| Cockapoo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 A cockapoo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Cockerpoo, Cockerdoodle (AU) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foundation stock | Cocker Spaniel and Poodle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Breed status | Not recognized as a breed by any major kennel club. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dog ( domestic dog ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
A cockapoo also known as a cockerpoo (portmanteau of cocker spaniel and poodle) is a dog crossbreed bred from the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle, most commonly the Miniature Poodle. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The cockapoo was first bred as a designer dog in the United States with the aim of producing a healthy companion dog that, it is claimed by its supporters, does not inherit many of the health defects common in the two parent breeds due to hybrid vigor. [2] [3] If both parents are healthy this can be true and the crossbreed is typically more genetically diverse than purebred dogs; however, "hybrid vigor" indicates an increased probability of health rather than a definite one for any specific animal. [5] Cocker Spaniels and poodles have been deliberately crossed in the United States since the 1960s. [2] [4]
In 2022, cockapoos were one of the most expensive dog varieties in the United Kingdom, costing an average of £ 1,336.15. [6] Between 2019 and 2020, the average price in the UK rose by 168 percent, a result of increased demand caused by a national lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [7]
As with most animal crossbreeds, there is a great deal of variability in the cockapoo's dimensions and appearance. [3] All colors or combinations of colors can be found, though most commonly they are white and brown. The coat can also be straight, wavy, or curled. [4] Individual dogs that weigh less than 12 pounds (5.4 kg) are labelled toy cockapoos, dogs that weigh between 13 and 18 pounds (5.9 and 8.2 kg) miniature cockapoos and dogs weighing over 19 pounds (8.6 kg) standard cockapoos. [4] Cockapoos can vary in temperament and in need for exercise. [8]
In order to promote the crossbreed in the United States, a dedicated club has been formed, the Cockapoo Club of America. [9]
Cockapoos are available in F1, F2, and F2B, which is dependent on the parent dogs. An F1 cockapoo is bred from a purebred poodle and a cocker spaniel. When 2 F1 cockapoos are bred together this creates an F2 cockapoo, and there are many other combinations breeding them back towards the original poodle or cocker spaniel breed.
Cockapoos are known for their affectionate nature and lively personalities, inheriting intelligence from both parents' breeds - the Cocker Spaniel and Poodle. This intelligence makes them generally easy to train, as they are eager learners and quick at mastering new tricks. It’s encouraged that owners enroll their cockapoos in puppy training classes for proper obedience and socialization. Cockapoos are energetic and require attention, exercise, and training to prevent boredom and potential recklessness. it's important to note that, due to their sociable nature, if left alone for too long cockapoos have been known to develop separation anxiety. [10]
Crossbreeds like cockapoos are generally healthy, and are known to have fewer predisposed health conditions compared to some purebred dogs. However, owners should be aware of common health concerns such as allergies, glaucoma, hip dysplasia, and progressive retinal issues. Regular vet checkups are important, and owners should promptly seek advice form their vet if they notice any health concerns. [11]
A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size, skull shape, tail phenotype, fur type, body shape, and coat colour. However, there is only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.
The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in the US and the UK. In the United States, the breed is usually called a Cocker Spaniel, while elsewhere in the world, it is called an American Cocker Spaniel to distinguish it from its older English cousin. The word cocker is commonly held to stem from their use to hunt woodcock in England, while spaniel is thought to be derived from the breed's origins in Spain.
The American Water Spaniel is a breed of spaniel which originated in the United States. It was developed in the state of Wisconsin during the 19th century from a number of other breeds, including the Irish and English Water Spaniels. The breed was saved by Dr. Fred J. Pfeifer, who set up the breed club and standard, and whose work led to recognition for the breed by the United Kennel Club, and later, the American Kennel Club. While they are the state dog of Wisconsin, they remain a rare breed.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) is a British breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim, tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coat is smooth and silky. The lifespan is usually between eight and twelve years.
Cocker Spaniels are dogs belonging to two breeds of the spaniel dog type: the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel, both of which are commonly called simply Cocker Spaniel in their countries of origin. In the early 20th century, Cocker Spaniels also included small hunting spaniels.
The Saarlooswolfdog is a wolfdog breed originating from the Netherlands by the crossing of a German Shepherd with a Siberian grey wolf in 1935. The offspring were then further crossed with German Shepherds.
The Pekingese is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Beijing (Peking) where the Forbidden City is located. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance. Because of its desirable characteristics, the Pekingese has been part of the development of designer crossbreeds, such as the Peekapoo and Peke-a-tese.
The Goldendoodle is a designer dog created by crossbreeding a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. First widely bred in the 1990s, they are bred in three different sizes—each corresponding to the size of Poodle used as a parent.
A labradoodle is a crossbreed dog created by crossing a Labrador Retriever and a Standard or Miniature Poodle. Labradoodles were intended to be a good choice for people with canine dander allergies.
A mongrel, mutt, or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed, including those that result from intentional breeding. Although the term mixed-breed dog is sometimes preferred, many mongrels have no known purebred ancestors.
Dog crossbreeds, sometimes called designer dogs, are dogs which have been intentionally bred from two or more recognized dog breeds. They are not dogs with no purebred ancestors, but are not otherwise recognised as breeds in their own right, and do not necessarily breed true.
Purebreds are "cultivated varieties" of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be "pedigreed". Purebreds breed true-to-type which means the progeny of like-to-like purebred parents will carry the same phenotype, or observable characteristics of the parents. A group of purebreds is called a pure-breeding line or strain.
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding, sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism. While crossbreeding is used to maintain health and viability of organisms, irresponsible crossbreeding can also produce organisms of inferior quality or dilute a purebred gene pool to the point of extinction of a given breed of organism.
The Field Spaniel is a medium-sized dog breed of spaniel type. They were originally developed to be all-black show dogs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were unpopular for work as a hunting dog. However, during the mid-20th century they were redeveloped as a longer-legged dog that was more suitable to be used for field work. They are now considered to be a rare breed, and are registered as a Vulnerable Native Breed by The Kennel Club.
A Schnauzer is a dog breed type that originated in Germany from the 14th to 16th centuries. The term comes from the German word for "snout" and means colloquially "moustache", or "whiskered snout", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout. Initially it was called Wire-Haired Pinscher, while Schnauzer was adopted in 1879.
The Irish Water Spaniel is a breed of dog that is the tallest of the spaniels.
Merle is a genetic pattern in a dog's coat and alleles of the PMEL gene. It results in different colors and patterns and can affect any coats. The allele creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and can affect skin pigment as well. Two types of colored patches generally appear in a merle coat: brown/liver and black. Associated breeds include Carea Leonés, Australian Shepherds and Catahoula Leopard Dogs. Health issues are more typical and more severe when two merle-patterned dogs are bred together.
Purebred breeders are dog breeders that intentionally breed purebred dogs specifically to continue the lineage of certain breed characteristics in dogs by mating selected canines.
The Australian Cobberdog is a purebred dog breed developed in Australia by the Rutland Manor and Tegan Park Labradoodle Breeding & Research Centres. The breed was created as a continuation of Wally Conron's efforts to create a definable and carefully researched labradoodle. This effort was also in response to the increase in demand for labradoodles which had led to breeders referring to any combination of Labrador Retrievers and Poodles as labradoodles without temperament or hypoallergenic criteria. The inconsistency of standards for labradoodles led to the distinction of Australian Labradoodle and the further distinction of Cobberdog attributed to a purebred dog breed with more strict standards for breeding, temperament, and appearance.
