# Oh what to do???



## Casper (Jul 16, 2011)

Hi all, some of you may know we are looking for a cockapoo and have pick of a litter( apart from 2 of the girl pups) there's 5 boys and 1 girl to chose from. We went to see them when they were 3 weeks old and I thought we had chosen one of the the chocolate boys until we went back to see them yesterday( pups are just over 5 weeks now) the boy we originally liked the look of was very quiet, all the rest came bounding over to see us and he really just sat and watched, he also looked much fatter than the rest, he just didn't seem as alert as all the others, my daughter was sitting on the floor and they were all up on her knees trying to eat her hair etc! Because of the choc boy acting in this way I tried to steer Hannah away from him, at the end she chose a white boy who has a chocolate mask and a few splodges of chocolate here and there who basically wouldn't leave her alone! 
I now feel I little unsure as I originally wanted a chocolate one and I feel I should maybe ask if we could go back to see them again
The boy she has chosen is lovely, he has the thickest coats of all of them however I'm not sure if white is going to be practical for us? We have horses and where there is horses there's mud!!! Anyone else with a white cockapoo??


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

How tricky for you! I think that anyone who doesn't have a brown or black Cockapoo probably notices the dirt but I have been told that a lot of it brushes out!? 

I have never had the chance to choose from a litter so I can't help but my instinct would have been to have chosen one of the more sociable puppies. If you really want a choccy pup I would maybe find another litter but I think the one your daughter has chosen sounds gorgeous! You might find that as his coat grows the colours mix up a bit like JD's Roan puppies and his markings will not be as defined especially if it is lovely and thick!

I think any long haired dog will pick up the dirt though!


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

They do say that if you sit down with a litter of pups then one will choose you, rather than the other way around!! Thats exactly what happened when we went to pick, Weller was the biggest dog of the litter but thats not why we picked him it was because he was they only one who was more than a little bit interested in us, they all came over for a fuss and little play but then all made their own way off, weller was the only one who settled down for a cuddle and a nap on my lap..........deal done
So trust your little dog and be honoured that he chose you, when you get him home and he is part of the family you won't worry a jot about what colour he is, honest. x


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

The same thing happened to us in that we have, or rather were chosen!, by a white and apricot boy. They were all asleep when we went in the room but as soon as I spoke, he looked up! My sons had previously said that this is the one they wanted but I have also worried about how practical white will be and would have probably preferred a deep golden or black & white one. However, I do think the dirt will easily brush out. We also have dark wood/grey slate floors downstairs and I think the paler puppy will be more visible for us, especially if darting around!!


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## Hfd (Aug 19, 2011)

It is such a dilemma - your going to have your pup for a long time and you want to make the right choice.
I would go back for another visit - we went to see the litter 4 times and the pups were different on each visit. 
When we first went it was with the view to getting a black boy, however Billy who is choccie sort of picked us (he was the biggest), on one visit he was fairly quiet and on the next he was jumping all over us so I guess you can't really tell personality from one short visit. 
We are thrilled with him and wouldn't change a thing!
Good luck x


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Dexter is creamy apricot and yes he looks like hes been dipped in black paint when we come back from a walk as he likes to wallow like a hippo in any mud puddle!!!!  ............. but wouldn't have it any other way as i wanted a light one ............ but would defo say in ur position choosing out of one litter personality is so much more important i think when it comes to your forever friend


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

We were lucky in that we first saw and chose our pup at 8 weeks and took him straight home. We had the pick of the whole litter. My daughter fell in love with an apricot girl and a black boy who were all over her, but I was looking for a chocolate or apricot boy. Dylan was not the pushiest in the litter, but still seemed happy and playful but was calm when we picked him up, not struggling. This indicated the temperament that we were looking for, and proved just right for us. I think the most forward and pushiest pups in the litter can sometimes be quite dominant and maybe more challenging, so it's worth encouraging the slightly quieter ones to play and seeing how they respond to you one-to-one. I would certainly visit again if you can, and try to spend some time with each of the pups to get a better picture of how they will be when you get them home. A quieter pup may come out of his shell when the others are not there to dominate him. 
As regards colour, I love having a chocolate 'poo as he doesn't show the mud and dirt, but I'm sure that whichever one you choose will be adorable!


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## Casper (Jul 16, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I've arranged to go back tomorrow again to see them however not sure if I could get Hannah to change her mind now( it's really a present for her birthday!)  and I think she's chose a name! but at least we get a chance to see them all again


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

I agree with the others in that the colour won't matter a bit once you have a gorgeous little pup in your family ... temperament is far more important. I have a light one and a dark one and yes the dirt does show more on a paler coat, but it all brushes out when dry, or their feet can be dunked into the sink ... a dark one will need cleaning equally to stop the mud being walked through your house.

I would definitely go back to see the litter ... it may be that the chocolate boy you originally chose was tired when you were there ... maybe he had been very active prior to your visit and it was just sleepy time for him. If possible stay a while and watch them all interact ... you'll find they take turns to be active and sleepy, some will be the first to initiate play, some will want to come to you, etc. Choose for personality first, colour second, and I'm sure you will be happy.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

I was just about to write that it would be better to visit again just to make sure,on both of our visits Buddy was different,the first time i think he was quite sleepy as it was so hot but i just loved his face but he wasnt as playfull as the others so went away unsure,but on the second visit he was the one that was all over me so it made it easy to choose.
Good luck ,please post some pics dx


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

My dog is VERY pale '- take a look at the ''Betty at beach'' thread in
the cockapoo pictures section. I LOVE her colour but it is a bit of a nightmare
keeping her clean. Cockapoo's seems strangely drawn to mud - it does brush out but theeir legs /feet always look slightly dirty afterwards. I have to be strict with myslef and not bath her too often as it's not good for them!!


