had never lived in a house, he has still been a million times easier than the puppy. Slept through the night from the start, had already had lead training at the rescue and had been thoroughly assessed as to what his needs were (luckily just love, patience and some training). I actually think that you can be more sure of what you're getting if you use a good rescue.

The cockapoos I know are lovely, but that's because they have been trained.
We had an ageing terrier who was absolutely fine with children, but some children aren't fine with dogs.

@Reallybadidea , a good rescue centre won't rehome a dog with a family with young children.

We have a 7 year old labradoodle (he's 3/4 poodle and 1/4 lab). Now he's this age he's an absolute joy and has been since 3. But the first 3 years were hard. He's very easy to train but was very reactive, incredibly barky and totally food focused for the first 3 years.

Now he's left a couple of times a week for 4-5 hours while I volunteer and we have a camera so I know he sleeps the whole time. He goes to bed early and is happy to sleep in - we don't hear him in the kitchen until about 10 on a Saturday morning, though he gets up at 8 with dh through the week.

Our breeder (she was legit, we met mum and dad, all the puppies and on one visit she'd brought older siblings) said that the curlier the coat on the puppy the more hypoallergenic and he's turned out very curly, needs groomed 4x year and dd2 brushes him out weekly.

He's an adorable and friendly dog, well trained, good recall, copes with both other dogs and visitors well (he's great with our cat and free range rabbit but doesn't like other cats coming in the garden).

I'm not sure how this applies to cockapoos (we didn't get one as I was happier at the thought of a lab cross than a spaniel cross) but if your prepared to put the work in, a labradoodle is a great dog. But there is a lot of work involved and our youngest dc was 12 when we got him.

I'm have a Cp who is 18 months old. He's literally the best dog I could have got. His recall is ace, he's brave and loves walks so he can meet other dogs. He's brilliant with kids and old people, and happy to be left now out of crate indoors on his own for up to 4 hours.

He barks at foxes and men with rucksacks. Can't understand why cats don't want to be his friends and yes, he does need grooming every 6 weeks.

Don't have a cockapoo unless you would be equally happy with either a cocker spaniel or a poodle. A cockapoo will be an unpredictable mixture of spaniel and poodle traits so you could get anything from either breed. Thry are both very clever gundog breeds which need a lot of mental stimulation (job to do) - great dogs but not as a rule "low maintenance".

With cockapoos you then also have the problem of a high rate of puppy farming . Some cockapoo puppies, of course, are carefully and thoughtfully bred by people who prioritise health and temperament, they're not all badly bred or from puppy farms. But fashionable crosses have more than their fair share of puppy farm bred individuals, so you have that hurdle as well.

I have two young working cockers which are both great with children. Cockers are such a loving breed. I have met many which are therapy dogs or companions for children with additional needs. But... they are bred to work closely with people and their desire to be with their people can tip into separation anxiety in some individuals. They have also been bred over many generations to want to possess and carry things in their mouths - and if precious things are routinely grabbed off them as puppies they can become guardey (this can be mitigated with the right training, it's highly preventable if you get the right advice from the start, but sadly so many end up in rescue because of resource guarding). They are driven and tenacious and need help to learn how to relax and be calm. They need a job and if you don't give them one they will go find their own employment leading to inappropriate activities and recall problems. This is a good article https://www.dogsrdogs.co.uk/7-reasons-why-spaniels-dont-make-good-pets-unless-they-are-trained-appropriately/

Maybe go to an event like Discover Dogs and meet and find out about lots of different breeds and get more ideas of what is a good fit for you.

Well I suppose it depends on your definition of a 'good' rescue centre, but there are some that say they don't have blanket rules and it will depend on the dog and family circumstances. But besides, the OP said that they may wait for a couple of years anyway.

They might not have blanket rules. OP said 2 of her children were 'still quite young' but it depends on how young they are. They might be pre-schoolers or they might be 9 and 7, and there's a big difference

Hi OP, I look after a cockerpoo when its owners go on holiday, (as well as other breeds, so I do have some comparison!). Couple of things to be aware of..

They can and do shed - they need regular grooming at £30 a pop every 10-12 weeks.
They aren't hypoallergenic - they're a cross breed. You can't be sure what you get. Same goes for temperament, size, etc.
They can be super high energy and anxious. Perhaps this is the spaniel part? Not sure, but the one I look after is nervous and clingy.
They also are a puppy farmers dream. They aren't a pedigree breed so there is no registration of breeders from the KC. There's no obligation for health testing or recommendations to health test either.

I think as a first dog, there are 'easier' breeds out there. I'd look at a miniature poodle for a start. Super little dogs and look very similar if that matters.

I don't think it's a bad thing to suggest a rescue is an alternative to a puppy.

The cockerpoos we know are great with young children, very energetic and great family dogs, but a bit crazy, but anyone who tells you they are low maintenance, I'm afraid are telling porkies.

You must ensure you factor in the cost of professional grooming every 6 -8 weeks or learn how to groom them yourself, properly. It is unfair to leave their fur matted as it easily matts, so home brushing all the time and professional groom every 6-8 weeks.

You need to spend time properly training them, like with any other dog. And then you need to be willing to devote the time to them they need in your day to day life, like any other dog.

Oh and when we looked at "good" rescue centres we were refused as we had a young child, so we were left with no option but to buy. Shame really as we had our heart set on a rescue.

@Thinkbiglittleone "anyone who tells you they are low maintenance, I'm afraid are telling porkies."
So, you don't have one, yet are telling posters like me, who has had one for the last 12 years that we are telling lies? Hear it from me: my dog is not high maintenance.

@TheCrystalPalace yes I am saying that they are high maintenance, so do you not need to get your cockerpoo groomed and groom him regularly yourself ???

But the poster isn't saying you're telling lies. The fact is a cockerpoo isn't a low maintenance dog. They might not all be high maintenance but that doesn't mean yours is low maintenance. Any dog that needs grooming often, is prone to being high energy and is often very clingy cannot be called low maintenance.

Yes, we get him groomed every ten weeks or so and brush him ourselves. That's not what I would call high maintenance. Lots of dogs need that.