Affectionate, friendly and happy, cockapoos are one of the most adorable designer dogs (Cocker Spaniel + Poodle) to meet at the clinic of a holistic veterinary doctor. They even sometimes assist other animals when you take them to a veterinary hospital.

But besides being scruffy-coated and bright-eyed, as we know, cockapoos are as interesting as other dog breeds.  It is why we’ve come up with this list of the most shocking facts you’ve probably not heard about these cute dogs.

Cockapoos Shocking Facts

The Cockapoo is a designer dog that was introduced in the 1960s. It’s easy to train, forgiving and affectionate, and he won’t make you feel alone, ever! To discuss these points further, let’s highlight the surprising facts about him.

They’re Hypoallergenic

Cockapoos won’t harm even the most sensitive people, both adults and children, because they’re hypoallergenic.

But there is an exemption to every rule. Different things can cause allergic reactions for some people, so having a non- or low-moulting dog isn’t a foolproof guarantee that he won’t cause you allergies. For one, some folks are allergic to the fur while others to the saliva.

To figure out yours, you might want to spend some time with one before taking him or her home.

They’re Clever

The Cockapoodles, one of their other names, are an intelligent breed. You can easily train them with positive reinforcement.

Cleverness does not mean just high mental capacity but also superb emotional intelligence. Did you know that Cockapoos can be used as therapy dogs?

They’re trained to provide comfort and affection to patients in hospitals and people in nursing homes, disaster areas, retirement homes and other institutions.

The designer dog is also friendly and sociable to other animals, such as cats and dogs noticeable when taking them to a vet clinic. So do not need to think of what collar to keep your dog in all the time.

They accept everyone – children, adults and other pets.  They have a positive view at life and it shows. They can make every day feel as if a celebration.  Simply put, they have that zest in life – no matter what it brings them.

Coloring

Cockapoos come also in many colors – they are one of the seldon dogs which come in variety of colors – red, golden, brown, black or a mix of these shades. So you can choose the color you prefer!

Variety of Sizes

They are of an easy size, being big enough to walk around with bigger dogs or small enough for you to cuddle. These designer dogs weigh at most 30 pounds.

However, they also come in a wide range of sizes based on the genes that their parents passed on to them.  Choose one based on your preference in size. If giving to a kid, then you might want to opt for a small one.

Always Full of Energy

While they have a moderate activity level, they are full of energy. In fact, they can adapt to your kind of lifestyle. They also need playtime and walk every day. These dogs are also athletic enough to join fly ball, rally and other dog sports and activities.

Hope you learned something from these shocking facts about cockapoos you probably might not knew about before.   Which among these cockapoo facts do you like best? Do you happen to own one and like to share a bit of his story? Tell us in the comment section.

Very Friendly With Children and Other Animals

Cockapoos will always try to cheer you up even in your darkest hours because these happy dogs are affectionate and won’t leave you behind. You might even want to close the bathroom door sometimes.

These dogs also love meeting new people and pets and love being petted and cared for.

They won’t also chase cats because they’re friends with other animals and pets.

As said earlier, they’re also used as therapy dogs, which can supply companionship and comfort to the people in depressed areas or medical institutions. Also, the deaf use them as hearing dogs, but it requires much training.

Overall, the cockapoo is like cocker spaniels, which are friendly and inquisitive. But you should train him well to stop jumping at every person to who you introduced him.

They Don’t Smell

Interestingly, cockapoos do not smell. They don’t leave that dog odor in and around your home or even on your furniture. To keep it this way, make sure that you groom your pet – have his coat trimmed and his tail left plumy and long, for instance.

Also, they need proper and regular brushing and baths in between appointments with a professional groomer.

As a continuation of our articles about health issues that can affect your cockapoo, we decided to look into the large and complex subject of canine heart disease a bit deeper. We have had questions from some of our followers about heart disease in their dog and what they should know to catch any heart problems in their cockapoos early. As usual, it is important to note that we are not veterinarians, and any concerns you have should be brought to a qualified canine health expert.

