Cockapoos??

Frugalista

janiec wrote: »

Hi Frugalista
I am not a breeder and have not your knowledge - but I have had dogs all my adult life.
I am interested in Cockapoos having met a wonderful lady owner at a show who had trained her dog as a hearing dog. He was so intelligent and affectionate and I fell a bit in love!
Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Janie

Hi janiec, I completely understand that having met (and fallen in love with ) a Cockapoo you would consider getting one. I don't believe that I have said anywhere that you absolutley shouldn't - but I would advise that you do an awful lot of research first and don't jump into anything. Softly, softly, catchee monkey!

As I said in my post above, both breeds have inherited eye problems (different in each breed) - you can find out more about these through the Kennel Club site - and make yourself familiar with them. Check that the parents have had the appropriate tests and have up to date certification. Don't be fobbed off that "these crosses don't need that" - inherited diseases pass on no matter what the breeds being crossed - and when they come from both parents you will almost definately be setting yourself up for a lot of large vet bills and (possibly) a blind dog.

Was it just the look of the dog you liked? Maybe if you made a list of the characteristics and health of each of the breeds involved (pluses and minuses), you may find that one brings more to the table than the other and you would be happy to approach the appropriate breed rescue. Just really throwing ideas in the air at the moment .

The one thing I am totally against is the extortionate prices these people charge for a crossbreed - they are simply cashing in on the "designer" element of it. You could get a well bred pup of an established breed from health checked parents (and down through the generations) for less than a lot of these so called "breeders" are charging.

At the end of the day, you are going to make your own choices - just arm yourself with the appropriate information, ask lots of questions and don't fall for the first one you see. Good luck .

PS: Just had a thought - is there any sort of Cockerpoo rescue? Might be worth looking for something like that. HTH>

laurel7172

Friends of ours have just had a cockerpoo puppy. Not only do the children now want a dog, so do I. The cat says no

From what I've seen, they're fabulous dogs. While, emotionally I agree that it's better to give a stray animal a home (my beloved 17 year old rescue cat is warming my lap as I type), I wouldn't criticise anyone who felt they needed a puppy or a particular breed. (Unless they particularly wanted a Staffy. I visited a rescue centre with work recently and it was full of unwanted Staffies in need of homes.)

The breeders' profits seem a bit obscene, but I remember my parents paying well over £200 for a puppy almost 30 years ago, so I guess that's the rate and has been for a long time.

If you want it and can afford it and it makes you happy, go for it. It's a lot of money upfront, but...what...maybe as little as a pound a week for a dog's lifetime?

foreign_correspondent

I do not know where you would even begin to find a reputable breeder of these dogs - presumably there is no breed club, as they are not a breed, and reputable breeders do not advertise in the classifieds, gumtree etc..

... and I do not think anyone would advise that you encourare less than reputable breeders to keep churning out pups by giving them trade!

Really, I would look for a pupster through rescue - I am sure the right pup is out there waiting for you, and would love the sort of experienced home that you can offer!

Fire_Fox

I am confused why it is so wrong to charge £800 for a puppy if that is what the market demands? Granted I wouldn't pay that sort of money, but what is wrong with the breeder making a healthy profit from their business? It seems to me the actual price charged is a separate issue from whether the parents are healthy, the puppies are well socialised and the b1itch isn't being used as a breeding machine.

It doesn't make sense to me to say that it's 'better' for a puppy to be from two adults of the same breed than from different breeds. Domestic dogs are all the same species genetically, as are humans although there may be some very distinct looks. It's no different from saying a baby born to two blonde-haired-blue-eyed parents is 'better' than a baby from one Caucasian and one African parent. In fact mixed race children tend to be super cute, same as with this Cockapoo (silly name)!

lostinrates

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I am confused why it is so wrong to charge £800 for a puppy if that is what the market demands? Granted I wouldn't pay that sort of money, but what is wrong with the breeder making a healthy profit from their business? It seems to me the actual price charged is a separate issue from whether the parents are healthy, the puppies are well socialised and the b1itch isn't being used as a breeding machine.

It doesn't make sense to me to say that it's 'better' for a puppy to be from two adults of the same breed than from different breeds. Domestic dogs are all the same species genetically, as are humans although there may be some very distinct looks. It's no different from saying a baby born to two blonde-haired-blue-eyed parents is 'better' than a baby from one Caucasian and one African parent. In fact mixed race children tend to be super cute, same as with this Cockapoo (silly name)!

Well, I know I'm in the minority but I agree, however, not without caveats. keeping up with lines and health issues, nutrition applicable to one breed,particularly popularbreed is hard, more not just other breeds, but other breeds in different groups: where the issues (and people involved) are more diverse still! Personally, I would like to see a register for partbreds...

on many occasionas people crossing don't know either breed inside out, the way the best pedigree breeders do. Three litters in autumn is a big enterprise by any means: possibly suggesting breeding for profit, not best conformation/health etc crosses...although thats a leap. Rearing one litter ofpups well is hard work, rearing three or four concerning.

Lobell

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I am confused why it is so wrong to charge £800 for a puppy if that is what the market demands? Granted I wouldn't pay that sort of money, but what is wrong with the breeder making a healthy profit from their business? It seems to me the actual price charged is a separate issue from whether the parents are healthy, the puppies are well socialised and the b1itch isn't being used as a breeding machine.

It doesn't make sense to me to say that it's 'better' for a puppy to be from two adults of the same breed than from different breeds. Domestic dogs are all the same species genetically, as are humans although there may be some very distinct looks. It's no different from saying a baby born to two blonde-haired-blue-eyed parents is 'better' than a baby from one Caucasian and one African parent. In fact mixed race children tend to be super cute, same as with this Cockapoo (silly name)!

