I've known a couple of people now who have bred their dogs to achieve a cockapoo - a mix of cocker spaniel and poodle.
I love cocker spaniels but am not keen on poodles and I don't understand why someone would want a cockapoo over a cocker spaniel. There again I'm not a fan of 'cutesy' dogs.
Cockapoo fans feel free to stand up for your 'breed'!

Does the cocker doodle the poodle or the other way round?

if people are going to pay stupid amounts of money for what is in effect a mongrel...people will breed all types of crap as evidenced. I'm not saying pedigrees are any better, just pointing out people are stupid

If they cross a shih-tzu with a poodle, is it a shitpoo or a pooshit?

We have a Cocker Spaniel who poos a lot. is that the same?

my friend has a gorgeous cockapoo and I sometimes have him here if they have to go on a long journey. He is as good as gold.

We've always just had mongrels and they've all been wonderful, family dogs.

I know someone who has a Jackuahua (what a stupid name!).

It looks bloody awful. Long curly tail, long body, short legs and a chihuahua head. Like some sort of freak dog.

Cross breeds are great - I have one, although a red fell terrier and border terrier are close cousins anyway - as are mongrels. But why pay extra for what would have been a mistake in the past? My sister has just got a Yorkshire Terrier Poodle cross and it is most certainly NOT a yorkypoo no matter what she says. It is a cute puppy though.

I only have a crossbreed because she was in the first litter of staffy-like pups that came into the Dogs Trust after we had got on the Puppy Waiting List!

She is a 'jaffy' (I know - I think these people who breed these dogs are prats, too). JRT/staffy cross. That is one shedload of terrier. Not for the faint hearted.

Our's came from a large litter. The litter was half black ones with white spots (presumably mum's colouring, as mum was the staffy) and the other half, white and tan ones. Oddly, the ones with staffy colouring looked like Jack Russells and the ones with Jack Russell colouring (mine) looked like staffies...

Now she is fully grown and the vet says she just gets onto the lower end of the 'small female staffy' growth chart. She looks like a purebred staffy but is smaller. She gets loads of attention when we walk her - constantly being called gorgeous/cute/pretty etc - she has a classic little white staffy face with a tan eye patch. But some days you can see the JRT in her.

We love her as we have only ever had bull terriers and staffies and that is all we know and she is pretty well like every staff we have had, character-wise. But annoyingly noisy like a JRT.

I think anyone breeding these is a backstreet breeder and should be closed down. I'd only have one from rescue - and there were other cross pups going into the rescue in the weeks after we got our's.

ETA: Idiots breed things like Labradoodles because they think they wil get the advantages of a labrador with the non shedding hair of the poodle. And they are idiots because, of course, genetically, you could get a giant poodle thing that shed like crazy - like a labrador. You can't control which genes are dominant and which recessive.

I've never had a pedigree dog in my life. Always had mixed breeds. My current dog is a bull breed mix. Fantastic dog.

I don't recognise these silly names for cross breeds either. They are just cross breeds. Known as mongrels when I was younger.

I like a cockapoo.

That doesn't work does it?

All these 'designer' x breeds are Emperors new clothes as far as I'm concerned. Bred for people with more money than sense. You can't even be certain which traits will be the dominant ones.

I have a 4 month old Labradoodle called Coco. She was worth every penny. Couldn't give a shite about her genetic makeup - she's perfect and everything I want in a dog. She makes me happy

Labradoodles were bred in Australia to be guide dogs for those with pet allergies - not all cross breeds are a vanity project!

The guy who started the Poodle x Labrador craze (and by definition the "designer" dog craze) regrets it:

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/la...gner-dog-craze

We previously always had crosses and loved them dearly this time we have got two pedigrees because they were cheaper than crosses ! What worries me is are the crosses being created from proper medically tested parents ? Too many seem to be having problems inherited from both sets of parents.

Well I don't - my little puppy's perfect!

I think you got that spot on. The rush to cash in bring some very unscrupulous people to the game. It is amazing that cross breeds cost more than pure breeds. It is supply and demand but it won't last.

You use that word to them and they do not like it at all

I have a friend who has one and am sure she paid over £700 for it. It really is madness they also seem to bark alot.

How daft! We used to call them "mongrels" or "bitsers". The type of dog no one wanted.

A 'mongrel' is a dog with more than 2 breeds in its ancestry. A crossbreed is a cross of two breeds. The words simply mean different things. 'Mongrel' has also that ore loaded connotation of becoming an insult word.

I had never had a crossbreed or mongrel in my life - but always wanted one. Our little crossbreed is a fantastic dog but as I say, not for the fainthearted and I can't help thinking only an idiot would breed a staffy with a JRT - they are both, er, characterful breeds. My last dog was Crufts qualified and had a pup that won Westminster (the US equivalent of Crufts). This dog cost £80 from Dogs Trust and, we're told, was probably bred in a traveller's camp. Both brilliant dogs but I'd never have a non rescue dog again, now. Couldn't live with myself, much as I have loved my dogs from breeders.

It's really a shame that people are so snobby about breeds. A lot of the crossbreeds have worked well, and Cockapoos are lovely dogs.

If someone is willing to pay for a dog then there is a better chance that dog will be loved and well cared for.

That is just not true. Lots of people spend ridiculous amounts on pedigree or cross breeds but regard it just as another possession, how do you think so many end up in rescue? Money does not equal love.

One problem with designer crosses is that they can't be sure what traits will be dominant so some aren't always what the customer or breeder expects. Also when people then try to cross their cross with another cross of the same mix the result is even less predictable.
Nothing wrong with good old cross breeds what is wrong is giving them stupid names and charging ridiculous prices.

A Lhasa Apso and a Cocker Spaniel pup here. I hope they don't breed, I couldn't think of a cute name.

I have a cockapoo, and my choice was nothing to do with snobbery, designer dog or anything other than the reputation of the breed. Mine is typical, she lives up to the reputation.

I wanted to raise a dog from a puppy, you can get a rogue dog from any breed but the cockapoo is known for being friendly with people, children and other dogs, and mine certainly is, they are very easy to train because it is in their nature to want to please and are highly intelligent. The main reason for me was that they don't shed their hair, I would have been permanently sneezing with a dog that sheds their coat. The downside is that you have to comb them every day to get the loose hair out, or it gets matted.

I have always had a dog, and this little girl has been the easiest to live with. She lives to play, runs like the wind and is just adorable, so affectionate and gentle natured.

I would always advise caution when you have kids, but the cockapoo is in their element, with a bunch of children to play with.

I would never have thought of a poodle, but they are big kids at heart, and the spaniel has the intelligence, it is a good mix.

Cockapoos are increasingly being used as assistance dogs, because of their natures. I don't need to defend them, most people who know one understands why they are so popular

It is personal choice, I would never be rude and call people stupid, or idiots because of their choice, that's plain nasty.

I would just be really embarrassed to tell people I had a "cockapoo".
Who on earth thought that would be a good name?