# Hi, I'm new



## Light42 (Jul 3, 2011)

Hi

I have been looking for a puppy and have been looking at all kinds of breeds.
I have been use to terriers growing up with dogs from a wire fox terrier to an irish terrier and lastly a airedale terrier. With my husband we had a west highland terrier who lived for 11 yrs, unfortunately she had a few problems with dry eyed disease luckily we had insurance out from day 1 as we had to put otinment in her eyes twice daily, which was good for her but need to have it.i've been researching and looking for puppies as we have a son who is 6 and he loves my parents airedales, but we don't want a dog as big as an airedale and looking at dogs today I have fallen in love with a cockerpoodle.

Were looking to get one next year, but i want to take time to research and find out the cost etc, so were prepared for next year. We lost our dog in 2005, so it has been a few years and I know prices have gone up a bit since then.

Any information anyone is willing to share I will take on board gladly.

But just wanted say hi


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

hey welcome, do you know what your looking for American/English (show or working) cocker cross Mini/Toy poodle, Boy or Girl , colour , even generatgion is something to think about now F1 F2 etc F1b F2b etc


as for cost you have food, insurance, vet bills, a trip to the groomers every 6 to 8 weeks which could cost between £15-£35 each time depending on the groomer, nutering, kennel fees or home bording if your away and cant take the dog. for the cockapoo its self the prices sometimes range from £250-£850 depending on the breeder and sometimes the colour of the puppy. you also may need to travel for the right pupour breeder was a 6 hour drive from us. 

do you know if there are any dog training classes around you even just for socolisation.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi glad you've posted, nice to know that you think a cockapoo would suite your family, obviously cant argue with that really, ask away about the breed we're not experts just picked up info along the way,there will usually be someone who can help you out .. P.S Kendals not trying to put you off lol x


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

Hello and welcome.The cockapoo is a great choice for a family dog.My kids are now 13 and 19 but our oldest cockapoo will be 7 this month so the kids ere a lot younger hen we got her,i now have 7 dogs and 4 are cockapoos,all with great natures and of course gorgeous too! Good luck in your search for a puppy


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

wilfiboy said:


> Hi glad you've posted, nice to know that you think a cockapoo would suite your family, obviously cant argue with that really, ask away about the breed we're not experts just picked up info along the way,there will usually be someone who can help you out .. P.S Kendals not trying to put you off lol x


lol i go by my friends idvice who works for grate dane resue, if you tell some one all the had, bad and exspensive bits about the breed or animal in general and they still want to go for it then you know they are the right owners. too many people go on about how fab the dog is and never into the exspence. bichons are generaly desribed as easy and low mantanece dogs WRONG, very hyper, lots of home grooming and professonal grooming. 


lol sorry, you asked for costs but i may have gone a little over board and going by your list of dog you have had in your life im sure than almost none of it came as a surprize.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

No your right ... I was talking to a guy the other day who had rescued a dog from someone who on the back of Paul O'Gradys dog that just sat on his desk wanted one of those "teddies" which is what she'd have been better off getting. He said the dog was kept permenantly in a crate and its coat was all matted


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

wilfiboy said:


> No your right ... I was talking to a guy the other day who had rescued a dog from someone who on the back of Paul O'Gradys dog that just sat on his desk wanted one of those "teddies" which is what she'd have been better off getting. He said the dog was kept permenantly in a crate and its coat was all matted


i think thats worse than the GSD pup bought as a handbag dog. my old groomer once had a guy call her(with good intentions) wanting to book hid puppy in so it got used to it from an early age, she asked what it was and he said a short haired Lhasa apso, don't know if thats what the breeder called it or maybe mum was cut short and he just made the assumption it would stay short. you have to wonder about some people 



lol sorry for hijacking you thread lol


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## marleysmommy77 (Jun 29, 2011)

cockapoos are great loving and sweet dog they are very smart too and im sure you will love your cockapoo when you get him/her they are very expensive as all dogs are but the love the sweetness the sillyness and the years of unconditional love make up for all the expenses good luck in finding your new puppy lots of love and licks


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Yes ALL pets cost money - and to look for a dog whist being aware that it carries a life-long commitment cost-wise is a very very wise and considered move.
We always make sure our customers are aware that the food element (normally the most costly part of dog ownership) really has to be the best quality they can afford....and whilst we wean all our puppies onto Orijen now - we have found that they actually eat less of it than they would have done with Royal Canine.

...at the end of the day - everyone who buys a dog must be aware of the associated costs - but as we are nearly all dogs owners on here I am certainly one who can say mine give me more back in love; hugs; cuddles; laughs; companionship and ....just being them xxx


........and a Cockapoo would be a great choice - especially with a 6 year old son x

Take time to view several breeder's websites - always check their "testimonials" - look at pics of dogs they have bred - try and narrow down your choice of a Cockapoo "type" to one that suits Your life-style best and be prepared to put in the leg-work and visit breeders (well the ones that will let you !).
Don't let anyone slate a particular "variation" as they are ALL lovely - just go in eyes open and do the research - as any dog will become part of your Family and should be with you for the next 12-14 years so doing the homework now will certainly pay-off in the long-run. 

A very good idea is to "Google" a breeder too - as that way you can lean more about them than they have control over - though don't always believe what you read off the internet.

