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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Cockapoo breeders

101 replies

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 13:50

Please could you let me know if you have had any experience of Adevantia in Stafford or Hounds of Harvington for Cockapoos or Cavapoos.

Potential first time puppy owners here, feeling wary and want to get it right.

Thank you.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
bostonchamps · 08/08/2025 17:21

Poodle owner here adding to the cries of 'get a poodle'

I honestly can't see why anyone would want a crossbreed 'oodle' when you can get an actual toy/miniature/standard full poodle with good breeding and little chance of random personality 'quirks' coming out after puppyhood.

My teddy cut boy is constantly stopped on the street to be told how cute he is (because he is, quite frankly, adorable).

Victoriouslyvictorious · 08/08/2025 17:21

I have a gorgeous miniature poodle. She’s amazing, intelligent, beautiful, easy to train, loving, great with other dogs, 100%recall, healthy and none shedding. Almost every day I get asked if she’s a cockapoo.

WinWhenTheyreSinging · 08/08/2025 17:23

Why any sort of poodle or cross, OP? Are you ready for how much it's going to cost you in grooming fees? I have a dog that needs professional grooming, and I'll probably never have another because of the financial commitment.😆

What can you offer a dog, and what do you want from a dog?

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 18:04

I’d like a happy, healthy dog who I can take on walks and enjoy spending time with. I can offer a dog a caring, loving home with space, a garden and large outdoor spaces nearby.

This all feels way too stressful though!

OP posts:
MonCoubousMonTourmalet · 08/08/2025 18:22

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 18:04

I’d like a happy, healthy dog who I can take on walks and enjoy spending time with. I can offer a dog a caring, loving home with space, a garden and large outdoor spaces nearby.

This all feels way too stressful though!

Why does it feel stressful?
By buying a pedigree from a reputable and recommended breeder, rather than a puppy farm dog from an ad, you should have a much better chance of a healthy dog with a stable temperament.

SpanielsGalore · 08/08/2025 18:25

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 18:04

I’d like a happy, healthy dog who I can take on walks and enjoy spending time with. I can offer a dog a caring, loving home with space, a garden and large outdoor spaces nearby.

This all feels way too stressful though!

It's better to be stressed now, searching for a reputable breeder. Than to be stressed for the next 15 years, because you've ended up with a dog with behavioural and/or health issues because you've bought one from a puppy farm.

FastFood · 08/08/2025 18:33

I don't have a poodle but I'm lucky to know several of them and I suffer from bad poodle-envy.

Cockapoos are lovely too, but it seems that what people are generally after when they choose to have a cockapoo is actually simply a poodle.

Ylvamoon · 08/08/2025 18:52

@KingRoland just sit down for a moment and think about what you can offer a dog in terms of walking & training. How much are you willing to adjust your lifestyle for the dog. (Think holidays, early morning/ late night walks in the dark, cold, wind & rain, regular strucured training class ....)

Then choose the type of dog that would suit you. Don't just look at size and cuteness but also at temperament, exercise needs and intelligence = training!

I have a lovely rescue Cookerpoo... BUT in all honesty she's not a pet. She wouldn't be happy as a pet with 2 walks a day, a bit of give paw and sit. She's high energy, neurotic, clingy and very intelligent. She's obsessive, can jump hights far to great for her size to get something and has tendency to resource guarding. Basically all bad characteristics of both breeds in one dog! Sadly that's a possibility if you cross 2 different breeds.

She's the type of dog that needs a job to do to be happy and content. I do competitive obedience & agility. She can comfortably keep up with all the pure & purposely bred Collies and Spaniels. So from that point of few she's perfect!

Please think twice about a cookerpoo, out of 3-400 puppies one is definitely like my little one. And they are relentless & bloody hard work!

LandSharksAnonymous · 08/08/2025 19:08

Finding a puppy is hard, @KingRoland. It's really hard. It's not just about finding a cute puppy online and thinking 'I want that one.' And finding a designer doodle that is well bred, is virtually impossible.

You are potentially giving someone £2000+. You are taking on a commitment that could live for 15 years. That is something that takes planning and care. And it takes trust. No one should be buying a puppy if they do not 100% trust the breeder, and no breeder should be selling a puppy if they do not trust the potential owner.

And, I cannot stress this strongly enough, no one should be buying any puppy that is not from fully health tested parents - not these days. Health tests are cheap as chips. The only reason people are not fully health testing the sire and dam is because they know their dogs are not healthy - and they know what the health tests would say. They know they should not be breeding from those dogs.
Buyers of these puppies make mistakes, and sometimes they get lucky but more often they do not and they and the dog suffer as a result. I know someone with a labradoodle that's a similar age to one of mine (not yet 3) and it can barely do a 15 minute walk without collapsing because its got such bad dysplasia as a result of dodgy breeding.

