Cockapoo

What is a Cockapoo?

A cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, usually a Miniature Poodle. It is not a breed: there is no Kennel Club standard, no closed studbook and no formal breed health scheme. What that means in practice is that the phrase "Cockapoo" tells you very little on its own, and the parents tell you everything.

They have been the UK's most-advertised crossbreed for a decade, and for good reason - the combination is genuinely well matched. Both parents are working gundogs, both are biddable, and the poodle coat reduces shedding.

History and origins

The cross appeared in the United States in the 1960s and reached the UK in the late 1990s, riding the same wave as the Labradoodle. Unlike some crosses it was not created for a working purpose; it was bred as a family companion, and it has been selected for temperament rather than type ever since.

Appearance and size

Highly variable, which is the honest answer. A Cockapoo from a Miniature Poodle typically stands 30-38cm and weighs 7-11kg; from a Toy Poodle, 25-30cm and 5-7kg. Coats range from loose waves to tight curls, and occasionally to a flatter spaniel coat that sheds. Colours cover the whole spaniel and poodle range: apricot, red, chocolate, black, roan, merle and parti.

Generation matters. An F1 is Cocker × Poodle and is the most predictable temperament but the least predictable coat. An F1b is an F1 crossed back to a Poodle and is the most reliably low-shedding. F2 and beyond vary more, not less - two F1s can produce a puppy that sheds like a spaniel.

Temperament and personality

Busy, affectionate and endlessly optimistic. They want a job, and if you do not give them one they will invent it. They are usually excellent with strangers and other dogs. The trait to plan for is attachment: this is a dog bred to be with people, and it does not cope with an empty house.

Intelligence and trainability

Among the easiest dogs to train. They pick up cues in a handful of repetitions and they enjoy the process. Scentwork, trick training and gundog-style retrieve games all suit them. Because they learn fast, they also learn the wrong things fast - a Cockapoo that has been rewarded once for jumping up will keep testing it for months.

Children and other pets

Very good with children, with the usual caveat that a bouncy 8kg dog and a toddler need supervision in both directions. They live happily with cats when introduced young. Their spaniel half gives them a moderate prey drive, so small furries should not be left loose with them.

Health problems

Crossbreeding widens the gene pool but it does not remove inherited disease, and both parents carry the same eye conditions. Ask for:

• prcd-PRA DNA result on both parents (progressive retinal atrophy - causes blindness)
• Familial Nephropathy (FN) DNA result (fatal kidney disease in young dogs)
• AMS DNA result if there is working cocker in the line
• Hip scores and a current eye certificate

Also watch for ear infections - drop ears plus hair in the canal is a bad combination - luxating patellas, and in older dogs, mitral valve disease.

Daily care routine

An hour of exercise, plus something to think about. Check and dry the ears after swimming or wet walks. Build in genuine alone-time practice from the first week: short, boring, gradually longer. This is the single most useful thing you can do for a Cockapoo.

Grooming and coat care

The real commitment. Brush thoroughly three or four times a week, right down to the skin - a brush that only touches the top of the coat leaves a felted mat underneath. Professional grooming every six to eight weeks at £45-£70 a time. The coat changes at around eight to twelve months and mats appear almost overnight during that period; increase brushing rather than cutting it short and hoping.

Exercise needs

An hour a day for an adult, more if you have it, with a good proportion of it off-lead and sniffing. They are capable of far more - many do agility and canicross - but they do not need it. Puppies should have five minutes of formal walk per month of age.

Feeding and diet

Two meals, measured. £25-£40 a month. They are food-motivated to a fault, which is useful in training and dangerous at the treat cupboard. Keep an eye on the waistline behind all that coat.

Price

£900-£1,800 for a puppy from health-tested parents. Prices above that are usually colour- driven rather than health-driven. Setup £300-£500; ongoing £90-£150 a month once you include grooming, which is the cost most new owners forget.

Buying advice

Because there is no breed standard, the breeder is the standard. See both parents if you can and the mother always. Ask which generation the litter is, and what the poodle parent's coat and size are. Get the DNA certificates in writing, with the dogs' registered names on them, and check them

• "parents health tested" in an advert means nothing on its own.