Cockerpoo Breeders

Hi Jo,

Welcome to the forum :welcome:.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your Cavalier - that must have been devastating.

What made you consider a Cockapoo?

There are three main 'types' of Cockapoo:

American Cocker Spaniel x Poodle
English Show Cocker Spaniel x Poodle
English Working Cocker Spaniel x Poodle

Most often the Poodle is a Miniature though sometimes a Toy is used for smaller offspring.

My boyfriend and I have a Cockapoo from English working lines called Saffi. You can read more about her on my blog below. Working crosses are meant to be the most energetic and probably have less curly coats as Working Cockers have finer hair then show and American Cockers.

Once you've made your decision then we'll happily help direct you towards a breeder

A work colleague suggested the breed after my husband coudn't bare to get another Cavalier in case they reminded us of our lost Cavaliers, also to avaoid some of the health issues. It was very distressful for us with our last one having to make the decision to let her be put to sleep, it still poses issues of guilt & is one of the reasons we're struggling to buy another puppy, in case we have to make that decision again someday! Silly I know but honest.

There's also the benefit of the low moulting of he breed and of course the look, they look like little teddies. I think I would like a curly coated puppy but that's not a prerequisit, just a preference and I'd love to hear any benefits of working over show.

I'd definitely prefer an F1 bred witb a miniture rather than a toy poodle.

Thanks for the response. Jo

There have been many debates about Show and Working English Cockers on this forum! But my thoughts are that traditionally Show Cockers may have been inbred (by unscrupulous breeders) with look and Kennel Club standards at the forefront of their mind as opposed to health and temperament. Working Cockers, on the other hand, must have excellent temperaments and be healthy in order to do the job they were traditionally bred to do. Because they're not bred to a 'standard' as such working Cockers can really vary in appearance.

The link that Awena mentions that Working Cockers can get bored but many people believe that by crossing the Cocker with a Poodle 'takes the edge off' what can sometimes be described as a 'wired' dog. As I said Working crosses tend to be more energetic but there are some show crosses on here that are full of beans and some more couch potato type Working crosses too - as a cross breed there are no hard and fast rules.

I've met all three and although we chose a Cockapoo from working lines I've loved American, English Show AND English Working. I'll contradict myself slightly by saying what's most important is the temperament of the parents. Saffi's Mum came from strong working lines but she had a calm and sweet nature. Her Dad was on the shy side but a very sweet Poodle. Saffi's temperament is brilliant and we're really happy with her.

Hope this helps!

"But my thoughts are that traditionally Show Cockers may have been inbred (by unscrupulous breeders) with look and Kennel Club standards at the forefront of their mind as opposed to health and temperament."

A bit of a generalisation Turi. I am sure there are breeders of working Cockers that have bred closely because they have liked particular working lines all be it not to a breed standard and not all show breeders are unscrupulous.

I like all versions however I prefer the coat that the show Cocker produces. As with any cross though there is no guarantee as to what the coat will be like and whether the puppies will take after the dam or sire. Chatting to people about their experiences and finding reccomendations is always a good place to start.

Good luck with your search and do keep us up dated with how you get on.