Cockapoo or Cavapoo

[KaleQueen]

We’re taking the plunge with our first dog this year. In the research phase and it’s down to either a Cockapoo or Cavapoo. We’re going for male I think. We’re an active family and have one of us working from home. Two kids over age of 10 both sensible. Small ish house and mid size garden. Lots of fields and green space nearby. Want a dog that won’t chew our house to bits and be fairly well behaved! Committed to fully training them obviously as I know that’s an essential factor for behaviour. I adore dogs and walk others’ regularly so I’m really excited we’re taking this first step to get our own but I’m worried about making the wrong choice. Any advice would be hugely appreciated

Which is what OP has tried to do here and she’s found a puppy farmer.

And most mongrels arent from health tested parents and the disinformation about them being healthier has been widely debunked.

OP needs a hypoallergenic dog. Which means a pedigree.

I walk at least an hour a day myself for my own ‘fun’ hence why I want a good walking dog. But it looks like we might have to let the children down and shelve this idea as I can’t trust my own judgement now and the risks of allergy with any dog is just too much. I thought we’d be okay with a cockapoo or Cavapoo.

Any dog that has cocker in it, is never going to be hypoallergenic, sorry. Cockers are dirty stinky, lovable assholes. I say this as the owner of three show cockers 😀

You mentioned Springers , both my son and husband have asthma and they are not affected. They are allergic to cats instead. I have a robot vacuum so hardly any hairs. Also you mentioned exercise, all dogs need exercise , my springer has normal amounts , nothing over the top and he has learned how to chill at home. Out and about he’s very excited but this is what we love about him. He is just perfect, no separation anxiety, happy with dogs, people, no barking, pretty independent and healthy.

Sounds like a great dog.
Kids have their hearts set on ‘one that looks like a teddy’ (yes I know I can hear your eye rolls from here) so I may try and stay positive and look at pedigree mini poodles instead.

@KaleQueen lots of mininpoodles are indistinguishable from oodles. There was a thread a while ago where someone shared photos of their poodle and everyone thought it was an oodle! 😊

Poodles really are lovely little dogs. Perfect for novice owners - smart enough to easily train but intelligent enough you can really serious training with them if you want. Their temperaments are also very stable, which makes them very good for families with children.

I reallly think you need to start with talking to them about what dog ownership means, what cross breeding is etc. Do borrow my doggy etc for at least a year. Please dont get a dog right now - your family isnt ready for it.

I have them and have bred them (in my kitchen!)

they are gorgeous gorgeous dogs. They need a lot of exercise. Minimum 1.5 hours a day. Some can be needy but if you are a warm family then it’s adorable.

watch for the parents’ temperament as some cockapoos can be skittish - like spaniels or poodles.

make sure you meet the breeder in their house and at least the mum. Health checks from both. There are a lot of cockapoo breeders in it for the money.

Ps there is a lot of snobbishness about cockapoos over “pedigrees” which I find bizarre. Pedigree requirements have destroyed the health of certain breeds such as alsatians and KCS.

cross breeds are only as healthy as their parents of course. But they are popular family pets for a reason. All our puppies have been healthy, bonded well, stayed with their families and no behavioural issues.

A poodle is definitely the breed for you from everything you say and you don't have to get them groomed to look like a poodle you can ask for the teddy bear cut I think it's called

You'll know what your getting health and temprement wise with a poodle and they really are great little dogs

Be prepared to be on a wait list or travel for a good pup
I was very lucky with both mine that I wasn't waiting too long but I did have to travel across half the UK to get them both! 9 hours for one and 11 the other

Hoping you find a lovely pup to add to the family

Neither…I’m a dog-sitter and cockapoos and cavapoos are my least favourite dogs to look after.

Cockapoo. Get a recommendation from other owners. There are a number of reputable and caring breeders out there who health check both parents thoroughly. Mine bred both parent breeds and poodle/cocker crosses. Get a first cross, or whatever it’s called, not one of those ‘cockapoos’ you see that are nothing like ‘real’ cockapoos.

My last two dogs have been crossbreeds of pedigree health-checked parents and they’ve been a joy.

Cockapoos are energetic, friendly and very loving - if you get a well-bred one.

My breeder used to breed cockapoos - she changed to cavapoos for the past ten years as they are much calmer.

Why not go and meet some pups/retired parents so that you know what you are getting?

Alsatian doesn't exist as a breed, anyone using that term isn't up to date and knowledgeable about dogs.