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

I have a very pale coloured pup too, but she is gorgeous & I wouldn't change her 
Yes she can get very muddy at times, but you don't always have to wash them, just rinse them in waterand the mud comes out, no shampoo needed as it's not good to wash them all the time, but i'm pretty sure you can rinse them just in water


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Really, I thought water had a drying effect?? ( that's why some women use cleansers rather than water??) Mmmm not sure comparing a womens face to a cocakpoo's leg is a good idea


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

colpa110 said:


> Really, I thought water had a drying effect?? ( that's why some women use cleansers rather than water??) Mmmm not sure comparing a womens face to a cocakpoo's leg is a good idea


I think its the soap, or shampoo, that has a drying effect ... as Maisie is so small I dunk her feet in a sink of shallow water sometimes to float the mud off.


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Good news!! I'm going to get Betty her own little paddling pool to soak
those muddy paws. My cream cartpets will defintely appreciate it


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Haha good idea, cream carpets in our house too, which is why we rinse her paws before she can walk on them, otherwise they would have turned brown by now


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

Mogdog said:


> I think its the soap, or shampoo, that has a drying effect ... as Maisie is so small I dunk her feet in a sink of shallow water sometimes to float the mud off.


Thats exactly what i do with Betty. When she's at my parents my mum has kt down to a fine art, as Betty goes out to the toilet in the garden in the morning, mum runs an inch of water in the utility room sink and as soon as Betty is ready to come in, she goes straight into the sink for a foot wash!!!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Glad you're back to see them again. Hopefully you will have this dog for such a long time so it's important to feel you made the right choice. I'm sure your daughter would be happy with any of them if you really needed to change. Perhaps a little cuddle with your preferred one will help her change her mind? Good luck with the choosing and keep us posted!


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

Izzy is white, and she NEVER looks dirty  She ALWAYS walks round puddles, hates mud.........
OK, I lie! On the plus side (I also have a black dog) at least you KNOW how dirty she is! As long as you don't mind the rustic look, it's fine :laugh:


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

My Izzy is also White and gets walked across fields etc every day. It is a nightmare! When she was small it was easy to put her in the kitchen sink and rinse off the mud, but now she is just that bit too big and strong - she shook the other day whilst in the sink and my kitchen was such a mess afterwards, coved with mud splatters. I also don't like to shampoo her too often as she has quite dry hair so after a week in the bad weather she is creamy beige not White. The mud does dry and you can brush it off, but our mud is heavy in iron oxide and so it stains the fur (all the sheep are orangey beige). When it is not too cold I put her in the river to wash the mud off, but she doesn't like it!


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

I like the idea of the paddling pool & footwash - dexter feet get a hosing when hes thick with mud!!!


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

I wonder if I should let my partner Marcus read this thread. He may have second thoughts about an apricot when he realises how hard it is to keep that beautiful colour! 

Luckily there is no carpet on the ground floor of our new house, just wood and tiles. We've decided to put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs so that the cats can escape upstairs if they need to. Hopefully puppy will learn that upstairs is not allowed.

Turi x


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## Casper (Jul 16, 2011)

Thanks again everyone! Going to see them again tonight, still have no idea what to do!! I think having pick of the litter wasn't a good thing!! Hopefully the little chocolate boy may be a bit more alert today as I really liked his markings!


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Turi said:


> I wonder if I should let my partner Marcus read this thread. He may have second thoughts about an apricot when he realises how hard it is to keep that beautiful colour!
> 
> Luckily there is no carpet on the ground floor of our new house, just wood and tiles. We've decided to put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs so that the cats can escape upstairs if they need to. Hopefully puppy will learn that upstairs is not allowed.
> 
> Turi x


Ah Nacho is an apricot and he does get mucky and I think he does it on purpose. He just loves the bath! So after a muddy walk, I dunk him straight in and he has a little swim round and shampoo. After I have dried him, he is the softest most beautiful ball of apricot fluff. He is a beauty - slightly biased but I originally wanted a black/chocolate pup but I just couldn't resist when I saw him. He was just something I never had seen before. 

Good luck choosing!


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## Casper (Jul 16, 2011)

We went back to see them tonight again, the chocolate one we initially liked the look of again was really quiet, they were all asleep when we went in and every one apart from the that choccy one and one of the girls woke up. As soon as we went in another chocolate boy, very similar to the other chocolate one came straight over and never left Hannahs side(or should I say, toes and hair!!) He followed her everywhere so I think he really chose us! We didnt notice him as much last time we visited as my friends son was playing with him. I felt rather sad as while Hannah was playing with him the little white boy that we also liked came over and lay down on her feet and went to sleep as if to say hello im here!) However I really dont think a white one would be the most practical colour for us especially as it would be at the farm with us twice a day.
So I would like to introduce cookie!! (my daughters choice of name!!) 
Ive put more pics in the gallery but havent got many as he wouldnt sit still!!


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Ahhh Cookie ... he looks absolutely gorgeous. Well done, decision made!  :congrats:


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

:congrats: on choosing Cookie! He looks adorable and your daughter is happy too, happy days  .


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## Vicky (Jun 23, 2011)

Aww he is so sweet. I love the name by the way


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Absolutely gorgeous! Winner winner chicken dinner! - I am in a weird mood today but maybe it's because it is my birthday!! I haven't received a present from Nacho though so he is not in my good books  I expected to him to at least walk to the shops and get me a card!   

arty2:arty:


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