That said, we have done our best to provide the basics of what every cockapoo owner should know here. We did some research on what heart problems can affect your dog and what signs to look for in case your cockapoo experiences any issues that could be related to their heart. We will also try to give some tips for prevention, although some heart health issues can be genetic.

What is generally called heart disease can actually engulf a few different things. One cannot tell a pet owner that their dog has heart disease without explaining what the type of issue it is, and what the cause and treatment may be.

Heart Murmurs: The first heart issue to explore is not a disease of the heart necessarily, but can sometimes occur with heart disease. This is Canine Heart Murmurs. A heart murmur can range in severity from barely audible through a stethoscope to extremely loud and easy to hear with little pressure, or even able to be felt through the vibration of the chest. Murmurs are caused by an interruption of the blood flow through the artery and can be from many causes. They sometimes can occur with heart failure, and in that case would be accompanied by symptoms like exercise intolerance, coughing, or lethargy. Just as with humans, a dog can be born with a heart murmur, but with careful monitoring and care, it may not have a huge impact on their life. In other cases, a heart murmur may be the result of a heart issue effecting the valves of the heart, as we will explore below.

Valvular Heart Disease: Canine Valvular Heart Disease can affect poodles as well as other small breeds, so there is a chance that cockapoos could get this disease in later life. Valvular heart disease is commonly know as mitral valve disease or atrioventricular valvular insufficiency. This form of heart disease usually happens in senior dogs, although it is possible at any age. VHD affects about 75% of dogs over 16 in North America, and is the most common heart disease in North America at this time. It seems to affect fewer dogs in the United Kingdom, but is still a concern. It is more common in male dogs, and will cause a leak in the heart valves, which is likely to cause a heart murmur, not previously diagnosed.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy: The next most common heart disease is Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This affects the heart muscle, and basically weakens its ability to pump blood effectively, which can lead to heart failure in a dog. In many cases, the heart will become enlarged and this makes it even harder for it to get the blood all the way through the body. While dilated cardiomyapathy is more likely to affect large breed dogs, it has been seen to be somewhat common in cocker spaniels, which puts the cockapoo at risk for developing this disease.

Other problems that can affect your cockapoo’s heart are congenital heart failure and heart-worm. As most pet owners know, heart-worm is easily prevented by monthly heart-worm pills or as part of the flea and tick prevention that you use. This is received from your dogs vet and they will also give a heart-worm test yearly. Heart-worm is deadly if left untreated, but can be treated and eventually removed. We will have a more in depth article about heart-worm in the near future, as well as further exploration of each of these issues independently.

Canine congenital heart failure, on the other hand, is usually the result of a dog’s long fight with heart disease, when the heart is no longer able to sufficiently support the body any longer. This would most likely occur only after every other option and treatment had been exhausted.

Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention: In many cases of heart disease, without proper treatment, it could eventually lead to heart failure. This does not mean that any heart problem is an immediate death sentence for your cockapoo! With early diagnosis, there are diets that have been tried, and a variety of medicines that your veterinarian can prescribe to help treat the symptoms and increase your dog’s longevity, even after a diagnoses of heart disease. As always, you will want to have regular check ups with your pup’s vet, and feed them a healthy diet. Some people suggest supplements to increase heart health, but we here at Cockapoo Crazy have not had experience with this situation, so we can’t make any specific suggestions. Consult your veterinarian before making any significant changes.

Signs and symptoms that you need to look for are weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, coughing, difficulty breathing, changes in weight, restlessness, swollen abdomen, depression, and any changes in behavior that you find significant. Remember that some dogs will adjust to the changes in their body without readily apparent symptoms, which could make it harder to detect. Coughing is one of the biggest signs for most people, so in the case of your dog having a cough for more than three days, you will want to get him checked out right away, especially if he is an older dog!

The best things that you can do to ensure your cockapoo remains healthy are simple: feed him a healthy diet of high quality ingredients (avoiding fillers like corn, and other less healthy ingredients), keep him as close to his ideal weight as possible, make sure you give him regular exercise, and always keep up with your scheduled veterinarian appointments. Bring up and concerns that you have regarding symptoms you may be worried about every time you go in, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. These actions should go a long way toward prevention of heart disease in your cockapoo.