Hello Everyone,

We're looking for a Cockapoo and are still trying out rescues, but if we have to go to a breeder we will. I just wanted know from all of you is I have some questions and "what to know" if we go to a breeder. I was hoping you all would read over the questions/"what to know" I have and see if they're good, also to put in what you think I need further from what I have. Thanks.

We'll begin with the questions...ready to read? :^)
1. How old is the female and how many litters has she had?
2. How frequently is she bred?
3. Where are the puppies being raised (whelped)?
4. What vaccines and wormings have the puppies received?
5. What age do you allow puppies to go home? (I know, but do they)
6. What sort of socialization have they've had?
7. What history do the parents have?
8. Why did you decide to breed these two?
9. What kind of puppies did they produce?
10. What written guarantees do you offer? (why do we need one?)
11. How much do they shed and do they bark a lot?
12. What kind of diseases are they prone to getting?
13. Do the tails have to be docked?
14. How long have you've been breeding?
15. How much grooming is needed?

Here are the "what to know":
1. The breeder will want to know all about how we'll care for the dog.
2. They'll know the breed standard, puppies should look healthy, proper weight, bright clear eyes, no nasal discharge, not overly round.
3. Is this dog expensive to keep?
4. Ask to see the parents!
5. The breeder should ask the future owners closely to make sure the pup gets a good home.
6. If the breeder doesn't ask tons of questions, they're not a good breeder.
7. Red Flags: not allowing to see parents/pups before going home, they let the pups go home too early, hostility to the future owner's questions, no phone number.

Is there anything else we need to know? Thank you so much!!

Okay I just read this post but I replied to your other

NO GOOD BREEDER WILL BREED MIXED BREEDS! Bottom line. You are paying a ton of money for a glorified mutt. They arnt a purebred dog.

Sway--the way I understand it is that they're breeding a Cocker Spaniel with a Poodle, not one Cockapoo to another. If so, we'll find that out too. And yes, I know they can be a lot of money, but we have found some that are in the hundreds, the highest being around $800.

My father and I are allergic to dogs and that's the only breed that we saw that we liked that were hypoallergenic. That's why we all (as my parents, brother, and I) are going for this breed. I have researched both breeds.

I was just asking if these are good questions and "what to know" things, whether we agree with breeders or not. *shrugs*

Mix breeds are NOT hypoallergenic. That is a myth. Cockers have very dry and flaky skin, so you could end up with a puppy who mostly takes after a cocker and then your stuck with a dog that makes you itch. Poodles are good with people with allergies, so you'd be better off getting a purebred poodle instead.

And its not that I dont agree with breeders. I agree with reputable breeders. A good breeder breeds to better the breed that they love. Since Cockapoo's arnt a breed, a good breeder cant possibly be breeding to better the cocker or poodle breed by making a mix.

What kind of dogs are out there than that are hypoallergenic? We don't like Poodles, Porties, Chinese Crested, etc. That's why we went with a mix, so all these people that are allergic and get the Poo mixes and say they're fine are lying or....

I know totally what you mean by that we may get more Cocker than Poodle, but I just don't understand how it can be a myth when I hear people say they don't sneeze, can breath, and don't have watery eyes because of them. Can you please explain that to me?

Sorry if you're getting annoyed with me. :^/

The reason is because they got lucky and got a dog that mostly took after the poodle.

Do you like Bichons, or malteses? Maltese are SO cute and they are hypoallergenic.

Okay heres what makes a dog good for people with allergies. Dont let the long hair scare you. The long hair on some dogs is very soft and has no undercoat. Its more like human hair.

I bet you could find a maltese in a rescue easy. And if not at least you could find a good breeder.

Tip, AKC's website (americankennelclub.com) has a list of good breeders that they reccomend.

Are there some breeds that are a bit bigger? I think both you named are cute, but they're a bit...small. So if a dog has no undercoat, it means that they won't shed so much?

I remember my allergies were fine once I was used to the dogs as I used to work at a kennel. I didn't even need to take my allegra and I was near all sorts of breeds.

Thanks for your help; I'll see your replies later as I'm getting off now. Have a nice night. :^)

Yes dogs with no undercoats dont shed as much. But a bigger dog with no undercoat is hard to find. OR it will have a very short coat. Which I have four dogs with short coats and they shed like crazy! Plus the hair is very short and course and can bother people.

I dont think Shelties have undercoats, but I might be wrong. They are like a medium sized dogs (maybe like 25 pounds)

Yes, Shelties have undercoat. A lot of it.

Some larger breeds that may work would be Tibetan Terriers, Bearded Collies, Bedlington Terriers, and Soft Coated Wheatons.

Please keep in mind that all of these breeds require daily brushing/combing, and frequent professional grooming to keep their coats in good shape and to avoid matting.

They also tend to be high energy dogs that require plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. They aren't couch potatoes. The terrier breeds tend to be a bit "varminty", too. The exception to that would be the Tibetan Terrier, which is not really a terrier at all.

