Some simle cockapoo Q's?
I am seriously thinking of getting one of these dogs and am going to care for them with some of your suggestions so please only serious non bad for you answers.
How old should i get one at?
how much money would i spend on food per month?
what are any health problems?
grooming costs?
medical costs?
how long can they be domestic alone?
will they be okay with cats?
remember LZase only serious answers
For serious answers I'd recommend reading at least few half decent books on dogs and how to angle them.
How older - depends on you and your schedule. A puppy is great, as you can train them early and you know what you are getting. They are adorable puppies. However, you also need to spend a great deal of time with a puppy with training, socialization, chewing, housebreaking, etc. An elder dog who comes from a breeder you may know the history and background of, and you don't have the puppy issues. However, getting an older dog from a rescue or shelter you could be taking on extra behavioural issues, which is why the dog is in the shelter.
Food - depends on where you live, but here in the Midwest US, plan on roughly $100/month for food. This is basically food, and does not include any treats, toys, training, etc.
Health - same as any dog. You could get a dog that is totally healthy and merely needs a vet check once a year. Or you could end up with a dog that desires a lot of medical attention - you really don't know until you get it.
Grooming - again, depends on where you live. Here, we settle roughly $45 for a dog the size of a cockapoo, assuming the coat is kept brushed and there is not a lot of tangles/matts in the coat.
Medical costs: Vet visit here for a once a year check up, heartworm check, routine shots, run roughly $200. Again, this does not include the routine medications (roughly $60/months) and any emergency vet bills that would come up.
Home alone - some folks will leave dogs while they are at work - roughly 8 hours per day during the week, but consequently are home on the weekends. This does work, but it is much better to either come home during the morning at lunch, if you are able, or to have a dog trekker come in.
Cats - depends on the dog. Some dogs will constantly bother the cats, some cats will constantly bother the dog, others are just fine. It is all dependent on the hard to please dog and cat.
If you are concerned with costs, plan $2,500/year on average for routine stuff. You don't mention where you are planning to get this dog, please check your local shelters. they repeatedly have a lot of dogs available for adoption, charge only a small adoption excise. Cockapoos are great dogs, but are a "designer breed", i.e., not a purebred dog. There are some breeders who are breeding them, charging an outrageous price for them, and you will still be getting a mixed breed dog. Not to put the knock on mixes - they are great dogs. But don't pay a high price for one.
Answers: I am the proud mom of a cockapoo named Pepper, and I business deal with all of these things on a daily starting place, so I can give you the answers you are looking for...
How old when you get him/her?
No younger than 8-10 wks of age whether you get it from a breeder. If you adopt from a shelter, it will depend on if you want a puppy or an adult.
We get Pepper from a bad breeder at 6 wks of age. Puppies do the best though when they are allowed to stay with mom and siblings longer.
How much $$ on food?
We feed our other dogs and started feed Pepper too Iams SmartPuppy. It cost approx. $10.00 for an 8 lb bag. One 8 lb bag will last you a month or more when it is little but as it get older, you will probably go through 2 bags per month. Pepper is on a veterinary diet right in a minute and his food cost $24.00 a bag, and we go through 2 a month.
What are Health problems?
If you go to a reputable breeder who breeds merely 1st generation cockapoos (mom is a registered cocker spaniel, and dad is a registered miniature poodle) there will probably not be very masses health issues at all. I am on a cockapoo group and most of them have 1st contemporaries cockapoos that are healthy and happy and didn't inherit any of the bad stuff that the cocker spaniels and poodles are set for (eye problems, skin problems, ear problems, etc). But if you get a cockapoo from just anywhere or get hold of one by mistake like I did, you might have quite a few. Pepper be born without much of an immune system and can't fight the normal stuff on his own skin. He currently have a staff infection and demodix. He has to go the vet once a week for a Staff Lysis shot and was have to have weekly dips. His skin is so bad that they put him on a veterinary diet. So you really want to go to a repuatable breeder.
Grooming costs?
I do adjectives of Pepper's grooming now, but when he was going to a groomer he was going every 1.5 months. It cost approx. $40-50.00, and they would go swimming him, brush him out, trim his face, his ears, pull the ear hairs, and whether I wanted him in a cocker cut, they would do that as well.
Medical costs?
If you hold a healthy dog, the vet costs aren't much. To start, it will need the normal puppy shots and worming. Probably no more than $80.00. When it is ancient enough, you will want to put it on a heart worm preventative. The heart worm and the flea preventative per month for us is about $20-25.00 per month. A vet visit here is $17.50 plus the cost of any medication. Of course Pepper's vet bills are very expensive, but he is an exception.
How long can they be home alone?
If you crate train your puppy you can start by leaving it along for a few hours and later gradually extend the length of time as it gets elder. Pepper can be in the crate for 8 hours now without an fluke.
Will they be okay with cats?
If you get your cockapoo as a puppy, then yes, it should be okay next to cats. We have 4 cats and Pepper was our first dog. The cats didn't like him but didn't see him as a threat because he be so little. Now he sleeps in my bed with at least 1 to 2 cats every hours of darkness.
I hope I was able to help you. Good luck on finding your puppy!
Mutts, so seriously, the are un predictable.
How old should i get one at?
8 weeks
how much money would i spend on food per month?
A biddable quality food is about $2-$3 per pound
what are any health problems?
Nobody know, these are *designer dogs*, which CAN have LOTS AND LOTS of health problems
grooming costs?
Depends
medical costs?
$$$$$$$ because they are desiger dogs
how long can they be home alone?
Depends
will they be okay near cats?
Depends
They are mutts, so they are completely unpredictable. They also will come from poor quality parents of that breed, so they may not even be approaching either of those breeds! They only come from bad breeders, so yes within may be lots of health problems.
Only get one if you are adopt it. It should be up to date on vaccinations and fixed if old satisfactory.
Costs will depend on your area.
You just never know with a mixed breed.