The thing with a good breeder, is that they will have poured their heart and soul into ensuring the puppies they are raising are happy, health and well-adjusted. That means long hours for eight weeks. It means constantly being present for those dogs. In some cases, breeders will have already started training your dog to be house-trained, or clean, or have taught them luring or basic commands. Puppy farmers, like the ones you have linked, do not do that. Partly because they do not care, and partly because they do not know enough about raising a healthy litter to even know where to begin. That is why good breeders will only have a litter every few years - because it's so damn hard - and why puppy farmers can have multiple breeding bitches, and litters, at once. Because proper breeders put in effort, and puppy farmers [like the ones you linked] do not - they just churn the puppies with little regard to those puppies lives. And you're not doing them a favour by 'buying the puppy to save them' no - people who do that support puppy farming.

And, lets not forget that even within breeds, temperament, energy levels, intelligence, coat density, form etc. all vary massively. No two dogs are the same. As @Ylvamoon says, the only real difference with a pedigree is you can be more confident in what you are getting. The problem when you start to mix breeds, is you cannot be sure what sort of personality traits you will get in that dog.

So, not only do you have a higher risk ending up with a defective, sickly, dog you also run a much higher risk of ending up with one with severe behavioural defects that most people are not equipped to deal with or manage.

Victoriouslyvictorious · 08/08/2025 19:26

LandSharksAnonymous · 08/08/2025 19:08

Finding a puppy is hard, @KingRoland. It's really hard. It's not just about finding a cute puppy online and thinking 'I want that one.' And finding a designer doodle that is well bred, is virtually impossible.

You are potentially giving someone £2000+. You are taking on a commitment that could live for 15 years. That is something that takes planning and care. And it takes trust. No one should be buying a puppy if they do not 100% trust the breeder, and no breeder should be selling a puppy if they do not trust the potential owner.

And, I cannot stress this strongly enough, no one should be buying any puppy that is not from fully health tested parents - not these days. Health tests are cheap as chips. The only reason people are not fully health testing the sire and dam is because they know their dogs are not healthy - and they know what the health tests would say. They know they should not be breeding from those dogs.
Buyers of these puppies make mistakes, and sometimes they get lucky but more often they do not and they and the dog suffer as a result. I know someone with a labradoodle that's a similar age to one of mine (not yet 3) and it can barely do a 15 minute walk without collapsing because its got such bad dysplasia as a result of dodgy breeding.

The thing with a good breeder, is that they will have poured their heart and soul into ensuring the puppies they are raising are happy, health and well-adjusted. That means long hours for eight weeks. It means constantly being present for those dogs. In some cases, breeders will have already started training your dog to be house-trained, or clean, or have taught them luring or basic commands. Puppy farmers, like the ones you have linked, do not do that. Partly because they do not care, and partly because they do not know enough about raising a healthy litter to even know where to begin. That is why good breeders will only have a litter every few years - because it's so damn hard - and why puppy farmers can have multiple breeding bitches, and litters, at once. Because proper breeders put in effort, and puppy farmers [like the ones you linked] do not - they just churn the puppies with little regard to those puppies lives. And you're not doing them a favour by 'buying the puppy to save them' no - people who do that support puppy farming.

And, lets not forget that even within breeds, temperament, energy levels, intelligence, coat density, form etc. all vary massively. No two dogs are the same. As @Ylvamoon says, the only real difference with a pedigree is you can be more confident in what you are getting. The problem when you start to mix breeds, is you cannot be sure what sort of personality traits you will get in that dog.

So, not only do you have a higher risk ending up with a defective, sickly, dog you also run a much higher risk of ending up with one with severe behavioural defects that most people are not equipped to deal with or manage.

Edited

Great post, worth quoting. Thank you @LandSharksAnonymous for taking the time and trouble with all that advice and information. 👏

GoodBones85 · 08/08/2025 19:28

@KingRoland i really would heed the advice you are being given by posters on this thread.

DH and I have wanted a dog for years and this year we decided the time was right. We thought we had done our research and thought we had made all the right informed choices. We thought we bought a cockapoo from a reputable breeder.

In hindsight we were completely naive. Don’t get me wrong, our now 6 month old pup is totally gorgeous, has fit right in with our family, and is doing brilliantly with all of his training. But I think we got lucky, it could have been completely different. I now realise (from joining this board after we got puppy) that the breeder was a well disguised glorified puppy farm. I feel heartbroken that I contributed to that after thinking I had done my research and done the right thing. I just wasn’t experienced enough with all things dogs and puppies.

So please OP listen to those on this board who ARE highly experienced with these things……

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 20:32

Thank you all.
Don’t worry, I’m listening!

It has already taken me years of thinking about having a puppy to get to this point as I’m so cautious and worried about getting it right.

I definitely wouldn’t go for any puppy that doesn’t have health testing for both parents - all the places I found claim health testing for both parents and that the parents are their own family pets.

Question: If a family friend with a cocker spaniel had Cockapoo puppies would you still advise against this mix? A family friend had one litter of puppies a while ago when I wasn’t in the right place to have one. I wonder if this would still not be considered a good idea?!

OP posts:
MonCoubousMonTourmalet · 08/08/2025 21:08

Backyard breeders and small scale puppy farmers will almost always claim that the pups are bred from their own family pets and are health tested. This is how they draw people in.

