Cockapoo Puppies!

barbieondaedge

Hi I dont know what everyones reaction is going to be with these dogs but anyways I really want a cockapoo dog. For those who dont know what a cockapoo dog is its a cocker spaniel crossed with a poodle and they are the cutest thing alive! Does anyone know ANYONE who has one or breeds them I cant seem to find anyone in Ireland that does :rolleyes: ! Thanks in advance!

SuzyS1972

NO WAY could I admit with a straight face I own a cockapoo.
I'll stick with me jack russell x's

Apart from being " so cute " what are the breed characteristics - good points v breed defects....... Potential problems etc ?

barbieondaedge

Ok when I first heard the name I way like no way! They're meant to have a brilliant temperment and no health problems heres a picture of a cockapoo puppy:

SuzyS1972

" meant to "

Do you have any research into this or any facts to go on or are you just accepting the word of breeders ......

I just don't get this deliberate cross breeding of dogs - there's enough mongrels out there - 30,000 dogs died in this country in pounds - that figure doesn't include private vets figures for put to sleep.

Please re-consider adopting a dog from a shelter - any puppy can have a great temperament if rared correctly and adopted at the right age - 8 weeks.

Ruu_Old

Well they are not a real breed so you are going to have any of the health problems or behaviour problems of either cocker spaniel or the poodle. The biggest thing to look out for is ear infections (cocker spaniels are notorious for that). The require a hell of a lot of grooming also.

barbieondaedge

Well its not just a late fashion they have been bred since 1970's... not long I know but there are breeders trying to make them a breed and have puppies with 4 generations of cockapoos. I have already have had 2 dogs from the pound and I still have one and I have researched littlely about them! I am just interested to know if there is an actual breeder. I realise they will need a lot of grooming but having a horse I know what a lot of grooming is so I dont really mind

EGAR

I am sorry to burst your bubble, OP, but they are at potential risk of health problems common to either Toy Poodles or Cocker Spaniels. This can include:

* hip dysplasia
* progressive retinal atrophy
* epilepsy
* poor temperaments
* allergies
* skin and ear problems
* Legg-Calve-Perthes
* luxating patellas
* hypothyroidism
* cryptorchidism
* gastric torsion

Nice list, hm?

*There are many unethical breeders who have cashed in on the cute name of the "breed" and who continually breed poodles and cockers together to get the "cockapoos" for their clientele. If "cockapoo" breeders were actually interested in establishing this as a real breed, you would see them forming a breed club and hammering out a descriptive standard. You would find them selectively breeding "cockapoos" to "cockapoos", making an effort to keep the dogs they thought would best contribute to the quality of their dogs, keeping detailed breeding records that can later form records acceptable to
the Kennel Club, and selling their extra puppies on non breeding agreements.*

This is like many other unfortunate *breeds* an American invention aimed to cash in on the cuteness factor.

Jules

ah the pure breed arguement again, ya gotta love it, as long as there is a demand there will be people supplyin!!!! people need to be educated on these things and not just see a pic of a dog and think ah cute i would love one!!!!

barbieondaedge

EGAR wrote:

I am sorry to burst your bubble, OP, but they are at potential risk of health problems common to either Toy Poodles or Cocker Spaniels. This can include:

* hip dysplasia
* progressive retinal atrophy
* epilepsy
* poor temperaments
* allergies
* skin and ear problems
* Legg-Calve-Perthes
* luxating patellas
* hypothyroidism
* cryptorchidism
* gastric torsion

Nice list, hm?

*There are many unethical breeders who have cashed in on the cute name of the "breed" and who continually breed poodles and cockers together to get the "cockapoos" for their clientele. If "cockapoo" breeders were actually interested in establishing this as a real breed, you would see them forming a breed club and hammering out a descriptive standard. You would find them selectively breeding "cockapoos" to "cockapoos", making an effort to keep the dogs they thought would best contribute to the quality of their dogs, keeping detailed breeding records that can later form records acceptable to
the Kennel Club, and selling their extra puppies on non breeding agreements.*

This is like many other unfortunate *breeds* an American invention aimed to cash in on the cuteness factor.

