Getting a Puppy

What is your health and mobility like now? How old will you be in 15 years?

Are you going to be fit enough to spend a couple of hours every day walking a dog, in snow, in rain. For the next 15 years.

We've had rescue dogs all our lives. The current one is 11, a staffy cross. We've had him two years and we chose an older dog because we are older people. He is in such perfect health, energetic and so superbly fit I expect him to last to at least 15. By then we'll be 84.

The purpose of dog training classes, is to train owners. Then you have to spend weeks, months, years, patiently and consistently teaching and reinforcing your new skills to your dog. It's a big commitment, but worth it to have the kind of dog whose company you can truly enjoy.

If you want an easy adorable starter dog, I recommend a rescue retired greyhound. They are so gentle, loving and lazy. The only reason we dont have one now is that we're too old to lift 37 kg. In his old age the previous gentleman needed a lot of lifting into the car.

We have never bought a dog, and we don't spend money on fancy anything for them (good quality food though)- but this is the one thng we are always prepared to spend money on. When the time has come, our vet always comes to the house, and they all leave with one of us holding them, on their own bed, in their favourite place. Always.

Be very aware of vets fees. I know someone who has just paid nearly £1000 on vet's fees. Pets are not cheap these days.

My DS has a cockerpoo. She was a lockdown pup but despite that she is well loved and frequently walked and very well trained. She's a real member of the family.

On the other hand, another DS got a daschund puppy about the same time. He can't be left as he howls, he sleeps on beds and chews things. However they adore him. I think they tried to train him but he's a stubborn wee thing.

Thanks Claremont. We were lucky with our previous dogs. Our cross breeds reached 15-17. Our big labradoodle 12 but that lovely little dog deteriorated over 19 days . Our vet knew him from a puppy and came here to ease his leaving of this world. Vets are amazing

Oh just read your post Iam64, I am very sorry. It hurts so much. We are so so lucky we have never had health issues with ours until 15-16 years, and even then the pain is so much when the time comes. hugs

grannymo123

Please consider your age before getting a puppy and have a plan in place for if you become unwell etc. it might be worth looking into a “doodle rescue” site which may have those whose owners may have had to give them up.

Yes, at any age, but even more so if over 70. And every single dog owner should have a firm plan in place for short term, mid term and adoption in case of health issues.

We have had to step in from one day to the next for a friend who has had to go into emergency care (although she has been ill for a couple of years). I just cannot imagine what wuld have happened had we not be able or willing to take her dog in at a couple of hours notice.

We have never had a puppy- as we have always adopted adult dogs in need. We found our first dog injured on our front lawn. He was young, approx 2-3 years old and we had him for almost 17 years.

We are 74 and 79 and although we have a lot of experience with dogs, would not have the patience with training a puppy, the mess and possible destruction of furniture, etc.

Or Doodle Trust, another good charity that works with any poodle cross needing rehome

Please consider your age before getting a puppy and have a plan in place for if you become unwell etc. it might be worth looking into a “doodle rescue” site which may have those whose owners may have had to give them up.

Make sure you pick a confident puppy from the litter. Don't make the mistake we did and chose one that was trembling when we picked her up. We thought she was just cold as it was winter. Puppy should be wriggling and tail wagging which shows its very confident and well socialised with people. Ours was obviously kept and bred in an outside shed and had limited contact with people. Choose one that's bred indoors

sazzle, I appreciate your post. I volunteer for a doodle rescue charity. Resource guarding is a common reason given for relinquishing cockerpoos. Reactivity and difficulty in settling another.
I loved my cockerpoo but wouldn’t buy/rescue another. I learned so much from him about the need for consistent training. He was very clever, could take himself round an agility course after being shown it once.
Sadly, my boy was found to have an inoperable tumour pressing on major organs. He was pts at home, in my arms aged 6.

A friend of mine has, over the years, volunteered at a dog rescue and both of the dogs they’ve had since sadly losing their Labrador at quite a young age are dogs that she’s fallen in love with at the rescue. One was a Staffie cross and the current one is a tripod Retreiver.

Patsy70 - thank you but we aren’t ready yet - still doing our research. Thanks everyone for all your comments and advice. We have indeed thought about a rescue but Cockerpoos:Labradoodles etc don’t come up often. We are mindful that a puppy will be hard work and are prepared to take to training etc. I have to say the cockerpoo we borrow and walk is the easiest, sweetest girl - I know all dogs are different. Anyhow the research continues I will let you know when we make a decision😊

Cockapoo

We had a cockapoo and it was the worst dog we ever had. She developed serious guarding behaviour in the home. Was fine outside, friendly to everyone and other dogs on walks. At home she attached to my OH and he was the only one who could pick her up, go to her bed etc. She would try to chase me out of the room or garden if he was there, barking growling and snarling and would attempt to bite. Behaviourist advised rehousing, said guarding is common in this breed. We rehomed to a single lady through a rescue and dog has bonded well and is happy there. Broke my heart but I couldn't even walk in the room without her trying to attack me. So think twice about this breed OP, plus no dog is totally hypoallergenic sometimes it's the dander (skin cells) that all dogs shed.

