Nieuwe pagina 2

Cockapoo

History

The Cockapoo has been popular in the United States since at least the 1970s. It has become so common that many, if not most, Cockapoos on the market today are the result of breeding male and female Cockapoos rather than of a direct cross between the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle. The Cockapoo is still under development. Strictly speaking, the Cockapoo cannot yet be described as a dog breed because it does not 'breed true'. In breeders' terms, 'breeding true' means that, when two specimens of the same breed are mated, the puppies have consistently predictable characteristics and will resemble their parents, rather than exhibiting random characteristics of the dog breeds in their parents' ancestries. Further, the breed standards of breeds-under-development are invariably freer, more open to interpretation and cover more observable types than those of established or kennel club recognized breeds.

General Appearance The cockapoo has a sturdy, squarely built appearance. The length from the body measured from the breastbone to the rump is approximately the same to slightly longer than the height from the highest point of the shoulder to the ground. He stands up well at the shoulder on straight forelegs with a top line that is level to slightly sloping toward moderately bent hindquarters. He is a dog capable of great speed and endurance combined with agility. The body must be of sufficient length to permit a straight and free stride. The dog should never appear low and long or tall and gangly but should always be in proportion.

Size Size can be influenced by either parent's recent background. Adult individuals 10" at the shoulder or less are toy size. Dogs 11"-14" at the shoulder are considered mini size, and those 15" at the shoulder and over are standard size. Cockapoo size is judged by their height, not their weight. Two dogs who are the same size can vary considerably in weight depending both on their overall build and whether one is fat or thin. Poodle sizes are graded on height measured to the top of the shoulder at standing position.

Weights of individuals will depend on the factors explained above. To give a general idea of weight, a toy would ideally weigh under 12 pounds, a Mini 13-20 pounds and a Standard 21 pounds and up.

Head, Expression Large, round, well set, well spaced eyes with a keen, soulful, endearing and intelligent expression. The color of the eyes should be dark brown on dogs with dark noses. Dogs with light colored noses may have lighter ( i.e.: greenish, hazel) eyes. The eyes should not have a droopy appearance. Hair should be scissored back so as not to obstruct the eyes or vision.

The ears should hang fairly close to the head, starting above the eyes and hanging to well below eye level. They should be well feathered but never erect or carried up over the head. Ideally the bottom of the ears should be level with the beard.

The skull is moderately rounded but not exaggerated , with no tendency towards flatness.

Bite Aligned bite with neither over or under bite. Level bites (incisors striking edge to edge) are acceptable but scissors bite (lower incisors striking just behind the uppers) is preferred. Overshot or undershot dogs should be excluded from breeding programs.
Neck, Top line, Body

The neck rises strongly from the shoulders and arches slightly as it tapers to join the head. Carried high and with dignity the neck is never pendulous ( no throatiness - skin tight ). The top line is level to slightly sloping toward the hindquarters, never roached. The chest is deep and moderately wide with well sprung ribs, its lowest point no higher than the elbow.

Tail The Tail is set on line with the back and carried on line with the top line or higher when the dog is in motion the tail action is merry. Tail can be docked as the parent breeds, but not required. The tail should be well feathered and full coated when left long. Many breeder's still dock because the parent breed's are. The tail may be left long or docked and both are acceptable.

If docked, docked tail should be no more and no less that 4". If left long the tail is to be curled up over the back and left long, never shaven. The docked tail is set on and carried on a line with the topline of the back, or slightly higher; never straight up like a Terrier and never so low as to indicate timidity

Forequarters The shoulders are well laid back forming an angle with the upper arm of approximately 90 degrees permitting easy movement and forward reach. When viewed from the side with the forelegs vertical the elbow is directly below the highest point of the shoulder blade. Forelegs are parallel, straight, with strong pasterns. Legs set close to the body. Front Dew claws can be left or removed, back dew claws should be removed. Feet should be in balanced proportion with the dog. However, the feet should be compact, with arched toes and turn neither in nor out.
Hindquarters

When viewed from behind the legs are parallel when in motion and at rest. Moderately angled at the stifle and clearly defined thighs. When standing the rear toes should be behind the point of the rump

Coat Types As with many other breeds the Cockapoo has 3 different coat types. We have the tight curly coat, the medium curl, and the flat coat. While we strive for the medium curl, all 3 coat types are acceptable. There are many people who prefer the flat coat, and same with the other coat types. It is very common to see all 3 types within the same litter of pups. This can happen with 1st, 2nd, 3rd (etc) generation litters. Some people will try to say this means that the pups come from substandard parents, this is not true.

What we would like to see is the best 2 pups from different litters, and bred together and this in return will give us the best looking puppies, however, you can still get flats and tight curls in those litters. This is why it is so important to register your pup with a reputable registry. Parent dogs should be of the same generation, and never mix a cockapoo with a poodle, or cocker. It does not matter what type of coat your cockapoo has, it is still a cockapoo and will have the same traits as all cockapoos.

Coat length The cockapoo's coat should be clipped all over in a "teddy bear" type cut of about 2-3". The top of the head should be the same length ans the body. If the tail is docked the hair on the docked tail should be the same length as the body. A cockapoo should never be shaven. They should have facial hair and a beard, all flowing into each other and trimmed no longer than 4 inches. The ears should be trimmed straight across and even with the bottom of the beard. The face should never be shaven. If the dog is not being shown, then a shorter or longer coat is allowed. Just remember to keep the eyes clear of fur and keep them well brushed.

Color and Markings Any solid color, Parti color (two or more solid colors one of which must be white) , phantom ( brown, black or silver body with contrasting color on legs, under tail, eyebrows, side of face, inside ears), sable ( may be black, brown, brindle, changing to silver, silver/gold mix, red, brown, other, all with darker points), tri-color (parti color with tan markings over each eye, on the sides of the muzzle/cheeks, on the underside of the ears, on all feet and/or legs and optionally on the chest). Merle and or roan are also acceptable colors.

The nose and rims of eyes should be one solid color. Brown colored dogs may have liver noses, eye rims, lips, dark toenails and dark amber eyes. Black, blue, gray, cream and white dogs have black noses, eye rims and lips, black or self colored toenails and very dark eyes. In apricots and reds the liver colored nose is acceptable. In parti colored dogs the primary color other than white is used to determine the accepted color of nose.

Temperament The cockapoo is a very people oriented, outgoing, and happy dog. The clown like personality appeals to young and old alike. The cockapoo has a keen intelligence any adult can appreciate coupled with a forgiving nature that makes it unparalleled as a children's dog. They are as much at home in an apartment as they are on the biggest farm. They are extremely easy to train to just about any situation, but are people dogs and should not be left alone for more than 4 hours a day.

Aggressiveness, shyness, genetic diseases, poor health, uncertain lineage are to be avoided.

FAULTS Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B * Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into

the scrotum.