Personally I would not touch a cross bred by a family friend either. This is also highly unlikely to be a well bred puppy.

I would only buy a puppy from a long established show/breeding kennel that has been recommended by a breed club at the very least. You may need to speak to a few people within your chosen breed to find the more established kennels that have a good reputation.

You say you've been thinking about it for years and are being cautious so it is surely worth waiting a little longer to get the right puppy.

Mustbethat · 08/08/2025 21:13

For me, a “licenced” breeder is a red flag.

you need a licence only if you’re breeding more than a certain amount of dogs. Which generally means profit - most ethical breeders will have less than that.

Mustbethat · 08/08/2025 21:13

Duplicate!

alwaysstressed · 08/08/2025 21:15

If you get a poodle or any kind of doodle be prepared to brush, brush , brush and be prepared to spend lots on grooming

SpryCat · 08/08/2025 21:17

I have had a labradoodle from a very good breeder, she was as expected a high energy beautiful soul. I met the mum labradoodle when she was pregnant and poodle gran a few times as breeder wanted to vet me before entrusting me with one of her puppies. It was after I had paid a deposit I realised I was actually besotted with the poodle personality. I would love a miniature poodle. I looked after one for a few months and he was a dream, he slotted in with my other dog, good as gold and very loving. You can get them groomed in a teddy bear cut if you’re not keen on poodle styles.

ColdTofuSandwich · 08/08/2025 21:23

I’ve had a poodle and have a cavapoochon. We had a cross breed as poodles unfortunately have inbred health issues - our poodle had to have lots of ear surgeries and was epileptic. Both relatively common in poodles.

our cavapoochon (ridiculous name) is a mutt but very healthy. Agree slightly neurotic.

bigbadbert · 08/08/2025 21:43

In all honesty I wouldn’t consider any breeder of mixed breeds (aka mongrels) as good nor reputable. These people are only interested in making money by producing as many pups as possible with as small an outgoing as they can get away with.

As mentioned above, council registered breeders would also be a red flag for me as this is only required if you’re producing over 3 litters per year. Again, no one can provide the appropriate level of input and care to mother and pups when they’re pumping out that number of puppies each year.

I am a breeder and excluding my current litter who are two weeks old, my last litter was over four years ago and I’m still regularly in touch with all of the buyers. For this litter, I put a lot of research into finding the dad and all the pups were reserved before birth. I breed for quality not cash, tbh the work involved in raising the pups to 8-11 weeks puts quite a strain on my normal working pattern. However, seeing how social and confident (and healthy) my pups are make it totally worthwhile.

I would strongly suggest you take some more time to consider what breeds may suit. Health wise, it’s worth looking at “category 1” breeds as classified by the U.K. Kennel Club, as they are generally considered to be breeds which are less likely to have breed associated health issues. Also, take a look at some trainers on social media and see what types of dogs they recommend or have themselves to see if they resonate with your lifestyle/wants/needs.

OnlyHerefortheBiscuits · 08/08/2025 21:59

alwaysstressed · 08/08/2025 21:15

If you get a poodle or any kind of doodle be prepared to brush, brush , brush and be prepared to spend lots on grooming

Yep £54 a month at the groomers on my 7.5kg doodle! I can no longer afford to have my own hair highlighted as a result!

One year on i am used to it and I don't mind - she looks so cute and the groomer is so talented but it's these kind of considerations that often get overlooked!

And I suppose my hair is healthier without the bleach...

Victoriouslyvictorious · 08/08/2025 22:01

alwaysstressed · 08/08/2025 21:15

If you get a poodle or any kind of doodle be prepared to brush, brush , brush and be prepared to spend lots on grooming

My poodle gets brushed once a week. Groomers every two months.

KingRoland · 08/08/2025 22:09

How did you find your poodles @alwaysstressed and @OnlyHerefortheBiscuits?

I have had a look at some dog trainers on SM and cocker spaniels seemed to be quite common.
Would these be an advisable dog breed?! My cousin had a cocker spaniel when we were growing up and she was gorgeous.

OP posts:
bigbadbert · 08/08/2025 22:16

I’d suggest looking at this link if you’re interested in poodles - it has a whole section about finding a poodle https://www.thepoodlecouncil.co.uk/finding-a-puppy

Not to be mean, but you don’t sound certain of which breed you want. Trainers will be putting hours and hours of work into their spaniels and a memory of someone’s dog from years ago shouldn’t really be a factor in getting a dog.

Maybe have a look at some dog shows (https://www.fossedata.co.uk/shows/shows-to-enter.aspx is a good site to see if there are any upcoming ones near you) and see what breeds catch your eye. Talk to the owners - most will be willing to chat and will give you the good and bad points of the breed if you ask them. They’ll also be able to point you in the right direction of decent breeders for that breed.

MonCoubousMonTourmalet · 08/08/2025 22:21

Very good point about visiting a dog show @bigbadbert

ColdTofuSandwich · 08/08/2025 22:27

Cockers are crazy. Show cockers slightly less so than working ones.