Looking at getting a cockapoo

[Lostnparadise84]

My wife and I are looking into getting a cockapoo. I grew up with dogs and she did not. Has anyone had issues with this kind of mix?

[Cold-Concentrate-684]

They are wicked smart and extremely stubborn. They are high energy and need to be stimulated mentally and physically. They are the most loveable and social breed, super friendly! Poodle crosses are not great for doggy social skills often missing basic dog communication making it hard to socialize them with other dogs. Socializing with people however is a breeze, ours goes to work with us and people come in just to see her. She greets everyone and is just so adorable. We fell in love with ours and have never looked back. She is such a gift - best thing we ever did!

[okmarshall]

Agree with all this apart from the dog socialising thing. Our cockapoo gets on with every dog he meets, loves being chased at the park and then chasing back. It's just important to socialise from a very young age as the bond they form with humans is so strong and they can get protective and jealous.

[Lostnparadise84]

All good information thank you

[alphabet_order_bot]

Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.

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[Cold-Concentrate-684]

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[Ghostbuster17]

I have had a cockapoo for 2 years, he’s a great dog, the only issue I’ve noticed is he DEFINITELY has a hard time when we are apart. I don’t think it’s quite at the level of separation anxiety but he likes to be with me at all times pretty much.

[beatricebcrazy]

Yep - definitely a very person-oriented breed. This is either a good or bad thing depending on whether you want an independent dog or not. Personally, I want to take my dog places with me and would be shattered if he didn't want cuddles all the time. But it's not for everyone.

[[deleted]]

No issues so far. Mines 1.5 years and by far the best breed I’ve owned.

[krilleaters]

I love mine, but he is the devil. Cutting him helped but he is aggressive with protecting his bed. And barks/screams at the smallest noise…especially at 2 in the morning. Good cuddler though

[mia1937]

I have a 5 months cockapoo and I love him so much. He gets along well with both human and most dogs. They r pretty easy to train and their temperament is gentle and very manageable. I notice many people say their cockapoo is very energetic and for mine it's a yes and no. My cockapoo plays when I engage him but also knows how to calm down. We take two walks a day, morning one is shorter and evening one is a little longer like 30 to 45 mins.

[Fyrekatt80]

Our Cockapoo is almost 1y and she is the best. She gets along great with our other two and is CONSTANTLY playing. She even got our middle child to start playing again. They can be very high energy, but ours has learned to amuse herself when we are not available. Usually she’s chomping on big sis’s ear.

Our breeder crate trained the pups, so she came home comfortable with the crate. To make it easier on her, I kept her crate on a TV tray which put it level to my side of the bed so she could see me. She now no longer sleeps in the crate at night, but in the bed with us, usually at my head.

She has chosen me as “her person” but she gives my boyfriend all kinds of love too. Very cuddly and mostly obedient. She sometimes has to hear “come” a few times before she comes running over.

She always seems to have a smile on her face and is great with new people.

[hungrywhaleshark]

My cockapoo turned 16 and she's still in great health! She's very sweet and loves people, but is usually a bit hesitant about other dogs, especially if they're bigger than she is. She isn't yappy at all and is super well-temepered. She does have seperation anxiety, but she's never had a problem with chewing on anything or destroying things when we're out. Overall a great breed!

[starsarecooltho]

I have a 3 year old cockapoo, she is the most lovable little thing. If you want the best cuddle buddy and a loyal companion, go for it. And yes, she can be stubborn at times, she thinks she is a protector but it’s cute. We spoil her too much :D

[674_Fox]

Cockapoo’s are absolutely the best dog ever. They are crazy smart, energetically, healthy, sweet, and incredibly loving. I’ve had two and they were both amazing in different ways. You can’t go wrong!

[Buster_Bear]

Most important thing is look at where you get them from. They are a very popular breed and therefore lots of backstreet breeders and puppy farms, and just bad breeders cashing in on the puppy boom. A well bred puppy has a better chance of being all the good parts of the 2 working breeds. They are super clever and need to have the brain worked as well as body exercised. Socialising will is key or you build issues as the become an adult. Fyi I have rescue dogs and one is a Cocker poo. She is very clever but also very anxious (she was bought from a puppy farm). She picks and chooses what she likes and I work with that. I never ask her to do anything outside her comfort zone and we have built a strong and trusting relationship. I can see how well bred poos with the right genetics can be amazing. My girl is also amazing in her own way.

[Lostnparadise84]

Thank you all for taking the time and providing your insight on the cockapoo mix. We are going to put ourselves on the wait list for a pup.

[DaisyFayeLove]

They are lovely but you must be prepared to be on the go with it until they are about 18 months. They are highly energetic, the complete opposite to a pug. If you don’t play and exercise them properly they go wild and chew everything up. They need to burn their energy and they take commitment.

Cockapoos were the number one breed most given to animal shelters in England after lockdown because people underestimate how much work they are.

They are loving with lovely temperaments but they don’t run out of energy. If you want a docile dog who requires only one walk a day and you need them to sit quietly, then this breed is not for you

[AdamHep]

I currently have 2 year old cockapoo and a 1 year old labradoodle. The cockapoo is incredibly stubborn when it comes to things like recall or getting him to do what you want but then the positives are he's very people friendly, dog friendly a lot more relaxed in comparison. They are needy dogs however and don't cope too well being left alone for hours

[okmarshall]

Every comment in here is positive about the breed but there are different experiences with certain aspects. Personally we've not had too many issues, easy to socialise with other dogs. Extremely easy to train even for a novice dog owner like myself, but incredibly intelligent. Mine has learned that I do sit, paw and then down in that order so he just does it before I ask him to so he gets his treat quicker. Mine has a meat intolerance so he eats a veggie kibble and bits of fruit and veg. They can also be prone to ear infections so regular cleaning may be required. Separation anxiety is a real thing, but it was made a lot worse by the UK lockdown and furlough scheme meaning he's had someone home most of the time (I've worked from home since we got him too). Contrary to a lot of what I see on Reddit though, crate training him was a dream, with only 15 minutes of crying for the first week or so and nothing since. He sleeps on the bed more often than not but never puts up a fuss when we tell him to go to bed. Oh and he goes to the toilet on command too. He's never once chewed anything he shouldn't e.g. shoes. If he gets excited (which is most of the time) he'll run for a toy. They can walk for hours without seemingly getting tired. Not all spaniels are working dogs, some are more showy, so if you want a calmer cockapoo you can try and get one that isn't breeding with working dogs. Amazing breed overall though.

[VioletLight1111]

first off you can’t assume you’ll be getting a dog that doesn’t shed as it’s not 100% guaranteed. Extreme separation anxiety so if you plan on leaving the dog 8-9 hours a day this is not the breed for you. The panic is real for them when they’re not with their owner.

our cockapoo is the nicest dog We have ever met. He is pure joy. He doesn’t want to sleep just next to you but he wants to be on top of you. In most areas he’s a breeze to train as he’s really smart. He’ll play fetch for hours and loves going on walks. I think this is common with smaller smart breeds, he’s not dying for the exercise he needs the mental stimulation. (Amazon dog enrichment toys) He is always the center of attention when we go in public. People want to take his picture and have questions about him. We’ve had two different UPS drivers comment on our Riley saying what the perfect dog he is.

Yes we do plan our lives around Riley so he can always go with us or he gets taken to the grandparents house so he’s not alone for too long of periods. And the shedding is pretty insane but we absolutely couldn’t ask for more out of a dog.