Are You Ready to Become a Cockapoo Owner?

Have you been thinking about getting a cockapoo? It’s not hard to see the attraction of the furry mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle. Maybe you’ve been to a dog shelter recently or a friend or relative has recently got one or you watched a documentary on TV about them. Whatever the reason for wanting a cockapoo, it’s important you think about the decision carefully.

Cockapoos are wonderful pets and bringing one into your life will create a lot of joy and happiness and loyal companionship. This is all true. In addition to all this, though, there’s a whole lot of hard work, dedication and money required. So, before you make the final decision, make sure you’re really ready to be a cockapoo owner.

You’re Not Put Off By Hard Work

As rewarding and amazing as being a cockapoo owner is, as we noted above, it also takes a whole lot of work. You need to be fully committed to your dog. That means you need to put effort into training them, walking them and spending time with them. In a lot of ways, it really is like having children. While it’s true that the hard work is worth it in the end, you really need to think about whether your lifestyle is suited to having a dog, for both your benefits.

Have You Done Your Research?

How much do you know about cockapoos as a dog breed? Is your knowledge based on the pictures you have seen? You need to do proper research into cockapoos and learn as much as you can about them. What is their temperament like? Will a cockapoo get on with everyone else in your family, including any other pets you may have? There are various cockapoo breed guides out there, including one on this site that will help you understand if it really is the dog breed for you.

Are You Prepared to Deal With a Messy House?

We’re not suggesting that by getting a cockapoo, you need to say goodbye to that clean and pristine house you have. What we’re suggesting is that when you welcome a dog into your home, you need to be prepared to do a lot of cleaning up after them. Especially when you’re training him or her not to do toilets indoors, jump on the sofa or wreck something just because they can.

This is another way that owning a dog like a cockapoo can be likened to having children. Dogs, like children, are inherently messy. They’re animals, after all!

Do You Have a Garden?

Okay, so this is not exactly a dealbreaker, but it’s worth thinking about. Does your property have a big enough garden that any dog you take on will have space where they can run and play around? This is ideal for those days when you’re not ready to take your dog out for a walk but want him or her to get rid of that boundless energy that cockapoos are often known for. However, if you only have a small garden or none at all, but live near a park or another bit of green space, a dog may still be right for you.

How Much Free Time Do You Have?

This is probably one of the most important things you need to consider – whether you actually have the free time for a cockapoo or not. It’s all very well saying you’ll make the time, but if you have a busy and intense work or even social life, can you really give a dog the care and attention it needs?

Can You Really Afford It?

You must consider the financial implications of having a dog. Yes, we know that your emotions are fully engaged and that can often overrule everything, to a fault. It would be wrong, for instance, to follow your emotions and just imagine that you’ll somehow manage to always afford everything your new member of the family needs. Rather than thinking carefully and taking an honest look at your incomings and outgoings and seeing if you could really afford a dog. It may be that it’s not the right time, or that it is, but you need to make some compromises and cut down on other expenses somewhere.

You can’t always plan for what might happen to or with your dog, but it’s better to try.

Does Everyone Want a Dog?

If you’re in a relationship and live with your partner, husband, or wife, or have children, or have roommates, you need to factor them into the decision. How do the people who live with you feel about having a dog? If it’s just a roommate and they don’t mind, that’s not a huge problem. If you’re living as a couple or a family, then you’ll want help where you can get it from the others in the household. Are they willing to do that?

Perhaps you’re perfectly okay with taking on the care of the dog, but you also need to think about whether or not anyone in your house has allergies to dogs and dander. Although cockapoos are often sold as such, they’re not completely hypoallergenic (no dog is!),

Have You Really Thought About It?

The final sign that you’re ready to own a cockapoo, that ties the others up nicely, is that you have spent a lot of time thinking deeply about taking on the responsibility of a dog’s care. As we’ve highlighted throughout the post, getting a cockapoo, or any animal for that matter is not something you should rush into blindly. You need to make sure also that you’re not caught up in the fantasy of owning a dog, and that you understand the reality.

We really hope this post helps you to figure out whether or not you’re ready to own a cockapoo. It was not our intention to completely put you off getting a dog, just that you have considered everything, including the things you may not have thought of before. If you’re ready, we know for sure you’ll be richly rewarded.