What Is Your Cockapoo Really Thinking?

The cuddly, clever crossbreed that never quite stops bouncing.

Cockapoo temperament and personality

The Cockapoo blends the sunny sociability of the Cocker Spaniel with the sharp brain of the Poodle, producing a dog that is affectionate, playful and remarkably intuitive about its owner's moods. They are people dogs through and through, happiest when curled beside you or trailing you from room to room. Most are gentle, quick to make friends and endlessly up for a game. That intelligence needs an outlet, though, and a Cockapoo left bored or alone too long can turn to barking, digging or the dreaded separation whining. They vary a fair bit depending on their parentage, but the through-line is warmth. Give a Cockapoo company, stimulation and a decent daily walk, and you have a sensitive, devoted and endlessly entertaining companion.

• Affectionate - A committed lap-seeker who thinks personal space is overrated.
• Clever - Inherits the Poodle brain and picks up tricks alarmingly fast.
• Playful - Will fetch, tug and bounce until you tap out first.
• People-oriented - Follows you to the bathroom and considers it teamwork.
• Sensitive - Reads your mood and mirrors it, so calm owners get calm dogs.
• Sociable - Loves other dogs, visitors and anyone holding a ball.

Typical Cockapoo quirks and behaviour

Cockapoos are notorious velcro dogs, so expect a shadow at your heels and a warm body pressed against you the moment you sit down. Many develop a signature bouncy greeting, springing straight up on excited legs when you walk through the door. They love to carry a toy around like a prize, tail wagging their whole back end, and plenty of them talk back with a range of grumbles, sighs and happy little chirrups. Some inherit the Spaniel love of sniffing and will vanish nose-first into a hedge, while others show the Poodle habit of neatly arranging their toys. Nearly all of them believe the sofa was built specifically for them.

What is your Cockapoo really thinking?

A Cockapoo's mind is a busy, affectionate place, forever tuned to the frequency of its favourite human. Their main preoccupation is togetherness: where are you going, can they come, and why on earth would you shut a door between you. They crave interaction and gently panic at the thought of being left behind, so a lot of their thinking is really just checking that you are still there. Beneath the cuddles sits a genuinely clever dog that gets bored easily and starts inventing its own entertainment when yours runs out. Offer a puzzle, a game or a training session and you can almost see the relief on their face.

Scan your Cockapoo free and our AI reads their face to tell you the exact thought behind that look.

Are Cockapoos intelligent?

Cockapoos are among the brighter crossbreeds, thanks to that Poodle heritage, and they learn new commands with impressive speed. They respond beautifully to positive, reward-based training and often excel at tricks and simple agility. The flip side of all that intelligence is a low boredom threshold, so mental stimulation matters as much as exercise. Keep training varied and upbeat, and a Cockapoo will happily show off everything it knows.

Cockapoos with families

Cockapoos make wonderful family dogs, gentle with children, friendly with visitors and usually sociable with other pets. Their sensitivity means they do best in a warm, fairly calm household rather than a chaotic one, and they can find sudden loud noises unsettling. Because they bond so tightly, they struggle with long stretches alone, so they suit families where someone is often home. Include them in everything and they thrive.

Frequently asked questions