# Is a Cockapoo the right breed for us?



## Brocky (Jan 15, 2013)

Hello

We are hoping to get a family dog at some point this year. Now we had just about decided on a Labrador when I met a friends Cockapoo! I fell in love with her! So I have been researching and found a local breeder who I am going to visit on Thursday . She hasn't got any pups at the moment but I thought it would be a good start.

My only concern is whether a cockapoo would suit our location. We live in the countryside (uk) and it is muddy, very muddy, I think realistically every day he would get muddy. 
My question is.... Am I mad! Should I go back to a nice short haired lab and be like everyone else in the village!!
Thanks
Zoe


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Welcome Zoe!

Muddy is fine - I live near countryside too with lots of mud and have two dogs. However, I only rinse off their legs and underneath everyday and it takes about 5 mins. You could also get a waterproof dog suit if really muddy which would cut down washing time! I keep our thicker coated dog fairly short which helps too. Our thinner and shaggier coated cockapoo is really easy to maintain, so I'd say go for it! x


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Also a nice short haired lab is considerably heavier than a cockapoo. I enjoy being able to just lift our two into the boot and in and out of the bath and of course there is the 'cuddle on the sofa' factor too! x


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## Kody&Beau (Aug 18, 2012)

Yes mud is no problem, especially if you purchase like a lot of us have an equafleece all in one suit, cockapoos are great dogs very active love long walks especially a good run in the mud...lol x


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## Brocky (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks! I think a cockapoo would be great with children. My husband just thinks I'm a bit mad!


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## Nanci (Mar 1, 2012)

Husbands seem like that at first . . . . but just wait till you see the transition!!! My husband was a bit put off at first, he had a large Lab and thought poos were a fru fru dog. Now he is bonkers over both our poos. He baby talks to them both and snuggles and romps on the floor like a little child!! Take the plunge, you will not be disapointed!!


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## sugerlump (Oct 6, 2012)

now wait a minute Nanci,,,Haa Haa I'm a husband you know Haa Haa, yes she is right ,all but me .i love my ginger .she is part of me now , she is wonderful .and yes my yard is a big mud puddle ..but we make out just fine ,,go for it .you will definitely fall in love ,,,,Lumpy


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

If you are frightened of mud then I wouldn't get a cockapoo! Labs are so boring every man I know seems to want one, it must be a male thing. You will never regret getting a cockapoo even when your house is full of mud haha!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Just keep the coat short in muddy times and you'll find maintenance ok. You may still need to rinse their legs, but that depends on your set up. 

Come the summer and no mud . Then if you want grow the fur a bit longer. 

The characteristic of a Cockapoo is so friendly and comical, you can see their thought process.


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## JasperBlack (Sep 1, 2012)

I worried about going from short to long coat but I have not looked back after getting jasper. Our first family dog Steffi moulted like crazy just like labs do and I must admit I love not having hair everywhere and not having hair in the washer every time I wash jasper's blankets and being able to have cuddles without being covered in hair  jasper rinses out really easily if he gets muddy too! 


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## Brocky (Jan 15, 2013)

Oh I'm not frightened of mud! I have 3 children who are covered in it most of the time! Our utility room is called the mud room!

I want an intelligent dog that will play with the children but not be too boisterous. Do they enjoy retrieving? The fact that the cockapoo is very cute and doesn't leave hair everywhere is a huge bonus! 
Is it true they don't smell? Or is that a myth!

I had a rottie growing up who was very intelligent and gentle and I really don't want a thick dog! My husband has always had labs but he is open to the idea of a cockapoo.


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## JasperBlack (Sep 1, 2012)

Jasper is super intelligent and loves retrieving! I don't know where the no smell came from! He doesn't smell 'very' doggy but can pong when he need a bath! His breath smells doggy but I think it's because he's teething! Your hands don't smell of dog when you stroke him so I suppose they aren't smelly really! Sorry for babbling on a bit lol x


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## Skyesdog (Jun 7, 2012)

I would say a Cockapoo is the perfect choice ;-). Ok, I am slightly biased but growing up we had a variety of dogs (retriever, springer and yorkshire terrier) and I would say that Lola is as intelligent as the springer and retriever. She picks up training really well and was top of her puppy class. She loves nothing more than chasing a ball or stick for as long as I am willing to play! She does long walks in the hills with us and loves the beach. Also she is extremely gentle and fun for my daughters to play with, they are 4 and 6. That said, each dog is different and training plays a big part of it. 

Look into the different type of Cockapoo too - toy or mini, American or English, show or working and F1/F2 etc. There is lots of info on here.

Good luck x


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## Skyesdog (Jun 7, 2012)

PS. I would say Lola does smell less than some other dogs and certainly sheds less. She has a straighter, shaggier coat which is also (slightly) less high maintenance than some of the curler coated 'poos.


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## Chumphreys (Oct 1, 2011)

We live in a small village in the countryside and can not walk anywhere without MUD!! You do get used to it though.I did go through a phase of showering Malie off after every walk but now we just towel her off and shower her when she is really muddy.Just to show how intelligent they are,Malie will not come indoors when we get back from a walk now incase she has to have a shower ) Malie is our first dog and we would not change her for anything.She has been amazing.She is brilliant with our 3 children and although she doesn't have any interest in fetch,she plays non stop with the kids,whether it be tug or chase etc.She will chase and fetch things inside but has no intest outside.I am probably slightly biased but if you are looking for a gorgeous,loving,intelligent,cheeky,funny,faithful,cuddly family member,then cockapoos are for you 
XClare


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Only smell truely foul after rolling in fox poo....
Definitely not thick! 
Poodles are right up there with collies and GSDs for being the mega brains of the dog world and gundogs are also very trainable.
One thing that you'll pcik up from other people's posts are that 'poos are very people orientated and just love to be with their families!