Another thought, what about a Schnauzer? They have a VERY soft coat and no undercoat. There are Mini Schnauzers, standard, and giant. The standard Schnauzer is about 30 pounds full grown. They are VERY sweet, loving and loyal dogs.

[oes forever]

getting back to the cockerpoo i would'nt say they didnt shed at all because there is no hard rule to what it is going to turn round like, i groom 3 cockerpoos and they are all different. one is hand stripped, and has the cocker coat mostly, one i clipped because it has a poodle coat and the other dousnt grow very long and is just scissored. all shed!
so there is no rule to a cockerpoo that says they are hypoalergenic.
have a look at the other breeds that have been mentioned if your allergies are so bad.

Originally Posted by SwayRaines

Another thought, what about a Schnauzer? They have a VERY soft coat and no undercoat. There are Mini Schnauzers, standard, and giant. The standard Schnauzer is about 30 pounds full grown. They are VERY sweet, loving and loyal dogs.

Sorry, but a Schnauzer should not have soft coat at all. Their coat should be hard and wirey. Clipping instead of stripping will soften some coats, not so much others, but it still shouldn't be "...VERY soft..."

And I'm not so sure about the "...VERY sweet..." part, either. Most of the ones I've groomed over the years were little stinkers. The standards were BIG stinkers.

Any dog can be a brat if its not trained right. I've known some very sweet schnuazers.

Thanks for your replies everyone, we actually are going to look again at different dog breeds because one lady showed us a book and as my parents were going through it, it said Cockapoos aren't always good for people with allergies.

So I'm going to go through the list again and nothing against the purebreeds, but I'm 98% positive that we're looking for a mixed breed that is either Poodle mix or whatever other dog is mixed with another, not just those "designer dogs".

But say if we ever went to a breeder, for not just the Cockapoo--but any dog--would those questions be satisfactory?

Yes for a breeder that is breeding pure breds. Like I said, no good breeder will breed mixed breeds (and I dont mean breeding a mix to another mix, I mean breeding to get a mixed breed)

If you go the route of a poodle mix, then you should get an adult (no puppies) Puppies hair changes as they get older. Plus, a full grown adult you'd already know whether or not it would bother you and which side it took more after (the poodle or what ever else it is mixed with)

Search on petfinder for poodle because you wont find Cockapoo's since Petfinder doesnt register that as a breed.

[CorkyMax]

Hi!
Don't know if I want to get in the middle of the pros and cons here---I'm just neutral---'I'm just the messenger!' Just found this little tidbit in my wanderings in a newsletter I get from Brigitte Smith at Dog Health Care by Dog Health Enthusiast Brigitte Smith Happy Healthy Dogs She is for the 'natural way' to do things and I like her but of course she does sell things like most of these places--making a living! Anyway : Labradoodles (lab retriever/poodle) are desirable for their easy going dispositions, their intelligence, and their curly, NON-SHED coats. Will say this (which I read frm 1 of my books)-as far as intelligence goes to do w/the poodle --found it, so will quote: 'Considered by many the most intelligent of all breeds.' My ex has a poodle mix . It is the smartest dog that I've ever seen! (the other part is Husky--but looks all poodle--Kids that see it say "Look there's the dog from Sesame Street." (This dog is--my ex's, not a designer dog, lol, just 'an accident') Personally I don't care much for the poodle esp. when it is groomed the way they are-just don't care for the way they look---but guess it doesn't have to look like that if you don't want it to! Anyway, just passing on what I can. Let us know what you do decide on! Hey, just came back in here to say that the website hilighted above works---It brings you to a page aboout heartworm (at least at this moment it does--don't know if the article could change to another subject or not--if depending on how long before someone hits on it---No matter--If anyone would like to sign up for her newsletter---the info is there--Like I said I like this site--she is for helping dogs--the natural way. LOL--go for it everyone-can't hurt to check it out!

You cannot say that all labordoodles are non shedders. Its the poodle part that is a non shedder. But Labs are far from that! I've known plenty of lab/poodles that shed like crazy!

[puppylove2009]

I hear the long haired Dachshund is good for allergy sufferers. I know a little girl who is allergic to everything including most dogs but this Dachshund has done wonders for her.

Also have you considered:

Poodles
Bichons
Maltese
Shih Tzu

Any of those

Don't buy a Cockapoo.....adopt one (they are mutts)

No do is truly hypo allergenic.


Here is a pic of my poodle (I wish you would just consider a poodle....i mean a cockapoo is part poodle why not get the real deal)

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by puppylove2009

I hear the long haired Dachshund is good for allergy sufferers. I know a little girl who is allergic to everything including most dogs but this Dachshund has done wonders for her.

Also have you considered:

Poodles
Bichons
Maltese
Shih Tzu

Any of those

Don't buy a Cockapoo.....adopt one (they are mutts)

No do is truly hypo allergenic.


Here is a pic of my poodle (I wish you would just consider a poodle....i mean a cockapoo is part poodle why not get the real deal)

Just had to comment on your poodle (since I said I didn't like the way they look when they are groomed like they usually are) Now I like the look of your dog and it sure looks like it has a happy disposition. I bet it is real smart too--any stories to tell?!!