Choosing a suitable mate
More often than not a breeder is seeking a sire (male) or ‘stud dog’ for a dam (female). There is a golden rule to be applied here: select dogs for mating that will compliment each other and hopefully have offspring that will improve on the parent’s flaws. Of course we know, a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle do compliment each other, but for the sake of an example, if you feel the dam’s coat could be improved upon, look in particular for a sire with a wonderful lustrous coat.
Breed to improve should always be foremost in your mind when examining your Cockapoo bitch. The same goes when breeding two Cockapoos. In practice, there are a many factors to consider and this is where really knowing the breed and having in depth conversations with the stud dog’s owner is needed.
Temperament and Genetics
The two most important considerations to take into account are certainly
temperament and health. Often people will decide to breed a dam because of her wonderful temperament. People love their dogs because they are wonderful to be around and they admire their poise and grace. If your are motivated to breed, be motivated by wanting to keep the wonderful temperament flowing into a new generation of puppies.
Temperament however, must then be balanced against health. A responsible breeder will not breed in bad genetics. Cockapoos can suffer from a set of common problems so health checks are a necessity to ensure problems are not bred into future generations.
Careful selection over generations has produced the wonderful playful companion that the cockapoo breed is known for, so never breed a dam with a questionable temperament.
Likewise, hereditary defects are common with all dogs so a breeder wants to minimise the risks for future generations by being certain genetic problems are not being passed on. Many health problems can be avoided at the selection stage of pairing a sire with dam.
