‘I’m a dog trainer and cockapoos don’t have too much energy’

Cockapoos are one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK. Mixing the sociability of a cocker spaniel with the intelligence of a poodle, they’re seen by many as the perfect family pet. Their intelligence also makes them relatively easy to train, ideal for owners who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to teaching them how to behave.

But, as with any breed, they do have their drawbacks – and chief among them is the amount of energy they have. Cockapoos need a lot of exercise and stimulation, and without both regular walks and plenty of toys or games at home to keep them occupied, they can act out, leading some to warn they can be hard work.

Dog trainer John, who runs Sidcup-based Aspire Dog Training, said cockapoos are easier to deal with than many people think. Posting a video on TikTok, John said cockapoo owners often claim their pets suffer from separation anxiety, steal socks and underwear, and won’t leave their side.

But, he added his own cockapoo Woody is “not a nutter or a headcase”, and he had achieved this through simple training techniques. “What you’ve got to remember is, a cockapoo is a mix of two working breeds, two working dogs,” he said.

“You’ve got a cocker spaniel, especially if it’s a working cocker spaniel, and a poodle. Highly intelligent dogs, poodles, bred to retrieve game from the water originally, but highly trainable dogs.

“Cockapoos – clever dogs, but dogs that do need fulfilment, that do need breed-specific activities in order for them to be like that. We do lots of stuff. Get his nose working, scent work, tracking, gundog type training. And I walk him an hour, hour and a half in the morning, and then he’s chill all day.

“And then he gets another walk in the evening and he’s chill all evening. There is no need for a cockapoo to be like that.

“But so many people get these dogs because they think, ‘oh, I’m gonna have a teddy bear, a fur baby, and he’s just gonna sit next to me on the sofa all day and cuddle’.

“Now, he’ll cuddle me. Very affectionate dog, loves a cuddle. But I have to do the other stuff with him otherwise, yes, not dissimilar to many dogs, he would be a pain, and he would do all those sorts of things.”

Concluding, John said: “If you’re a cockapoo owner and you’re having these challenges, it doesn’t have to be like that, I promise you that.”

Owners added their own experiences in the comments. One said: “Mine is very calm like an old man unless he sees a curly-haired dog, then he comes alive and wants to be chased, but other than that he’s a Velcro dog who just loves me.”

Another said: “My cockapoo is simply the best, he has a big personality and is very affectionate, he’s never chewed anything that doesn’t belong to him, he doesn’t mind being left on his own and we never leave more than a couple of hours at a time. He’s five and absolutely brilliant and gorgeous.”

And someone else wrote: “My cockapoo is amazing. Fully trained three weeks after bringing home.” They added: “It’s the owners that are the problem.”

But others explained problems they have had. One said: “Mine is great until a stranger knocks at the door, then he becomes a vicious wolf who would rip the hand off that stranger, you’ve never seen anything like it.”

And another wrote: “Ours is very chill until someone comes in the house then he goes crazy for 10minutes. He also gets very excited when he meets another dog. Doesn’t bark but wants to play. He’s 16 months.”