I have no issue either with breeders charging the market rate for a puppy. My own breed sells for around £1000 per puppy and that's what I'm prepared to pay for a pup that comes from a fully traceable pedigree with many generations of health tested descendents behind it. I also get the knowledge and expertise of the breeder thrown in for the lifetime of the puppy. Bargain, in my opinion. With a small litter, the breeder will do well to break even. With a big litter, they'll make a few quid. I have no problem with that at all...quite frankly, you couldn't pay me to rear a rampaging litter of giant breed puppies so I'm happy to pay someone else to put in the hard work.

Then again, you can pay that amount for puppy of the breed that has been bred by just chucking two dogs of the same breed in the back garden and letting them get on with it. No health tests for the genetic hip, heart, elbow & kidney problems inherent in the breed, no knowledge of the generations behind, and no associated expertise. Not such a bargain, IMO. But there are lots of people doing it simply because the pups fetch a good price with no real love or regard for the breed.

As for deliberate crossbreeding...I have no real problem with that either if there is a purpose in mind and it's done responsibly and ethically. Sadly, responsibilty and ethics is something you'll struggle to find amongst the many thousands of ads for indiscriminately bred crossbreeds cluttering up the internet. Puppy farmers and back yard breeders in the vast majority of cases...and hopefully no-one here would be supportive of those practices?

Frankly, breeding 'cute' puppies is not any reason to breed at all...whether crossbred or pedigree. I have an accidental crossbreed here (a rescue). Undoubtedly one of the most attractive dogs that you'll ever lay eyes on....a proper head turner. His handsomeness is not much consolation to him when his arthritis is crippling him...the arthritis he's suffered with since he was a mere 2 years old and which his orthopaedic specialist reckons is more than partly attributable to his being from a combination of 2 breeds with very different conformation in the affected joints.

With over 200 breeds recognised by the UK kennel club; and many more available in the UK that are recognised by other established registries (like FCI), one would argue that there is undoubtedly a breed out there to suit all circumstances so, really, why the need to crossbreed anyway?

rachiee

Lobell wrote: »

I have no issue either with breeders charging the market rate for a puppy. My own breed sells for around £1000 per puppy and that's what I'm prepared to pay for a pup that comes from a fully traceable pedigree with many generations of health tested descendents behind it. I also get the knowledge and expertise of the breeder thrown in for the lifetime of the puppy. Bargain, in my opinion. With a small litter, the breeder will do well to break even. With a big litter, they'll make a few quid. I have no problem with that at all...quite frankly, you couldn't pay me to rear a rampaging litter of giant breed puppies so I'm happy to pay someone else to put in the hard work.

Then again, you can pay that amount for puppy of the breed that has been bred by just chucking two dogs of the same breed in the back garden and letting them get on with it. No health tests for the genetic hip, heart, elbow & kidney problems inherent in the breed, no knowledge of the generations behind, and no associated expertise. Not such a bargain, IMO. But there are lots of people doing it simply because the pups fetch a good price with no real love or regard for the breed.

As for deliberate crossbreeding...I have no real problem with that either if there is a purpose in mind and it's done responsibly and ethically. Sadly, responsibilty and ethics is something you'll struggle to find amongst the many thousands of ads for indiscriminately bred crossbreeds cluttering up the internet. Puppy farmers and back yard breeders in the vast majority of cases...and hopefully no-one here would be supportive of those practices?

With over 200 breeds recognised by the UK kennel club; and many more available in the UK that are recognised by are established registries (like FCI), one would argue that there is undoubtedly a breed out there to suit all circumstances so, really, why the need to crossbreed anyway?

:T Agree with you. BTW what breed is it your talking about?

Lobell

rachiee wrote: »

:T Agree with you. BTW what breed is it your talking about?

My breed? Newfoundland.

suki1964

May I just add, to the op, if you are seriously thinking of parting with those sort of sums for a cockerpoo, please please please make sure their parents have been optigen tested.

If a breeder is charging those sort of prices they should be running the tests on their breeding stock, if they arent - walk away

You can find a list of Tested Cockers here
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/1969

You can also contact the cocker club for a list of cockers tested for GPRA -

However the breeder should have up to date certificates for these tests.

Poodles also have hereditary eye problems and should also be tested for PRA.

If you are unaware then PRA is a gradual onset of blindness which wont show until the animal is around two - which is why breeders dont use animals any younger to breed from - so they can be tested and removed from the breeding pool if carriers

usernameisvalid

What saddens me is that people are prepared to pay so much money for what is basically a mongrel when they can take their pick of mongrels from any rescue in the country for aound £150.

Op, you are an adult, its your life, your choice. Can I just add my weight to the posts from Lobel, Frugalista,Lostinrates and suki1964 and do your homework before making your purchase

There are better breeders then others and cockerpoos do have reputable breeders as they are originally bred as seeing/hearing dogs. Its those breeders you are looking for, the ones who have done the genetic homework, the ones who are breeding from health tested sires and dams, those that can give you a five generation healthy pedigree.

Avoid like the plague "breeders" who are advertising more then one litter a year and those that are advertising litters of more then one breed - THEY ARE PUPPY FARMERS and you buying from them supports their disgusting trade

You could also try poodle rescue and cocker rescue - its not unknown for either rescue to pick up unwanted cross pups. And ManyTears rescue gets them come through as well.

Good luck. I hope you find the pup for you, but do please spend some time looking for a good breeder ( another hint - good breeders don't have litters available this time of year - too close to Christmas )