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Cockapoo breeders

The Cockapoo is a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.

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New Cockapoo
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Cockapoo World Ltd

Cockapoo World Ltd is a limited company registered at Companies House (company number 17006298), incorporated on 2 February 2026. The
Nation: England
New Cockapoo
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Ailsaview Cockapoo’s Ltd

Ailsaview Cockapoo's Ltd is a limited company registered at Companies House (company number SC882007), incorporated on 11 March 2026. The
Nation: Scotland

About the Cockapoo

The Cockapoo is a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle. The Cockapoo Club of GB says breeders generally use a Miniature or Toy Poodle, and that Cockapoos have been around in the United States since roughly 1950. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) does not recognise it as a breed, so it has no breed standard and no place on the RKC Breed Register. You may also see it advertised as a Cockerpoo or Spoodle. The RKC points out that a crossbreed's traits can combine in many ways, so the best guide is the two parent breeds and the actual parents of a litter.

The parent breeds

The Cocker Spaniel belongs to the RKC Gundog group. It takes its name from the woodcock it was used to hunt, and was not recognised as a separate spaniel variety until 1893. Its standard describes a gentle, affectionate dog that is full of life, standing roughly 38–41 cm and weighing about 13–14.5 kg. The Miniature Poodle is in the Utility group. The RKC traces the Poodle to Germany, where it worked as a water retriever for duck hunters. The Miniature stands from 28 cm to just under 38 cm, and its standard calls for a cheerful, good-tempered dog.

The club notes that the Cocker parent may come from show or working lines, which differ in build and coat, and that a Toy Poodle parent gives a smaller Cockapoo.

Generations

A first cross between a pure-bred Cocker and Poodle is an F1. An F1 Cockapoo bred back to a Cocker or a Poodle gives an F1b, and two F1 Cockapoos produce an F2. The club warns that puppies from later generations can vary more, even within one litter.

Coat, grooming and exercise

The Cocker has a flat, silky coat that sheds, while the Poodle has a dense, curly coat that does not moult. A Cockapoo's coat may be straight, wavy or tightly curled, and a low-shedding coat cannot be guaranteed. The RKC suggests daily grooming for both parent breeds. Wavy and curly coats mat if neglected, so the club suggests a professional clip every three months or so and regular checks for hair growing inside the ears. The RKC lists up to an hour of exercise a day for both parents. Crossbreeds can join the RKC Activity Register to take part in agility, flyball, obedience and rally.

Cockapoo health tests

The RKC does not publish a health test list for the Cockapoo, because it is not a recognised breed. The sensible approach is to test each parent for the conditions the RKC recommends for its own breed. The BVA canine health schemes accept crossbred as well as pedigree dogs, and the eye scheme does not require RKC registration.

Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) appears on the lists for both the Cocker Spaniel and the Miniature Poodle. It is recessive, so a puppy is affected only if it inherits the faulty gene from both parents, which is why both parents should be DNA tested. AMS, FN and AON are listed for the Cocker, and OC for the Poodle. These still matter: in F1b, F2 and later generations both parents can have Cocker or Poodle ancestry, and so can carry the same variants. The Cockapoo Club of GB sets a minimum health testing standard before it will register a litter. Both parent breeds are in Breed Watch Category 1, with no breed-specific points of concern. Testing lowers the risk of inherited disease but cannot guarantee a healthy puppy.

RKC recommendations for the Cocker Spaniel:

  • Prioritising genetic diversity: Good Practice
  • DNA test for acral mutilation syndrome (AMS): Good Practice
  • DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA): Good Practice
  • DNA test for adult-onset neuropathy (AON): Best Practice
  • DNA test for familial nephropathy (FN): Best Practice
  • BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme, including gonioscopy for PLA: Best Practice
  • BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme: Best Practice

RKC recommendations for the Miniature Poodle (all Best Practice):

  • DNA test for osteochondrodysplasia (OC)
  • DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)
  • BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
  • BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme

Choosing a Cockapoo breeder

A good Cockapoo breeder will be open about the litter being a crossbreed and will tell you which generation it is and what that means for adult size and coat. They should show you the DNA results and eye certificates for both parents, and hip scores where the parents have been screened, with each certificate showing the dog's microchip number. If a parent is an RKC-registered Cocker or Poodle, you can check its results yourself on the RKC Health Test Results Finder. The RKC advises seeing the mother with her puppies and asking about the father and the health tests both parents have had. In England, Lucy's Law bans third-party puppy sales, so buy directly from the breeder. Anyone who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells puppies, or runs a breeding business, needs a council licence and must show its number in adverts. Puppies must be microchipped by eight weeks old. Read our buyer safety guide before paying a deposit.

  • Is this litter an F1, F1b or F2, and what adult size and coat do you expect?
  • Can I see both parents' prcd-PRA results and eye certificates?
  • Does the Cocker parent come from show or working lines?
  • Have the parents been hip scored, and what were their scores?
  • Will you take the dog back at any age if I cannot keep it?

Cockapoo questions

Is the Cockapoo a Royal Kennel Club breed?

No. The Cockapoo is a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, and the RKC does not recognise it as a breed, so it has no breed standard and cannot go on the RKC Breed Register. Crossbreeds can join the RKC Activity Register and take part in agility, flyball, obedience, rally and working trials, and can also enter Scruffts, the RKC's crossbreed competition.

Do Cockapoos shed, and are they suitable for allergy sufferers?

It depends on the coat each dog inherits. The Cocker Spaniel sheds and the Poodle's coat does not moult, so a Cockapoo may do either, or something in between. The Cockapoo Club of GB itself notes that no breed is completely allergy friendly. If allergies are a concern, spend time with adult dogs from the same lines before committing.

How big does a Cockapoo get?

There is no standard size. The RKC standards give the Cocker Spaniel roughly 38u201341 cm and 13u201314.5 kg and the Miniature Poodle 28 cm to just under 38 cm, while a Toy Poodle stands under 28 cm and gives a smaller Cockapoo. The Cockapoo Club of GB describes Cockapoos as a medium-sized range that mostly finish growing between 12 and 18 months. The RKC stresses that its standards are guides and individual dogs can be larger or smaller.

What health tests should the parents have?

Both parents should be DNA tested for prcd-PRA, which is listed for both parent breeds. The RKC also lists AMS, FN and AON DNA tests for the Cocker, an OC DNA test for the Miniature Poodle, eye examination for both (with gonioscopy for the Cocker) and hip scoring for both. In F1b and later generations, test both parents for the full set.

More for Cockapoo owners and breeders

Official sources