Poodle crosses and designer crossbreeds

About poodle crosses and designer crossbreeds

Cockapoos, cavapoos, labradoodles and other doodle puppies are hugely popular in the UK, but they are not pedigree breeds. The Royal Kennel Club does not recognise them as breeds, so there is no RKC breed standard behind a litter. What protects buyers is the breeder’s health testing of both parents, honest descriptions and the law on puppy sales. And no cross is hypoallergenic.

What this work involves

A first cross mates two pedigree breeds, such as a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle for a cockapoo. Some breeders then mate crosses together or breed back to a Poodle. The Royal Kennel Club points out that the traits a crossbreed inherits from its parents can combine in lots of different ways, so size, coat and temperament can vary within one litter, whatever the advert says. Good designer crossbreed breeders choose healthy, health-tested parents with sound temperaments, raise puppies in the home, start socialisation early and never let a puppy go before eight weeks.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

These are companion dogs bred by private breeders, from one-litter hobby breeders to council-licensed breeders, and trained by their owners, often with puppy classes. The Royal Kennel Club does not recognise any cross as a breed.

• The Royal Kennel Club has registered crossbreeds for more than 50 years on its Activity Register, which is open to pedigree dogs and crossbreeds. A cross is recorded simply as a crossbreed, not as a cockapoo or labradoodle. Registration allows entry to RKC-licensed agility, flyball, heelwork to music, obedience, rally and working trials. Where parentage is known, the breeder signs the form to confirm it. Activity Register dogs cannot run in field trials or gundog working tests, though since 2020 they have been able to attempt the Working Gundog Certificate.
• Dogs Trust advises buyers to see the puppies with their mother (and ideally the father) in the breeder’s home. It also says never to take a puppy under eight weeks, to ask for evidence of the health screening relevant to the breed and for microchipping paperwork, and to walk away if you feel pressured or if the house looks rented just to sell puppies.
• Blue Cross urges cockapoo buyers to insist on a breeder who has screened both the Cocker Spaniel parent and the Poodle parent for the problems inherited in their breeds.

Both charities also rehome crossbreeds, so adoption is worth considering.

Breeds and lines

• Cockapoo: Cocker Spaniel crossed with a Poodle. Working-line cockers usually bring more energy than show lines.
• Labradoodle: Labrador Retriever crossed with a Poodle.
• Cavapoo: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossed with a Poodle. Blue Cross notes that half of Cavaliers have a heart murmur by the age of five, so the Cavalier parent’s heart history matters.
• Goldendoodle: Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle.
• Sprocker: English Springer crossed with Cocker Spaniel, with no Poodle; often bred from working gundog lines.

The RKC recognises three Poodle breeds (Standard, Miniature and Toy), and the choice shapes a puppy’s size. Relevant tests include the BVA/KC hip and elbow schemes, the BVA/KC/ISDS eye scheme, the CM/SM screening scheme for Cavaliers, and DNA tests such as prcd-PRA, which is part of the RKC’s Toy and Miniature Poodle DNA packages. For parents on the RKC Breed Register, official DNA test results can be checked on the RKC’s Health Test Results Finder.

What to ask a breeder

1. Which health tests have both parents had for their own breeds, and can I see the results?
2. Can I see the puppies with their mother where they were born?
3. Do you hold a breeding licence, and what is the number and issuing council?
4. What sizes and coat types has this pairing produced, and how much do they shed?
5. How have the puppies been socialised, and what is in the puppy pack?
6. Will you take the dog back at any stage of its life?

Legal and welfare notes

• Licensing. The licensing rules make no distinction between crossbreeds and pedigrees. In England you need a licence if you breed three or more litters in any 12-month period and sell any of the puppies, or run a business that breeds and advertises dogs for sale. Breeding without one can mean up to six months in prison or an unlimited fine. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
• Lucy’s Law. Since 6 April 2020, commercial third-party sales of puppies have been banned in England, so buy direct from the breeder or adopt. Under the licensing conditions, licensed breeders may only show a puppy together with its biological mother and may not sell a puppy under eight weeks.
• Microchipping. All puppies in the UK must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks.
• No hypoallergenic claims. Allergy UK explains that pet allergy is caused by proteins in a pet’s saliva, urine and dander, and that there is no such thing as a truly non-allergic dog. A low-shedding coat does not make a dog allergen-free, and listings on this site must not describe any puppy as hypoallergenic.

Frequently asked questions

Are cockapoos or cavapoos hypoallergenic?

No. Every dog produces allergens, and coat type varies within a litter. If anyone at home has allergies, spend time with the adult dogs before committing and take medical advice.

Can I register a labradoodle with the Royal Kennel Club?

Not as a breed. You can put it on the Activity Register to take part in agility, obedience, rally and other RKC-licensed activities.

Are designer crossbreeds healthier than pedigrees?

Not automatically. Blue Cross says there is some truth in the idea of “hybrid vigour”, but a cross can also inherit problems from both parent breeds, which is why both parents should be health tested.

If you breed health-tested poodle crosses or other crossbreeds, add your listing so people searching for cockapoo breeders in the UK, cavapoo breeders or labradoodle puppies can see your parents’ health results and licence details.