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.