How to groom a Cockapoo, a wonderful Family Pet

Just before Christmas my son-in-law walked in with a tiny little creature. I looked at her with trepidation, having just watched the movie "MOLLY AND ME". I knew my daughter wanted a child in the not too distant future and having been surprised by twins and a colicky first born i knew how much work just having a new infant in your home is not to mention a puppy. It did not take me long to fall in love with this puppy. My first day with her she missed her mother and was so fearful she followed me everywhere and I finally made a sling to carry her in so I could get some things done. June soon became another love in my life and continues to entertain us and bring us joy daily!!

Getting a puppy is more than just picking out the cutest in the litter. Puppies do not make their own dinner, take themselves to dinner or shower on their own. When you take on this responsibility you need to really do your research and decide if you can rise to the occasion. Dogs are wonderful companions buy they need to be well cared for with daily walks with a leash. Playtime indoors and outdoors if it is pretty and regular grooming. They need to be taken out of their crate and given both mental and physical stimulation and as I will explain later you must let your puppy know who is the boss or you will end up with a fearful, barking, unfriendly puppy. the right care and training will bring you years of joy and companionship.

Breeding

Cockapoos are a mix between an American Cocker Spaniel or English Cocker Spaniel with a Poodle. They are also called cockapoodle, cockapoo or cock-a-poo. They are a very healthy breed usually living between 15 to 18 years.They were first bread in the US in the 1950's, one of the first crossbreeds of dogs. Some are known for problems with there patella (knee cap) and should therefore be checked for problems.

They are known for their easy going personality and lack of allergen causing dander. People love cockapoos because of their friendly personality . They get along well with children and adults alike and generally don't bark often although they will let their owner's know of the presence strangers. They are very smart from their poodle heritage and are easily trainable. It is important not to be too sturn when disciplining as they do have a very sensitive side to them.

Personality

A cockapoo will be your friend forever. They are great lap dogs and if you let them sleep with you, you may never get your bed back. My daughter's cockapoo, June follows us everywhere. She seems to favor women maybe because of her sex. and everyone falls in love with her within their first five minutes of meeting.

Cockapoos need exercise but will do fine with a small yard. They should be given daily exercise for at least 15 minutes . You should not leave your dog alone for long periods of time. They are very social and love to run and do tricks for you.

Cockapoos range from10 to15 in. long and 12 to 24 lbs. They can be found in a large range of colors from black to white , tan, brown, silver, sable, cream and even beige and buff.

They get there loving, easy going personality from their cocker spaniel heritage and their low dander, and intelligence from the poodle but without the tremendous grooming needs of the poodle.

It is important to groom your cockapoo daily because of there long curly hair. Start with a brush and try not to snag or pull. Next you can use a comb to get our all snarls. It is recommended to use a good professional shampoo and conditioner.

Sizes

The teacup toy under lbs.

Toy is less than 10 lb.s

Mini 10 to 20 lbs and 10" to 14"

Standard 20 to 30lbs and 14" to 17"

Giant 30lbs and over and over 17"

Small dog syndrome is caused when humans allow their pet to rule the roust. The dog needs to know who is in charge. Cocker Spaniels are so sweet it is easy to let them lead and get away things you would not even let your children get away with. They can learn that they are in charge and become very difficult to train. Often you will see such activities as obsessive barking, overly aggressive, urinating in house. The puppy needs to know they are in charge and give the dog daily mental and physical exercise. If the dog is allowed to get away with annoying behavior the personality will turn out very different from what I stated above, the loyal, playful, happy dog.

The mental and physical stimulation gives your puppy a chance to release energy and any over-stimulation. Other negative behaviors you might see from ignoring your dog and not providing this stimulation is guarding objects, fear or dominance, hyperactivity ,roaming and over aggressiveness. When a dog knows its place with humans it will be good with children, loyal, tail waving and just fun to be around.

Cockerspaniels have been known to be trained as good hunting dogs. They can learn to track and retrieve, be a very good watch dog and learn competitive obedience.

Grooming of cockapoo's can be difficult as there is no standard set. Town and Country has come out with some popular grooming methods.

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY CHIC LOOK

The puppy is cut evenly all over except for around the muzzle and eyes. They are shaped to enhance the look of the dog. A small patch of hair is left on top of the dog called a Pom. The remainder of the body is even and scizzor cut toward the legs and tail to leave a very finished look

When groomed correctly people stop in delight to look at these popular dogs.

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY BEST IN THE SHOW LOOK

This is the most popular look but also needs the most care. The dog is clipped evenly from head to legs leaving a very full round finish at the legs. The ears are clipped with scizzors round and blended to the head. The dogs neck and chest are clipped into a V shape. The eyes and muzzle are cut to enhance the shape of the face.

THE TOWN AND COUNTRY SPORT LOOK

With this style , the designers favorite, because of ease of care, the body and legs are cut short showing the beautiful waves of the dog. The front legs are clipped n a more round shape and the back legs are done similarly but more like the rest of the body . The tummy is shaved low. Ears are either taken down or left full and scissored round. Again a pom is left on the head and the eyes and muzzle are clipped to ehance the facial shape

Basic care

The ears are very important and should be wiped out often being careful not to get any water in them. The eye also should be cleaned or rather wiped with a special eye and ear cleaner specific for this. If a great deal of wax is found or a foul odor develops the puppy may have an ear infection and may need to be soon.

Grooming with a comb and brush should be done several times a month . Be sure to get all te deep mats our of her hair. You are also looking for anykind of ticks or problems that your puppy may have develped.

Start with a grade of 100

1. For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points.
2. For every non-specific animal source (meat, poultry, meal, or fat) reference, subtract 10 points.
3. If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points.
4. For every grain mill run or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points.
5. If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. ground brown rice, brewers rice, rice flour are all the same grain), subtract 5 points.
6. If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points.
7. If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points.
8. If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points.
9. If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points.
10. If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points.
11. If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources) subtract 2 points.
12. If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points.
13. If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points.
14. If it contains beef (unless you know that you dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point.
15. If it contains salt, subtract 1 point.

Extra Credit:

1. If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points.
2. If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points.
3. If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points.
4. If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points.
5. If the food contains fruit, add 3 points.
6. If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points.
7. If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points.
8. If the food contains barley, add 2 points.
9. If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points.
10. If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point.
11. If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point.
12. For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count chicken and chicken meal as only one protein source), add 1 point.
13. If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point.
14. If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point.

Score:
94-100+ =A
86-93 =B
78-85 =C
70-77 =D
0-69 =F

Links to View:

http://www.americancockapooclub.com/breeders.asp

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/searchcategories.htm

http://www.about-cocker-spaniels.com/healthy-dog-food.html

dogtime.com/dog-breeds/cockapoo

www.aboutcockerspaniel.com

wikipedia

dogbreedinfocenter

Town and County