Mary Allen
Watch out, it’s going to be cute! The Cockapoo is cute, friendly, and cuddly. You can find out here why the dog still belongs better in experienced hands.
If teddy bears were alive, they would be called Cockapoo. Because the little dogs with fluffy fur, faithful beady eyes, and the snub nose are reminiscent of cuddly toys.
The dogs inherited this cuddly look from their parents: the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle. Cockapoos are therefore not considered a recognized independent dog breed, but rather a hybrid breed. To make it easier to differentiate them from other dogs, Cockapoos are still referred to as a breed here.
- Why the dog, which is sweet enough to eat, is still not a very easy-care teddy bear and rather belongs in experienced hands,
- what his character and essence look like and
- which care and husbandry are best suited for him,
You can find out more about the Cockapoo in our breed portrait.
How Big is a Cockapoo?
As a hybrid breed, there is no recognized standard for the Cockapoo and therefore no fixed size for the dogs. The lively teddies can belong to both small and medium-sized dog breeds. The size ranges from 25 cm to 45 cm. Females are usually slightly smaller than males.
The size usually depends on which type of poodle the Cocker Spaniel is paired with. Mating with the Miniature Poodle results in the so-called Teacup Cockapoo with a size of just 25 cm to 33 cm. The other sizes are called Toy (29-8 cm), Mini (34-40 cm), and Maxi (38-45 cm).
How heavy is a cockapoo?
Similar to size, the Cockapoo’s weight is also heavily dependent on its parent breeds and the genetic lottery. The smallest Teacup Cockapoos can flyweight under 3kg. This makes them almost among the smallest dogs in the world, while the Maxi Cockapoo can weigh up to 10 kg. In general, Cockapoos are considered lightweights among dog breeds.
What does a Cockapoo look like?
Like other hybrid dog breeds such as the Labradoodle, the Cockapoo does not have breed standards when it comes to its appearance. Depending on which genes of the parent breeds shine through the most, the Cockapoo will end up looking like this.
The fur
The dog can have a very curly coat like the Poodle, a straight coat like the Cocker Spaniel, or a mix in between. So the Cockapoo is a little grab bag.
Because the little whirlwind is marketed as a suitable dog for allergy sufferers, most breeders focus on a longer, slightly wavy, or frizzy coat. Then this breed belongs to the dogs that shed particularly little.
The fur colors of the dogs are very diverse. Black, blond, brown, white, creamy – everything is possible, often several colors are mixed together.
The body
The physique of the dogs, like that of the parents, is rather slim and muscular. Other typical characteristics of the Cockapoos are the bushy tail, the long, large floppy ears, and the black or dark brown snub nose.
How old does a Cockapoo get?
Both the poodle and the cocker spaniel are considered very healthy dog breeds. That is why the Cockapoos also reach an average age of between 12 and 15 years. Some dogs even live up to 17 years with good health and care.
What character or nature does the Cockapoo have?
In the case of the hybrid dog breeds, the character and nature are strongly influenced by the parent animals. So there are no typical characteristics of Cockapoos. Instead, you should always look at the parent dogs before deciding on a puppy.
The poodle and the cocker spaniel are known to be friendly and happy dogs. Both dog breeds exhibit high intelligence and strong loyalty to their humans. The dogs learn very quickly and are very obedient with appropriate training and occupation. Both dog breeds are very affectionate, cuddly, and playful.
Neither the Cocker Spaniel nor the Poodle is suitable as guard dogs. The little spaniels in particular like to bark and loudly announce visitors, but with a treat and a pat, they quickly take new people to their hearts, whether it’s a friend or a burglar…
Caution: hunting instinct!
If poodles usually do not have a pronounced hunting instinct, this is quite strong in the Cocker Spaniel and can also shine through in the Cockapoo. In particular, tracking down “prey” is in the Cocker Spaniel’s blood. If the Cockapoo takes over this characteristic from its parent, it can happen that your clumsy dog suddenly disappears straight into the undergrowth when you go for a walk and returns with a surprise.
Like their parents, most Cockapoos are high-energy bundles and need plenty of exercises, exercise, and outdoor play.
How long is the Cockapoo coming?