Ok well my horse has an allergy disease called sweet itch which is not pretty or fun but when you got an animal you dont just dont get it to play with you have to look after it! And it doesnt bother me if a dog is more work... anyway all I wanted to know was if there was a breeder in Ireland and instead of getting a helpful answer I got a lecture! Plus I think getting a dog like a cockapoo is better that those tiny chihuahuas that you put in your bag who are bred for their size but because of their size their weak! :mad:

EGAR

Well, if you want to buy a dog with a list of potential health problems an arm long then you go right ahead.

After all, they are sooo cute and you know obviously what you are doing .

Pink world, eh ?

Ruu_Old

I was certainly not having a go at you, OP. There just this cute puppy syndrome going on too much these days and people ending up in a world of hurt when they find out about the potential problems.:(

peasant

barbieondaedge wrote:

...but when you got an animal you dont just dont get it to play with you have to look after it! And it doesnt bother me if a dog is more work...

How about the dog then?

It just might be bothered by something that is agonizingly painful like hip dysplasia. And you can't brush and comb away a poor temperament either ...

barbieondaedge

peasant wrote:

How about the dog then?

It just might be bothered by something that is agonizingly painful like hip dysplasia. And you can't brush and comb away a poor temperament either ...

Yeah but you can get a poor temperment ina purebred anyway! My dog is a rottie x lab and everyone thinks he should have a muzzle! And he has NEVER growled or anything to anyone! And acts like a puppy... :rolleyes:

Sigma Force

If you get a dog as a pup no matter what breed it's the way it's brought up, socialised and trained that will deceide the temprement. I'm not into what is the latest fad or breed to have but I have met this breed of dog and tbh they were just as pleasant as any other dog pure or mix breed. Hip dispasia etc can happen in any breed, ok more are prone to it. Collies are but does that mean we shouldn't have collies as pets.
I guess the danger is with any pb or latest trend is that puppy farmers will twig and start milling them out and you will end up with all sorts of problems. There are responisble breeders out there sadly there are more irresposible ones than responsible.

The thing is no matter what breed you want is to be very careful where you get the dog from.

EGAR

Guineapigrescue wrote:

If you get a dog as a pup no matter what breed it's the way it's brought up, socialised and trained that will deceide the temprement.

I am sorry but this is rubbish, alot of the dogs temperament is already in its genes, nervousness for example can well be pased on from mother to pup and not just during the time it spends with the Mother.

barbieondaedge

EGAR wrote:

I am sorry but this is rubbish, alot of the dogs temperament is already in its genes, nervousness for example can well be pased on from mother to pup and not just during the time it spends with the Mother.

It isnt rubbish my dog was babyed all his life by my mum and he acts like a baby 24-7! Although he still hunts and chases duck but that is in his breeding so its half and half I suppose Anyway you will be glad to know that Ive decided against getting a cockapoo because they are like 750 sterling let alone euro and I dont have that kind of money to spend on a cross bred! So Im either going to get a border terrier or a rescued dog

peasant

You know that border terriers are real hunters? Up until recently they have been bred solely for hunting vermin. They are stubborn, hardy, fearless and resourceful little "biests" ...not for the faint hearted and certainly no lap dog ...sweet face or no sweet face.

barbieondaedge

That is what I need I live on a farm with big animals and if a small dog doesnt look after himself then he probably wont last long! lol

EGAR

Peasant, forget it. Barbie's on the edge alright.

Jules

you guys know i have the same points of view on the ould pb/cross arguement, but we cant turn every post asking about puppies into a debate on this ppl are still going to get them, as money will not always stop them, so we need to educate them on how to look after a pb properly and where to get them from so that they are not buying from mills or farms.