I read the previous posts. I adore border terriers but absolutely not for a first dog. My cockapoos are a dream in terms of behaviour.

springers are wild with terrible recall - much harder work than any cockapoo I have met.

i like mini poodles but they are less playful than cockapoos. Cavapoos are usually calmer and need less exercise. The only people I know with cockapoos with an issue are lazy buggers who neither walk nor train them and shouldn’t be owning dogs.

To make a poodle "look like a teddy bear" you basically leave the fluff on its muzzle when it's groomed.

I suspect I'd be outsmarted by a poodle. Our dog agility classes (courses with numbered obstacles, great fun, and your children could learn to do it) are full of spaniels, poodles and cockapoos, and I could swear the poodles just read the jump numbers and memorise the course. And they jump like steeplechasers, absolutely flying over the bars.

Alsatian / GS - I don’t proclaim to be knowledgable - but I have owned dogs my entire life, bred a couple of litters of cockapoos (to produce happy healthy family dogs) and can tell you that I have shied from the world of “pedigree” deliberately for what has been done to many pure breeds. It’s disgraceful.

I will stick with my furry cross breeds and ignorance, thanks!

I second the person who said to consider a Havanese. They are gorgeous dogs (look very much like teddy bears!), non shedding, lovely temperament with kids and other dogs, and are happy with long or short walks. They are fab little things.

The only people I know with cockapoos with an issue are lazy buggers who neither walk nor train them

Not entirely fair. A friend has been dedicated to her family cockapoo from the start and still goes to training three years on. The dog has bad resource guarding issues, dislikes men and can't even be trusted near her (uni age) sons. Definitely looks cute, but...

@BeethovenNinth no breeder can guarantee their dogs don’t have behavioural issues - anyone that does is a charlatan. Are you in touch with everyone you’ve sold a puppy to? Are you sure none of them have ever exhibited SA (in any form), FBR or resource guarding? You also can’t say they’ve stayed with their families unless you are in touch with every owner. If you are, then great on you, but it’s extremely unlikely. I’m certainly not.

You might well be a good cockerpoo breeder (although I do question the safety and logic of breeding in a kitchen tbh), but no one should take you seriously if you claim none of your dog have ever had issues. I certainly would never say that about my dogs and the only sorts of breeders I’ve ever seen make that commitment are puppy farmers (professional liars) or incompetent nitwits who are simply lucky their own ineptitude as a breeder hasn’t resulted in a bitch dying.

Your follow up posts clearly show an agenda. Poodles are incredibly playful, more so than cockers ( which is likely where your false belief your cockerpoos got their playfulness from). Springers are not wild. And Alsations aren’t a breed - in fact they were the common term in many parts for Rotties crosses (about 30 years ago).

Oh, and someone I know has a cavapoo. Little bastard needs 15 miles a day at a run. Hardly a couch potato.

That’s the problem with designer dogs. You don’t know what they’re getting.

Every post you make shows how little you know about dogs, and tbh is just discrediting you as a breeder and your arguments on cockerpoos

I haven't read the whole thread BUT you have just described a Tibetan Terrier!

I adore poodles - I wanted one and couldn’t wait for one and went for a mostly poodle Cavapoo instead. She is lovely but grew bigger than expected (I wanted a 3kg dog and got a 5.7kg one. I still prefer poodles and will wait for one next time.

Can’t comment on your breeder but cockapoo puppy farms are notorious.

saying that we have a cockapoo, local breeder, meet her cousins while out and about, no issues meeting the mother and puppies. We also got her just before lockdown so before cockapoo breeding all went a bit bonkers.

we adore our dog, but I’m glad we go lifetime insurance, she has allergies, do special diet and recurrent ear infections.

she’s well behaved, isn’t mad, is very bright, good with people, easy to train. Not at all loopy.

if we ever get another dog it’ll most likely be a pure poodle or spaniel.

I have a shitzhu poodle and its the perfect dog. Not just my biased pov but everyone who has met him says the same. Took a while to toilet train but he is so well behaved. We did puppy classes and 3 x 1-1 with a very experienced trainer and he has been socialised with my young kids.

It was bloody stressful in the puppy phase but I can't explain how great he is now (3 yo). We've been lucky and had no health issues. He only barks if someone is at the door. No separation issues and no shedding.

My friend has a cavapoo that barks constantly and has been so expensive in terms of the vet. But.. there's also at least one cavoodle on every walk and they seem nice enough in general.

So you are first time dog owners, adamant a poodle isn't for you, so much so, that you have decided on a crossbreed poodle?