Surprisingly little is known about the history of the Cockapoo. What is certain is that the first Cockapoos were bred in the USA around the 1950s by mating the Cocker Spaniel with the Poodle. It is not known whether this is a deliberate or accidental crossing (i.e. an original hybrid). Initially particularly popular in the USA, the Cockapoo can now also be seen frequently in Europe and Germany.
It could be that the little Cockapoo contributed, at least indirectly, to the “emergence” of the Labradoodle in the 1980s. The Cockapoo and its often wavy or curly fur showed that by mating the Poodle with another dog, you could win over so-called allergy dogs in particular.
Poodles shed very little and are considered more suitable for people with dog hair allergies. However, Cockapoos — and all other hybrid dog breeds derived from the Poodle — are not “hypoallergenic,” although they are often marketed as such. To date, Cockapoos have not been defined as a breed standard.
Cockapoo: The right attitude and training
The piñata Cockapoo can have a few surprises in store when it comes to keeping and training. If you are looking at a puppy from a breeder, be sure to find out about the parents as well. This way you can better prepare for the upbringing of your puppy.
Education
Basically, you should rely on a loving and consistent upbringing with the Cockapoo right from the start. If the teddy bears generally always look cute enough to bite into, even in adulthood, you can certainly imagine how cute the puppies must first look. So don’t make one of the nine typical parenting mistakes of giving your puppy a “grace period” just because it’s particularly young and fluffy.
The attitude
The fluffy dogs are considered to be very trusting, intelligent, and willing to learn so training is usually easy. For these reasons, because of its appearance and because of its small size, the Cockapoo is often advertised as a beginner’s dog. But this is not entirely true. Depending on which expression the puppies inherit from their parents, Cockapoos can develop quite a hunting instinct. If you have no experience with hunting dogs or are not willing to handle alternative tasks with your protégé or to do other time-consuming exercises that are appropriate to their species and instincts, you should rather not get a Cockapoo.
Also, the physical urge of small dogs is often underestimated. Cockapoos bring a lot of energy and need a corresponding workload. And that for several hours a day! This includes outdoor games and fun as well as agility and dog dancing. The dogs are usually passionate water rats and the intelligent curly heads with fine noses also have a lot of fun tracks.
The dogs bring along enormous intelligence from the poodles. In order to keep your funny curly four-legged friend in good mental health, all tasks that require brains and challenge his intelligence are good.
What care does the Cockapoo need?
The coat of the Cockapoos needs more or less care depending on the condition. If the hair is particularly curly, you should ideally comb the dog every day. The more curls the dog gets from the poodle, the less it sheds. This also eliminates the annual change of fur.
For optimal care, you should therefore take curly Cockapoos to the dog groomer regularly. Be sure to consider the ears when grooming. Inflammation can often occur under the large floppy ears with the dense fur of this breed if it is not cared for and cleaned properly.
The Cockapoo’s diet should be adapted to small to medium-sized dogs. As with all dogs, it is important to ensure a balanced and healthy diet. In order to avoid flatulence or intolerances and to keep your dog in good health, you should always keep an eye on the list of ingredients in the dog food when feeding it.
What typical diseases does the Cockapoo have?
Like their parents, hybrid dogs are considered very healthy. Typical hereditary diseases, which are rare but can occur, include:
- hip dysplasia
- patellar dislocation
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Von Willebrand disease
- degenerative myelopathy.
Especially in the case of Cockapoos with golden or reddish fur, there is a possibility that they have also inherited the so-called “cocker rage” from the Cocker Spaniel. Cocker rage manifests itself in dogs in baseless phases of aggression.
How much does a Cockapoo cost?
The fluffy Cockapoos are becoming increasingly popular. And the prices are rising accordingly. Puppies can cost an average of 1,000 to 3,000 euros from the breeder. Since there is no officially recognized breed standard, there are no generally applicable rules and controls in breeding. Therefore, always pay attention to the health certificates of the parents and other proof of puppies, for example, the EU vaccination card.
If you want to buy your puppy from a breeder, be prepared for a long wait. There are not many breeders in Germany and the Cockapoo is very popular mainly because of its appearance and its hardly shedding coat. Alternatively, you can also look around the animal shelter for a loveable Cockapoo or another sniffing nose. Because regardless of whether it has curly hair or a well-behaved hairstyle: every dog deserves a loving home.