Cockapoo
[ko-kuh-poo] noun
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Bestest friend ever or Satan in a teddy suit?
About Zenii & I
I'm a great believer in fate and I'm certain Zenii coming into my life was just that. A pandemic puppy in as much as she was born in May 2020 but, honestly, it was just the right time for me at add a puppy to my pack of 4 dogs.
She has made such a difference to my life, being so affectionate, clever, mischievous, dependable, snuggly, naughty, lovable, crazy and gives the bestest cuddles ever! She's sensitive to your mood and makes me laugh a lot.
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"NOTHING IS WRONG IF IT FEELS GOOD!"
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Absolutely, right. When I saw Zenii's photo staring back from the computer screen I felt an instant connection, phoned up and collected her the next day.....LIKE.......WHAT....... HAPPENED?
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Well I'm always shocked when I think back but I have no regrets at all. I'm an experienced dog owner and breeder of border collies - so I should know better, right?
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Had I turned up to collect her and felt she wasn't raised in a positive environment then I would have walked away. I knew what I was looking for, when we arrived her breeder was very open, we met mum and dad, with Zenii and another of her dogs. All had wonderful temperaments and were healthy and very friendly. Dad had a full set of clear health tests (we've since had Zenii fully DNA tested for poodle and cocker spaniel diseases/conditions and she is clear of everything).
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Well you will never be on your own again! Before we talk about the smushy stuff let's talk about the possible issues of owning a cockapoo (now referred to as a Poo). The following is not a given, some cockapoos do not suffer with either issues but a majority do. Zenii, yes, we have both but not to a level where its a problem.
So, separation anxiety...........
Described as not wanting to be alone for even a millisecond. In reality your Poo will follow you everywhere, they want to be involved in absolutely everything you get up to during the day. On the most part this is fine, but your Poo must get used to being alone for short periods from the off, then extend the length of time gradually. If you don't put the work in as a puppy, you could have a fluffy, wailing banshee challenging your neighbours' patience. If you have rescued an older Poo then you may need to seek help from a dog behaviourist to help your dog become accustomed to being alone. Who knows what your little chum has been through already?
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Resource guarding can become a challenging problem, especially if you have children. The item could be anything from a favourite toy to the cupboard where the dog food is kept. Being confrontational might seem like the right thing to do (being dominant and all that!) but this will only cause the problem to escalate. The last thing you want is for family members to be scared of your dog, so using distraction techniques are a far better option. Consider moving the food from the cupboard and putting it up high to where your Poo can't reach.
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Personally, the only time we have separation anxiety is when we are in someone else's home and I leave her there. I work every week day and Zenii has accepted this and knows I am coming back. The welcome I receive when I return would make you think I'd been gone for days, even if I just nipped to the car for 2 minutes, its the same.
As I said previously, I have 4 other dogs which does make my life easier in both respects because they are company for her and any guarding is directed at them. Resource guarding is usually about a favourite toy being claimed by another dog OR guarding the basket where the raw food defrosts. Being collies they are not interested in her threats and generally just ignore her. I absolutely do not recommend this but I know I can take anything off Zenii and she will do nothing but accept it - this is not always the case for cockapoos. It is about the relationship you have with your Poo and how you have dealt with unwanted behaviour in the past.
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life with a cockapoo
IF I HAVEN'T PUT YOU OFF ALREADY....
Those problems are just something to be aware of and I certainly wouldn't let it put you off, just be aware.
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Zenii has so much love to give and she gets away with far more than any of my other dogs, both now and in the past. I let her sleep in my bedroom and she sits with me on the sofa. If I'm honest, this is more about me needing comfort than the other way round and she makes me laugh so much. She's so cheeky but is not over the top and is always sorry when she knows she's been caught out.
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If you want to share your life with an intelligent, easy to train, happy to go anywhere, loves long walks or just a snuggle on the sofa then maybe a Poo is for you. As with anything, you get out what you put in and, being a clever type of dog means they can learn bad habits as well as good.
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Zenii is half working cocker spaniel,
which suits me as we do agility and
hoopers and I need the drive for her to
be competitive at dog sports. She also
likes to hunt and present me with any
successes (yuk) but any spaniel owner would say this is normal behaviour.
Her father is a KC registered miniature poodle so you have to consider, poodles being the second most intelligent dog behind a border collie, that your Poo is
going to be a clever little darling. This makes them awesome
at learning tricks and very easy to train.
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Grooming - it came as quite a shock to me just how much care and maintenance a Poo needs. My collies, despite their long fur, needed a quick brush once a week, a bit of trimming around the toes and all done. Enter the cockapoo, well..... your new friend cannot be clipped until they are 6 months old! So the fur just keeps on coming - and you are right - they don't tend to shed fur, so what happens to it all? It matts together, unless you keep on top of it with a slicker brush and metal toothed comb. This will need to be done at least every other day to avoid your puppy's coat matting and for the rest of their lives.
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Personally, I've always found grooming to be therapeutic so its not a chore for me. Zenii loves the attention and is happy for me to groom her, I also clip her myself and have invested in a decent set of dog clippers, scissors, brushes and combs. You don't have to do it yourself, if you don't, Poos will need to visit the groomer roughly every 6 weeks BUT you will still need to brush and comb them in between.
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It is also a good idea to get them used to the grooming
process so if you're planning on sending them to a
groomer, have a few bathing sessions with your groomer
before their actual clip, eyes can be cleared, ears cleaned
and nails clipped as well as getting them smelling sweet.
Being a poodle cross-breed also means your Poo is likely
suffer with ear hair inside the ear canal. Your groomer may
offer the service of removing it but this is not always part
of a regular groom session.
I would advise having it removed because the ear canal needs to breath, and it can't if its full of hair, and will just keep growing.
Being a spaniel cross means they need to have their ears regularly cleaned, another reason to have the hair removed. Cleaning ears doesn't mean you have to scrap ear wax out; putting ear cleaner in, massage it a bit then let your Poo shake their head. This should dislodge any dirt that can be easily wiped away with a tissue or wet wipe.
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WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW?
Life so far.......
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