EGAR

She isn't she changed her mind, Jules, as they are TOO expensive.

Now she wants a rescue dog or a Border Terrier.

Jules

i know egar, i said that,

as money will not always stop them,


but can you see what i mean, people need to be educated!

barbieondaedge

Sorry to disappoint you but this thread didnt change my mind and the only reason Im not getting one is that there isnt a breeder in Ireland and I dont think its fair to ship a puppy when its 8 weeks old! I think you should lecture someone who is abusing dogs or buying those tiny dogs that fit into bags and treat them like a fashion accessory

SuzyS1972

For gods sake - I don't see the harm in trying to EDUCATE people about buying a dog.

The reason so many dogs end up in pounds and dead is because of this impulse buying. ( this is not aimed at you OP - just my observation )
The stupidity of getting a dog coz it's " so cute "
Wake up people and once the general public starts doing it's homework with relation to buying , selecting and treating a dog with respect then we are all banging our heads against the wall.

Don't you think in excess of 25,000 dogs killed every year is cruel ?

I for one am not going to stop trying to educate people about their choice of dog. I am sick of answering the phone in a rescue group - e mails day in and day out from people looking to dispose of their dog for ridiculous reasons - mainly due to buying an inappropriate breed for their lifestyle - mainly because they didn't THINK about the committment you need to make to your animal for life . :mad:

peasant

....mainly due to buying an inappropriate breed for their lifestyle - mainly because they didn't THINK about the committment you need to make to your animal for life ...

slightly OT ...but for what it's worth ...

You're right on your second point and wrong on the first:rolleyes:

People just don't want to realize that having a dog is a huge responsiblity and a big commitment ..they only do so AFTER they got the dog.

But it would be wrong to think that this could be solved just by using the right kind of "buyers' guide" for dogs.

Sure, you wouldn't recommend an active runner like a Huskie to a little old lady in a city appartement or a Pekinese to an outdoorsy marathon runner ...but that's about the extent of breed specific advise that you can give to a potential dog owner.

Lots of what's wrong today is caused by people thinking they did the right thing and "researched" their breed of choice.
But look at the crap information that's out there. Almost everything ever written about any specific breed of dog was either written by somebody who breeds them as an advertisement, or somebody who breeds a "rival" breed, denouncing all others but theirs.

Breeds of dogs get adorned with false histories (dating back to the Romans, Greek, Celts or whatever), optimistic character descriptions (all Golden Retrievers are "child friendly", all Cocker Spaniels are "great companions", etc) and all breeds will virtually raise themselves into the perfect dog for you ...all you need to do is to pick the right one.

Just a load of rubbish.

But it generates an expectation, that if you only pick the right breed everything will work out ...and if it doesn't ...throw away the first one, pick up a different one.

The breeders and breeders' associations who write up the bumpf on their dogs are at least as responsible for this as the buyers who willingly believe them.

All and any dogs need the following off their (potential) owners for the next 15 or so years:

- recognition that a dog is a living, sensing being with needs, rights and limitations
- respect
- somebody to take full responsibility for that dog
- shelter, food and medical care
- training (a bit every day, not just in the first few weeks)
- company for the best part of the day
- leadership
- compromises and restrictions in what you can and can't do because you have a dog

Once all this can and will be provided willingly and knowingly, the choice of breed, mix, whatever is just a minor side issue.

SuzyS1972

Couldn't agree more on the points
It's why reputable rescue groups do a homecheck at least
Any decent breeder would at least cover these points with potential buyers.
Most don't give a ****.

But yes breed aside the whole committment thing is what gets me.
Dogs are just too easy come easy go - you only have to look at the pounds in the last 2 months - the amount of dogs " surrendered " - handed into the pounds by their owners has increased a lot.

Going on holiday and don't want to pay kennell fees - haven't bothered to arrange anything for the dog - hand it in and get another one - cynical of me I know but I can't help but wonder .......