I had a cavapoo which is smaller than a cockapoo, Cavalier KingCharles mix. I bought her when she was two months old when I retired and I am on my own. Sadly I had to rehome Lulu as I was too breathless to take her on walks. I was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease a year ago and put on permanent oxygen. She was is a very affectionate dog and had good recall. She is now 8 and with a dog foster carer who has adopted her so she has a “pack” and goes for three walks a day. I do miss her though 😔

Nanaplenty you don’t say how old or how fit you are , but I would be careful in choosing a puppy they are a lot of work and time and you hsve to be prepared for toilet training , ripping things up and chaos . The good side is the joy they bring and bring your house alive .

Have you thought of rescue a bit older ?

A friend’s Cockerpoo has had a second, and last, litter of seven male pups. Three are still in need of homes, as the potential adopters wanted females. The mother and one of her pups from the first litter, who I meet regularly, are absolutely adorable, well behaved and have such a sweet temperament. According to my friend, all the dogs from the first litter have a similar nature. Do pm me if you are interested NanaPlenty.

I’m always shocked when people say they’ve paid £800+ for a Cockerpoo. They’re mongrels and high energy at that. Rescues are overflowing with dogs, and lots are being killed every day in the dog pounds because there is nowhere for them to go. Buying from breeders just perpetuates this. Breeders say they care but why don’t they do house checks and get vets references then? Most do not seem to do this which is very strange. Cockerpoos can be found in rescues so it’s worth enquiring about it.
I advise everyone who have pets to get them insured on a whole of life policy. Vets bills are shocking. On Sunday morning my son’s cat came home with a big scratch on his nose. He went to the emergency vet, £350 just to do that. They sedated the cat, cleaned the wound and gave him antibiotics. The bill is £925!! Heaven knows how much that would be for a dog!

The cockerpoo isn't a breed recognised by the Kennel Club so you'll have to choose your source very carefully.
Sorry, I had no idea up thread when I instinctively mentioned looking on the Kennel Club website. Interesting.

My adult daughter has a cockerpoo and she's a beautiful family dog - affectionate, obedient, and trustworthy with my new grandchild BUT very energetic - so before making the final decision to go for a cockerpoo, do make sure you are able to give puppy the amount of exercise it will require. Also make allowances for regular visits to a professional groomer - daughter takes her cockerpoo every six weeks.

The cockerpoo isn't a breed recognised by the Kennel Club so you'll have to choose your source very carefully. I've attended dog training classes with cockerpoo's ( not my dog, others in the same class) and I can confirm that a good training class will be very useful indeed. If you look at dog rescue websites you will sometimes find cockerpoo's up for rehoming; daughter found the breeder locally to where she lives and met both the breeder and her dog's parents (one parent is a working cocker spaniel, hence the ENERGY, and the other parent a show minature poodle, hence the curly poodle coat which needs the regular trims).

Firstly, please consider a rescue - whichever breed you end up going for will have a breed rescue. If you are set on a puppy, ensure you are going for a reputable breeder - there are too many dodgy set ups out there. Be very careful with Cockerpoos - my parents in law had German Shepherds for many years but decided to get a Cockerpoo later on in life, thinking it would be better for our daughter who is asthmatic. Despite their many years of dog owning experience, she drove them completely insane. She, like many Cockerpoos, was a resource guarder and she could turn quite nasty with it. Don't be swayed by how gorgeous looking Cockerpoos are (and I totally agree they are!). Make sure their characteristics fit in with your lifestyle and you have the patience and strength to deal with their loopiness, plus be prepared to ask for expert support if necessary. We chose not to go down the 'cross' route ourselves and now have our second poodle. They come in 3 sizes so lots of choice and there is even less chance of an allergic reaction to their coats. Good luck whatever you decide.

I have a cockapoo puppy and she's hard work. I'm an experienced owner and she's from a top breeder but I've never known a dog so full of bounce. She's smart, super cute and people stop to make a fuss of her but TBH I don't think that I can recommend.

Oh and our dog's are insured with Waggle. Never any problem paying up.

Cockapoos are very often Velcro dogs, mine is and we can't leave her alone for more than a couple of hours (and it took a couple of years to get her happy to be alone this long - we have a camera so we know if she's ok when we leave her) and she is very unhappy going anywhere to be clipped (we've learnt to do it at home) and if we go away she will only stay with one of my sons. She's a lovely dog, clever, friendly, tries to please all the time and was very easy to train. She's very expensive though, so budget for good pet insurance (ours is £60+ a month), routine vets bills for vaccinations and probably a professional groom every 6 weeks (can easily set you back £40) or learn to do it yourself. She's wonderful company and gives great joy to all the family, worth every penny. Make sure you do puppy training and socialization. When she's little, before her vaccinations, carry your pup around so he or she's familiar with scary things like buses, cows, escalaters etc etc and let her sleep where pup can see and hear you and you can comfort them as they'll be really scared leaving their mum and litter mates. Lucky you, I love puppies ♥️