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dexter retrieves and is obsessed with balls. Bonnie would not dream of retrieving, she is far too busy exploring and chasing squirrels.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

They are such people friendly dogs and so empathic. They do get muddy and wet, very wet, but a watering can by the back door and a big towel kept to hand soon sorts them out. You will not regret getting a Cockerpoo......well not for long anyway! Lol!


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## TraceyT33 (Jun 25, 2012)

Cockapoo all the way....... my cockapoo Millie is the best dog ive ever had, she is amazing, loving, extremely clever and just overall a lovely natured dog. Yes it gets hard work after muddy walks but i just rinse Millie off outside and have a big towel near the back door. She is also used to having baths/showers etc from a young age, loves the hairdryer.... 

Go for a cockapoo, u will not be disappointed. xxx


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## Brocky (Jan 15, 2013)

Thank you for all your responses. I'm off to meet a breeder in the morning I really hope I like her. Hopefully at some point this year we will meet our new pup!


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## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

sourpuss said:


> now wait a minute Nanci,,,Haa Haa I'm a husband you know Haa Haa, yes she is right ,all but me .i love my ginger .she is part of me now , she is wonderful .and yes my yard is a big mud puddle ..but we make out just fine ,,go for it .you will definitely fall in love ,,,,Lumpy


Lumpy you changed you screen name!?!? Hope it wasn't because of me... 

Hay Brocky the reason we went with a Cockapoo was for the personality of the dog, also Cockapoo's are not to big. My husband's son had his dog Maggy up for two weeks staying with us. His dog was 70 pounds and had trouble getting up 3 steps in our house. I had to carry her up the stairs sometimes. That was a bit hard with a 70 pound dog. I got to thinking 15 years from now I'm I going to want to carry a 70 pound dog from time to time. And the answer was NO. So I wanted a dog that was a bit smaller. A 20 pound dog would be about right for us. Now the mud issue is not a problem for us, but the weight is.

Hope you have good luck with the breeder...


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max retrieves. He adores it. Inside, outside, sitting in the lounge. Anywhere. Am trying to get him to catch the frisbee in mid air. He has not quite got the hang of it yet, but he will. They are very, very clever. You can see them working things out.


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## Toffin (Aug 8, 2012)

Yes, you can, can't you? We can almost see Polly's mind working out how to do things, what we're asking her to do, etc. She sometimes tries different things to see if it's the right thing - shakes her paw, sits back to leave, down...

Very lovely, but please do be careful about genetic and breeding issues. We didn't realise there were so many potential heriditary conditions but now we're finding out!

Toffin
x


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Super all round family dog. Very friendly low to non moulting, very giving, most want to sit with/ on you, it'll be your kids best mate..... All the characteristics of a Cockapoo out weigh having to rinse muddy paws, or leave them to dry and then brush, it depends on your circumstances. Hope your visit to the breeder went well xx


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## Brocky (Jan 15, 2013)

I had an interesting visit. My first feeling was that something wasn't right. I met the breeder and her dogs. The dogs were happy and looked good and the breeder answered my questions honestly (I think) Something just niggled me. Unfortunately after doing a bit of searching on here this evening I can see that the girl that is due imminently had another litter of pups only 7 months ago. 

On a positive note I have spoken to another breeder that is raved about on the forum. And hopefully we will go on her waiting list for a puppy in the summer.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Sounds good in the fact that you went with your gut and are doing your research. It gave you a chance to check someone out and now you can use that experience when you visit someone else. Google the breeder, always worth a shot x


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## sugerlump (Oct 6, 2012)

No Kim,, Haa Haaa it was very funny, i had a lot of trouble with my PC protection and it was all goofed up.well an6y way i could not get into our forum,no how i tried every thing, well i just made up another me so i could get in , now i want to get in touch with Dave ,but he has not got in touch with me yet i hope he does soon.,LOL ok lumpy


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Brocky said:


> I had an interesting visit. My first feeling was that something wasn't right. I met the breeder and her dogs. The dogs were happy and looked good and the breeder answered my questions honestly (I think) Something just niggled me. Unfortunately after doing a bit of searching on here this evening I can see that the girl that is due imminently had another litter of pups only 7 months ago.
> 
> On a positive note I have spoken to another breeder that is raved about on the forum. And hopefully we will go on her waiting list for a puppy in the summer.


It is such a shame, unfortunately they are so popular now and a lot of money can be made that some breeders are breeding bitches every season and not bothering with health checks - some health issues cannot be tested for and obviously could occur, but there are others that they should be testing for and happy to show certificate (dna test for PRA - at least one parent clear), hip score if poss too. going back to the mud issue - if you like to keep the coat longer it is a mud magnet so you do have to be prepared to wash it off but it soon becomes part of the routine, my dogs coat takes forever to dry as well but the hairdryer helps - oh of course then there are the dreaded matts!! but none of us would swap our dogs for low maintenance ones!


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