View source for Cockapoo

{{short description|Crossbreed dog type}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2020}}
{{not to be confused|Cockatoo}}
{{Infobox dog breed
| name           = Cockapoo
| image          = Cockapoo apricot standing.jpg
| image_alt      = 
| image_caption  = A golden cockapoo.
| image2         = 
| image_alt2     = 
| image_caption2 = 
| altname        = Cockerpoo<br/>Spoodle ([[Australia|AU]]/[[NZ]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Spoodle |url=https://www.rspcapetinsurance.org.au/pet-care/dog-breeds/spoodle |website=RSPCA Insurance |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref>
| nickname       = 
| stock          = [[Cocker Spaniel]] and<br />[[Poodle]]
| country        = United States
<!-----Traits----->
| weight         = ≈ {{cvt|20|-|24|lb|kg}}
| height         = ≈ {{cvt|14|-|15|in|cm}}
| coat           = Long hair
| color          = All colors and combinations of colors
| litter_size    = 
| life_span      = 
<!-----Classification and standards----->
| notrecognized  = yes
<!-----Notes----->
| note           = 
}}

The '''cockapoo''', also known as a '''cockerpoo''' (both [[portmanteau]]s of ''cocker spaniel'' and ''poodle'') or a '''spoodle''', is a [[dog crossbreed]] bred from the [[Cocker Spaniel]] and the [[Poodle]], most commonly the [[Miniature Poodle]].{{r|Oxford|Fogle|Morris|Gagne}}

==History==
The cockapoo was first bred as a [[Dog_crossbreed#Designer_dogs|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]].{{r|Fogle|Morris}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Beuchat |first=Carol |date=2014-02-22 |title=The myth of hybrid vigor in dogs...is a myth |url=https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/the-myth-of-hybrid-vigor-in-dogsis-a-myth#:~:text=Many%20long%2Dtime%20dog%20breeders,dogs%20is%20not%20a%20myth. |website=The Institute of Canine Biology}}</ref> Cocker Spaniels and Poodles have been deliberately crossed in the United States since the 1960s.{{r|Fogle|Gagne}}

In 2022, cockapoos were one of the most expensive dog varieties in the United Kingdom, costing an average of {{Currency|1336.15|GBP}}.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Joyner|first=Lisa|date=March 28, 2022|title=25 of the UK's most expensive dog breeds in 2022|work=[[Country Living]]|url=https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/dog-breeds/a34912959/popular-dog-breeds-cost-thousands/|access-date=June 19, 2022|archive-date=June 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619183322/https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/dog-breeds/a34912959/popular-dog-breeds-cost-thousands/|url-status=live}}</ref> Between 2019 and 2020, the average price in the UK rose by 168 percent, a result of increased demand caused by a national [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Watson|first=Calum|date=September 18, 2020|title=Puppy prices soar during coronavirus lockdown|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54115646|access-date=July 12, 2021|archive-date=April 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403135007/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54115646|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Dimensions and appearance==
[[File:White Cockapoo at Home.webp|thumb|alt=Cockapoo indoors|White cockapoo with brown ears]]
As with most animal crossbreeds, there is a great deal of variability in the cockapoo's dimensions and appearance.{{r|Morris}} 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.{{r|Gagne}} Individual dogs that weigh less than {{convert|12|lb|kg}} are labelled toy cockapoos, dogs that weigh between {{convert|13|and|18|lb|kg}} miniature cockapoos and dogs weighing over {{convert|19|lb|kg}} standard cockapoos.{{r|Gagne}} Cockapoos can vary in temperament and in need for exercise.{{r|Palika}}

==Crossbreeding==
In order to promote the crossbreed in the United States, a dedicated club has been formed, the Cockapoo Club of America.{{r|Woolf}}

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. This can also be called a first-generation cockapoo. When two F1 cockapoos are bred together this creates an F2 cockapoo, and there are many other combinations breeding back towards the original poodle or cocker spaniel breed.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

== Temperament ==
[[File:Cockapoo puppy, 6 months.jpg|left|thumb|Cockapoo puppy, 6 months old]]
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{{By whom|date=July 2025}} 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. Due to their sociable nature, if left alone for too long cockapoos have been known to develop separation anxiety.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-04 |title=The 4 most popular Cockapoo questions answered |url=https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/dog-breeds/a43173308/cockapoo-dog/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Country Living |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Health ==
Crossbreeds like cockapoos are generally healthy, and are known to have fewer predisposed health conditions compared to some purebred dogs. However, they do experience common health concerns such as allergies, glaucoma, hip dysplasia, and progressive retinal issues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-04 |title=The 4 most popular Cockapoo questions answered |url=https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/dog-breeds/a43173308/cockapoo-dog/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Country Living |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of dog crossbreeds]]
* [[Goldendoodle]]
* [[Labradoodle]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=Fogle>{{cite book |last=Fogle |first=Bruce |author-link=Bruce Fogle|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofdo00fogl|date=2009 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Dog |location=New York |publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK Publishing]] |page=285 |isbn=978-0-7566-6004-8|oclc=1033562587}}</ref>

<ref name=Gagne>{{cite book |last=Gagne |first=Tammy |url=https://archive.org/details/designerdogs00gagn|date=2007 |title=Designer Dogs |location=Neptune City, New Jersey |publisher=[[TFH Publications]] |pages=11–12 |isbn=978-0-7938-3791-5 |oclc=1029026538}}</ref>

<ref name=Morris>{{cite book |last=Morris |first=Desmond |author-link=Desmond Morris |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781570762192|date=2002 |title=Dogs: The Ultimate Dictionary of Over 1,000 Dog Breeds|location=North Pomfret, Vermont|publisher=Trafalgar Square Publishing |page=559 |isbn=978-1-57076-219-2|oclc=1035898723}}</ref>

<ref name=Oxford>{{cite web |author=Oxford University Press |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/cockapoo |title=Cockapoo |date=2019 |website=Oxford Dictionary |publisher=Lexico.com |access-date=1 June 2020 |archive-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608013855/https://www.lexico.com/definition/cockapoo |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=Palika>{{Cite book|last=Palika|first=Liz|url=https://archive.org/details/howellbookofdogs0000pali|title=The Howell Book of Dogs|publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]]|year=2007|isbn=978-0-470-00921-5|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|pages=204–205|oclc=1244843735}}</ref>

<ref name=Woolf>{{cite book |last=Woolf |first=Norma Bennet|url=https://archive.org/details/hotdogsfourteeno0000benn|date=2007 |title=Hot Dogs!: Fourteen of the Top Designer Dogs|location=Hauppauge, New York |publisher=[[Barron's Educational Series]] |page=36|isbn=978-0-7641-3512-5 |oclc=1149427229}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{YouTube|id=Fe-sa9mHcxI|title=Cockapoo Puppies and Dogs: Temperament, Lifespan & more}}
* [https://cockapoos.co.uk/cockapoo-generations/ Cockapoo Generations Explained]
[[Category:Dog crossbreeds]]