Cockapoo Breed Info: Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix

What is a Cockapoo Dog?

Heritage:

Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix

Other Names:

Cockapoodle, Cock-a-Poo, Cocker Spaniel Doodle, Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix

Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix Breed History

Cocker Spaniel Breed History:

As the name alludes to, the Spaniel’s beginnings trace back to Spain where they were expert bird hunters. They date back to before rifles, where they were used alongside nets to catch their prey.

While Spaniels were informally categorized by either “water” or “land” for centuries, in the 1800s when written breed standards came into existence, the Cocker Spaniel was one of the resulting distinctions, named for its specialization in catching and retrieving woodcock, a type of waterfowl.

While the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1946 it didn’t explode in popularity until the 1950s when Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” was released as well as U.S. President Richard Nixon’s owning his Cocker Spaniel named Checkers.

Poodle Breed History:

While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago. In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl. The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever.

Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France. The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.

While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog. Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”

Cockapoo Breed History:

Cockapoos were one of the earliest “designer dogs” with the Cockapoo breed dating back to sometime in the 1950s. As this is such a long-established crossbreed, there is now an effort to have the Cockapoo breed recognized in the eyes of the AKC and other organizations. In the late 1990s the Cockapoo Club of America was founded to help create breeding standards to achieve this.

Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix Appearance & Grooming

How Big Do Cockapoos Get?

A Cockapoo’s size is determined mostly by whether its Poodle parent was a standard, miniature, or toy. On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well.

With that in mind, a Teacup Cockapoo will weigh less than 7 pounds and stand less than 10 inches tall. A Toy Cockapoo will typically weigh between 7-12 pounds and have a height of 10-11 inches. A Miniature Cockapoo will weigh in at around 13-25 pounds and stand roughly 12-15 inches tall. Standard Cockapoos will be even larger at 25-40 pounds and 18-24 inches in height.

Cockapoo Dog Breed Coat & Grooming:

The coat of the Cockapoo breed can come in one or more of a variety of colors, with the most popular being a shade of cream or brown. Their fur can range anywhere from flat, like the Cocker Spaniel to curly like the Poodle and usually is usually fairly long.

How curly your dog’s fur is dictates how often they must be brushed. A minimum of brushing once per week is required for Cockapoos, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs.

Are Cockapoos Hypoallergenic?
Do Cockapoos Shed?

Due to the presence of the Poodle’s genes, Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix puppies are sometimes promoted as being hypoallergenic and/or non-shedding. While this can be true, due to the unpredictability of genetics, there is no guarantee that any particular dog, or litter of dogs will be hypoallergenic. Some individuals’ allergies are more sensitive to certain breeds than other breeds, but there is no scientific evidence that shows that certain hybrid breeds are universally more or less hypoallergenic than others.

With that being said, as a rule of thumb, the larger the percentage of Poodle is in a dog’s heritage, the more likely they are to be hypoallergenic or non-shedding. So an F1BB Cockapoo (87.5% Poodle) is more likely to be hypoallergenic than an F1B Cockapoo (75% Poodle) which is more likely than an F1 or F2 Cockapoo (50% Poodle).

Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix Health & Wellness

Cockapoo Dog Breed Lifespan:

The life expectancy of a health and well-cared-for Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix is around 14-16 years.

Cockapoo Dog Breed Common Health Concerns:

Cockapoos may be susceptible to the common health problems of both the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle. However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns.

Some of the more common genetic disorders to be on the lookout for in the Poodle Cocker Spaniel Mix include Entropion, Familian Nephropathy, Glaucoma, Phosphofructokinase Deficiency, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cataracts, and Hip Dysplasia.

Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.

Click here to get an instant, online pet insurance quote from Healthy Paws!

Cocker Spaniel Poodle Mix Temperament & Personality

Cockapoo Dog Breed Behavioral Traits:

Cockapoos are great companion dogs and love to be with their family as much as possible. As such they are only suitable as indoor pets and do best in homes where someone in the family is home frequently. They are super sociable dogs and live to meet new people and animals. For this reason, while they make walks very sociable events, they don’t make good guard dogs.

While friendly with children, they are very sensitive to rough play or abuse by them so be wary of that. One thing to look out for when picking out a Cockapoo dog is to stay away from litters or dogs that display nervousness, as that is not a natural trait of this breed and oftentimes demonstrates bad breeding techniques.

Cockapoo Dog Breed Activity Requirements:

The Cockapoo breed requires moderate exercise, with a 30-60 minute walk each day sufficing. Keeping these dogs mentally stimulated is just as important via socializing with new people and dogs on a regular basis.