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

My son had a Jack-a-poo and that had to be passed on, fortunately a dog behaviourist bought him ! . He was lovely but so lively they couldn't cope with the amount of exercise he needed with two young children and another on the way .

Cockerpoos are lovely and I'm not against them, other than the bought-because-they're-cute-and non-shedding factor.

Jack Russell Terriers are absolutely brilliant.
Poodles are great.
Jackapoo is just wrong. Not the dog's fault, but the breeder's.

It seems no one considers this anymore 🙄

I think some people get poodles but say they have a -doodle or a -poo

no reason at all why I'm saying that, of course

My cousin has a cockerpoo and we actually don't bother visiting anymore. He just barks and snaps at everyone, especially the children. Does not leave them alone and ends up having to be put out. Not relaxing at all. Dog hair everywhere and he absolutely stinks sometimes. Also has lots of problems with his ears. They are also the dog on the school run that jump all over any passerby. People think its cute, it's not.

I have a staffy and they have such a bad reputation but he's never barked at or nipped a child ever.

You really need to research different breeds, we also looked at whippets before we bought our boy.

Sorry, @AnnieKayTee but that's on your cousin. They should have trained it better.
These things are not always about the breeds but the owners. As in what you say about Staffies. Their reputation comes from people parading them as vicious protection dogs when they're naturally passive.

I went to a dog training class, and there was a woman with a little 'xpoo' puppy. It looked like a little teddy bear 🧸. She was 'performance' telling others that she would be 'showing' it. It was very funny when the training lady informed her that it wasn't a breed and Fun dog shows would be all she could take it to.
There was sniggering around the hall.

What is a "calmer strain" of a springer? How do you know?

I'm assuming the poster means from show lines rather than working.

Although we have a 1 year old springer from working lines (as a pet) and she's a amazingly calm and chilled dog - so calm springers are not from show lines only.

I think springers get a really bad rep for being nuts/crazy/high energy. People get cockers instead thinking they're 'easier'. In reality, every cocker spaniel I know or see is far far higher maintenance (and more poorly behaved) than the springers I know. Our own springer and those we see on walks tend to be polite and almost aloof with strange people and dogs and it's the cockers you get barking and jumping all over you.

@TheCrystalPalace yeah it could be the owners to be fair. BIL always makes a fuss of the dog when she gets excited now I think about it - she gets attention when calm too but if she gets positive attention either way I can see there's no incentive to be calmer.

Got our cockerpoo when DD was 4. Best decision ever. He's great with her and they are best friends. Does need grooming every 8 weeks but can be stretched out to every 10-12 weeks if needed. Very affectionate, very intelligents. Does get excited around other dogs but in a playful non stress Ive way. Dont regret our choice at all

All dogs have their own personalities and alot can be to do with training. But as the OP is talking about Cockerpoos i will give my experience of them. I know an experienced dog owner who has had springer spaniels and cocker spaniels before, all very well trained. They got a cockerpoo and he is bonkers. Very bouncy and full of energy, wees all the time when excited and really anxious, barks at everything and anything. He is loving and has great recall. We used to dog sit for them while they holidayed but this dog is just too much for us as we have a young child. Another friend has had rottweilers previously and fancied a change, he said the same as the others on here, its too excitable and a bit crackers, he adores her but said he wouldn't do it again. I could go on as there are loads in our dog walkers group. Most agree they are crazy but don't mind that one bit and dont regret it as that is balanced out by how loving, fun and friendly they are.

We went for a cavapoo and she is gentle when she needs to be but plays crazy when our DS want to, because she is a little bit smaller when she is going a bit mad, it doesn't feel as full on as a bigger cockerpoo. She obviously still needs lots of grooming both by myself and a groomer so is high maintenance with that, if you dont have time to sit grooming, dont get a poodle cross incase you get a really poodly one.

😂🤣

Why do people go for all these poodle crosses? Just get a poodle, is my advice. Everyone asks if ours is a cockapoo, or a cavapoo. People just don’t seem to know how lovely poodles are. There’s really no need to cross them.

I agree with you, @Groutyonehereagain , but they aren't trendy, people imagine the clipped ones popular in the 1970s, and they aren't as 'cute' as -poos and -doodles.

Someone once asked about mine “what are they crossed with”? 🤷‍♀️ I replied that they were (are) purebred Poodles. “Oh (she said, sounding disappointed), it’s just a Poodle”! JUST A POODLE 😡

Our poodle has a once all over cut. Those stupid haircuts don’t do poodles any favours. There are some people who believe a poodle should look a certain way in terms of shaving and pom poms but that look is definitely dying out. A poodle cut naturally is beautiful and just as cute as any cross.

Our poodle is red and very pretty.

@Groutyonehereagain , I think they were traditionally trimmed in a certain way for work.
I included the photo because I suspect that some people think of that look when they think of a poodle.

What a gorgeous dog @Groutyonehereagain - I walk a fantastic black mini poodle and he is adorable!

Definitely cute,@Groutyonehereagain , give him a cuddle from me.

Yes I think you’re correct on both counts.

Most poodle crosses I know have significant behaviour problems and also medical issues. I help run a dog training club. I see many.

Poodles are fantastic. Standards can be aloof, toys can be anxious but minis are just right. I genuinely don’t know why people go to crosses and not poodles.

Most poodle crosses I know have significant behaviour problems and also medical issues. I help run a dog training club. I see many.

But the challenge is knowing why I think there are multiple things going on.

IME poodle crosses are most likely to be owned by very inexperienced people who don't know a huge amount about dogs - often they want something for the kids etc.

So from a behaviour POV is hard to seperate out what is intrinsic to the breeding and what is a result of the dog growing up in a home that doesn't really understand much about it.

From a medical POV, I think there are now a large number of breeds suffering from our approach of controlled breeding (which also has many advantages). Poodle mixes bear a lot of the weight of that by virtue of there being 2 breeds contributing all their hereditary problems and often being bred by people who don't bother testing etc. But they are not alone, sadly and many breeds now have multiple hereditary conditions that would appear to be increasing in prevalence.

We obviously cannot go back to the days of roaming dogs cross breeding themselves, but I mourn the loss of the robust health and (often) temperament of a true mongrel.

Oh, and FWIW I agree with the PP that says cockers are more manic than springers, as a general rule. I have no idea why cockerpoos are a thing but springerpoos are not. Not that I want to see a surge of springerpoos, just that a cocker is not the one of those two I would pick if I were trying to create the perfect family dog. (But I would say that - I have the world's laziest springer )

Most poodle crosses I know have significant behaviour problems and also medical issues. I help run a dog training club. I see many.
Quite possibly because they were bought by someone who wanted a cute teddy bear-like dog, without training it properly. Medical issues probably from unscrupulous puppy farming breeders.

French bulldogs seem to be wheezy, grunting fat blobs where I live, and I suspect that it's the breeders and owners that are the problems, not the breed.

All the poodle crosses I know (which is a lot -and I have a Cavapoo), are healthy, happy and well- trained.