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Is a Cockapoo the Right Breed for You?

Cockapoo General Information

The Cockapoo is a well established crossbreed and has grown in popularity thanks to their friendly disposition, love of human company & for their coat characteristics of being no shed & less likely to provoke allergies. They are highly trainable being the cross of two highly intelligent breeds. Cockapoos can be summarised as typically friendly, sweet in disposition & one of the happiest breeds you will encounter.

 

With correct socialisation from a young age, Cockapoos make wonderful, loving family pets & this socialisation starts from day one with the breeder. Negative influences in their first two months of life can impact your puppy going forward resulting in undesirable behaviours or fears. Choosing a breeder that raises puppies inside the home with lots of interaction & exposure to typical household activities & noises is invaluable in giving your pup confidence around humans & a positive foundation from which to continue their learning.

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The average lifespan of a Cockapoo is estimated at 12-15 years & they are a generally health robust choice of breed, provided that you buy a DNA health tested puppy that is guaranteed clear of the genetic conditions that are most prevalent for the cross breed.

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Cockapoos are active, inquisitive dogs requiring daily exercise. Ideally they should have the opportunity to get out & about twice a day. One of those outings may be a shorter lead walk and the other more substantial with opportunity to run off lead or a vigorous play session of fetching etc. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical & playing games, retreiving objects back & forth in your own garden, can leave them just as content as a several mile walk. Variety will keep them happy so longer walks might be reserved for certain days & other activities like agility, fetch or other forms of play that engage their brain can also play a part in your exercise regime.

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Cockapoos do enjoy company & are not the right breed for you if you are going to leave them alone regularly for extended periods of time. It is possible to own a Cockapoo & work full time, but provision needs to be made to firstly make sure they are well exercised before you leave so it is more likely they will be relaxed & happy to nap away some of that alone time & to have their alone time interspersed with human interaction whether that be yourself, another family member or a trusted friend visiting them during the day. Other options that can be considered are paid professionals such as doggy daycare, dog sitters or dog walkers. Another thing to consider is canine company. Dogs are pack animals by nature & having a doggy friend to cuddle up with while you are out generally results in less separation anxiety issues & a happier dog even on those occassions where the humans do have to leave.

 

Cockapoo Types

There are a variety of Cockapoo types & sizes. Those described below are the Cockapoo types we breed. We do not breed standards (largest) from the Standard Poodle and we do not breed F2's (Cockapoo to Cockapoo parent).

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F1 COCKAPOOS

Having one Cocker Spaniel parent and one Poodle Parent produces what is referred to as an F1 Cockapoo. F1's are either Toy sized or Miniature sized depending on whether a toy or miniature poodle is the parent.

 

Our Toy Cockapoos as adults typically achieve the height of an average female cocker and weigh around 6-9kg. They are by no means handbag sized which is a common misconception when the word "toy" is mentioned. Sometimes within a toy litter you will get a few pups that we would consider exceptionally small & not expect to reach this weight range, staying very petite into adulthood. We can typically identify any petite toys by around 4 weeks of age & have had some adults end up weighing in at 4.5-6kg fully grown.

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Our Miniature Cockapoos as adults typically achieve a height approximately 2-4 inches taller than a toy and weigh around 10-15kg.

 

F1's are a 50/50 cross. This generally gives puppies a wavy/soft curl coat that is bouncy & full but not a tight curl. The longer the coat is allowed to grow, the more the curls/waves will 'drop' which can give a shaggier appearance. If the coat is kept a little shorter its appearance is generally curlier. Appearance can vary depending on the grooming options you choose. Below are some photographs of some of our F1 Cockapoos with a variety of different groom styles from clipped short to grown out long.

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F1B COCKAPOOS

All our F1B Cockapoos have an F1 Cockapoo mother & a Poodle Father. Our F1B's are either Toy sized or Miniature sized depending on whether a toy or miniature poodle is the father.

 

Size guides for toy/miniature F1B's are comparable to the guides above for F1's although for our F1b toys, puppies tend to be closer to the lower end of the weight range & is more common for us to get petites.

 

Our F1B's are 50% poodle from the father side & from the mother side they inherit a mix of both cocker & poodle genetics. In very basic terms this means they are a bit more "poodle-y" than an F1. This generally gives puppies a noticeably wavier coat with a tighter curl & makes them a more popular option for allergy sufferers. Appearance can vary depending on the grooming options you choose. We look forward to adding more photos of our F1B litters as they grow up but as we have started breeding these more recently & we rely on owner families to send us updates at their own discretion, we do not have adult photos available at present, only puppy photos.

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TYPES

Beyond the visual differences between Cockapoo types, the energy level of your Cockapoo will depend on what type of Cockapoo you have with Miniature F1's or F1B's having slightly higher requirements than Toy.

 

Toys are in general a little bit calmer. They make good companions especially in smaller spaces, where garden space might be more limited or for those who perhaps want exercise requirements to be a little lower (that is not to say they don't love long walks when offered.)

 

Miniatures make very good companions for an active family or individual who will enjoy plenty of outdoor active time together & they will appreciate a nice outdoor space at home large enough for a bit of a run around.

Disclaimer

All advisements on adult size and coat appearances are a guideline only & not a guarantee of any kind.

 

All puppies are unique & there is always the possibility for variance outside of what we would generally expect based on past litters.

 

We are as helpful as possible with our guidelines but ultimately Cockapoos are a crossbreed, not officially recognised, not able to be KC registered & there is no formal breed standard.

 

Both size & coat appearance can vary outside of our above guidelines. Adult coats take time to grow & mature beyond the short time puppies are in our care therefore we cannot predict with certainty what aesthetics will be 12 months down the line for a specific puppy.

 

We suggest you look on our Instagram for photographs taken of our past puppies over a long period of time & at different ages to get an idea of the varied appearance the Cockapoo can display based on both genetics & grooming presentation.

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When buying a Cockapoo, your choice of breed should be primarily based on the fact you are seeking a friendly, playful & intelligent dog with the potential to be a wonderful companion & pet with aesthetics a secondary concern.

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We are in Worcestershire (WR10), conveniently close to J7 of the M5.

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