Make sure you get to meet the mum - as she will show you lots about how her offspring will be xx

We also recommend not taking your chequebook with you when you visit breeders as you really do need to be able to walk away and discuss things clearly and openly with your family away from the breeder x

We held a "Hug-a'Puppy" day here yesterday - there are lots of photos on: http://ilovemycockapoo.com/showthread.php?t=2038

We welcome visitors here - even if it is just for a fact-finding tour x

Happy hunting - we are finding that more and more people (especially those that use this site) are planning further and further ahead (we already have reservations for August; Winter and into Spring 2012) - and that loads of people are loving the whole "Puppy" experience which includes the - search; selection; anticipation and ultimately - ownership xxx

Stephen x


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## Guest (Jul 4, 2011)

my word !!!!!!!!!!! that was an epic weekend folks .... can you see why i pic puppies for my customers ? and it always works have fun janice xxx


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## Light42 (Jul 3, 2011)

Thank you, for your replies  as you noitce in my message i've been use to terriers alot of my life, so having a cockpoo is a bit different to terriers. Our westie was the runt of the litter, but made up for it in her personality, at the end of the day it was all the onitment we had to give to her for her eyes, that got to her. We tried a few operations but unfortunately didn't work. We were very glad that we got insurance from day one, as the onitment cost a lot and the operations.

I'm writing down the info you have given me thank you. We have got puppy classes and social clasees around us, we took our westie to one. although she was small was very strong willed! I think she thought herself as a German sheppard and not a westie lol. 

Just one more question, how much do the puppies costs on average?, and if the price is lower for a puppy than normal would you buy the puppy or would it be more suspcious why they're charging a lower price?. To be honest haven't thought what type of cockerpook yets and as for boy or girl, we have been use to both.

Thank you


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

I have copied my post below from another thread but I think it is relevant for you in your search for a healthy happy puppy (whatever the breed) :-

The choices you must make are whether to buy a rescue dog, a cheap 'back street' bred puppy, a pup from a hobby breeder (some are very experienced and some are not so) or from a licenced professional breeder with testimonials and a reputation to protect. 

A cheap dog is not always a bad one and an expensive one is not always a premium dog !!!

We ourselves always recommend that buyers do more than just surf the internet. We say go and view at least 2 if not 3 breeders. Never take your cheque book and be prepared to walk away to give yourself time to think rationally. Any reputable breeder will not do 'hard sell'. We understand that finding the right puppy is paramount to you being a happy owner at the end of the day, happy owners make happy dogs (and thats a great advert for any breeder).

Prices do vary but remember there are a lot of costs involved in raising a puppy to the highest, healthiest standard: 
Quality breeding mums carry a premium themselves.
Breeding dogs should have relevant health checks by vets.
Breeding dogs need worming, flea treatment and vaccinating. 
Breeding dogs need good kenneling and vet care.
Breeding dogs need premium food, which costs.
Pups must have the best heated housing.
Pups must be wormed every two weeks from two weeks old.
Pups must be kept clear of fleas, ticks, mites and ear mites.
Pups need best quality weaning food.
Pups must be socialized before they are 8 weeks old.
Ideally pups should be microchipped and have their first vaccination before leaving the breeder at 8 weeks old.

The most important factor you need to concentrate on is which 'type' of cockapoo suits you and your lifestyle best so you must be sure what the adult cockapoo will be like. The purchase price should be secondary. In our experience you get 60% of the end result from mum. So you need to meet and like her too.

"Cockapoo" is a generic name for a myriad of differing dogs - from small to large; docile couch potatoes to keen attentive "off road" companions. It's the mix of one of the 3 Cockers to one of the 3 Poodles that will dictate the outcome and they ALL will vary to varying degrees x

There are some useful threads on "Show versus Working" - they will make good reading.

It's totally up to You if you choose to go to a dedicated one type breeder or a "One-Stop-Shop" who offer a menu to choose from - and it is totally up to You if you want to be involved with the actual selection of YOUR puppy OR if you feel happy with the breeder just handing you a puppy !!!! (??).

We increasingly hear and read people saying "If only I knew then what I know now !!"xx

Good Luck x

Stephen xx


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

The price for a puppy is around £650-£900 but in my opinion you tend to get what you pay for, I paid £850 for my puppies and I think they are worth every penny. I would recommend a good local home breeder who are totally devoted to their pets and puppies, this way you can visit them regularly and feel part of the puppy experience and puppies are brought up in the home which is nice too, or a larger scale professional breeder who do this as a living and know their stuff, either way make sure you like and trust who you are buying from, you will know which breeder and puppy is right for you... trust your instinct  

Cockapoos are the best .. a fabulous family pet.

I am still smiling about Kendal’s price breakdown, she is not putting you off, she is right, puppies equal financial commitment as well as time commitment, they do cost a lot to keep, but hey they are worth it, just don’t tell my hubby how much they really cost him ... he will never let me have four ha ha ha


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## Light42 (Jul 3, 2011)

Thank you 

It hasn't put me off, i just like to research into a puppy, as I know they're a life long committment, our last dog died at 10 yrs old. 

I just want to make sure i research into everything and make sure we are financial committment before we brought a puppy. I have seen quite a few cases with people giving their puppies after a few months, because they did not realise how much time they need and excercise! etc, well why didn't they research it before. I just feel getting a dog shouldn't be a implusive buy as they are with you for life and making sure you have the right dog for your family, even if it takes an extra year, it doesn't matter as long as we feel we have made the right decision which matters for us and the puppy. 

Suzanne x

I love all of your dog pictures btw, they're gorgeous


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