How to train a Cockapoo puppy – the ultimate guide

So, you’ve decided to get a Cockapoo puppy, what an exciting decision! They are lively medium-sized dogs with a lot of energy and are one of the original so-called designer breeds.

On the outside those teddy bear looks make them appear to be incredibly sweet and fluffy, and yes, they are that too but don’t be fooled; they are super busy dogs who will find lots of trouble if their inquisitive nature isn’t properly channelled! You’re in safe hands though, we’re going to teach you all about how to train a Cockapoo. You’re in for a treat. 

Cockapoos will require training like most dogs, but also because they’re a mix of two working breeds, the Cocker Spaniel and the Miniature poodle, we’re going to go that extra mile to make sure your Cockapoo is as well trained as can be. 

Are you ready? Let’s get into how to train a Cockapoo puppy!

Are Cockapoo puppies easy to train?

A Cockapoo is a mixture between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel which are known for their intelligence. They are whip-smart and pick new lessons quickly. With positive reinforcement and reward-based training, your Cockapoo can be housetrained, lead trained, toilet trained and have A* recall, in no time at all!

Cockapoo Behaviour problems

 It will come as no surprise that the Cockapoo is notorious for getting bored easily. If they are left home alone for a long time, they started to become bored which leads to destructive behaviour. This behaviour can also be sparked if they don’t receive enough regular exercise or stimulation.

Prerequisites for training my Cockapoo puppy?

What age can I start to train my Cockapoo puppy?

You can start to train your Cockapoo puppy as soon as you get them home. Cockapoos are super smart and are always learning, so start by simply rewarding them with treats, play and praise when they do the right thing. Check out the Pre-Puppy section of the Zigzag app for more information on things to do before bringing home your Cockapoo puppy. You can also contact our Zigzag puppy experts with any queries you may have before you bring your puppy home.

What do I need to train my Cockapoo?

The good news is that there isn’t a long list of training equipment, but it’s an idea to be prepared so that training can begin right away.

• Treat Pouch You’ll need to have lots of treats on hand, so you can reward your Cockapoo for a ‘job well done’ but you can also train with some of their ordinary dry food. You can read more about how we use rewards and treats to train in our article on puppy rewards and treats.
• A Soft Collar– Your Cockapoo puppy will benefit from a comfortable collar that does not tug on their gorgeous coat. 
• A harness: One that does not pull or tighten while your puppy walks. Cockapoos are delicate, so be kind to them. Please, nothing too hefty!
• A training lead – Around 2m is a good length. This will offer your Cockapoo puppy adequate space to smell and will be handy later on when teaching the settle exercise. Not sure which one to try? Here’s our picks.
• A comfortable mat or a piece of on-slip vet bed.
• Treats: The smellier and stinky, the better. More info on treats can be found here.
• Two toys that are identical: Excellent for swaps – your Cockapoo puppy will be quite lively and will like the retrieving games in the Zigzag app.
• A soft grooming brush and a flexible slicker– I’m not going to lie, that coat is going to require some work, so start early, softly, and with PLENTY of patience and rewards.
• A crate and a playpen are optional, but we think they’re really useful.

Good to know about training Cockapoo puppies

What are Cockapoo bred for?

Cockapoos are fancy. They are one of the first ‘Designer Dog’ breeds going as far back as the 1950s! The rumours are true though – they’re not a real breed per se. But they’re a wonderful cross of a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle. They’ve been designed (quite literally) to be hypoallergenic (although not all are), so they’re quite popular as friendly family dogs. They’re also highly intelligent and have teddy bear looks. Who wouldn’t want them for a cuddle?

So, here’s how the mix works:

Cocker Spaniels are bred to flush out and ‘pick up’ birds. This means they’re quite quick on their feet, and have good scenting and searching skills.

Poodles were bred as water retrievers to bring ducks back so they love to swim, and are incredibly intelligent – they are the original circus dogs! Although we don’t love animals being used in circus performances. Anyway, that’s for another time.

As you can see, when these traits get brought together as a Cockapoo they turn out to be brilliant in all kinds of skills – whether it’s agility, flyball, trick training or nose work (or all at the same time!) you’ll always be able to show them off in some way or another.

Here’s other special qualities and talents you can be proud about as a Cockapoo owner:

• They’re able to work in all weathers, all day long. 
• They tend to be enthusiastic in training, and build strong bonds with their owner. That’s good news, innit?
• Good self-control – when taught how to harness it!
• A good ability to be flexible, and work in new environments with people and dogs that they don’t know.
• They’re keen and eager to get on their feet as soon as they’re asked.
• Sensitive and affectionate.  

Here’s something a good dog trainer friend of mine, Paul Lasky recently said about Cockapoos:  

“You’ve imagined that you have brought home a cute little teddy bear that is going to play with your children. What you’ve actually signed up to is having someone in your house who is basically the combination of the following. Chess and CrossFit. They play chess to Grandmaster level, CrossFit to elite fitness level and they see things as quick as Neo from The Matrix.’

Hope it made you smile.

How to tire out a Cockapoo

Cockapoos are a very hyperactive and enthusiastic breed, that need a lot of mental stimulation and exercise. To tire out your Cockapoo you need to make sure you are creating enough exercise for your pup. Make sure you are incorporating fun activities where possible, and never missing out on walks!

What does this have to do with how I train my Cockapoo?

It’s a fair question actually. But there is a logic as to why knowing the context might help you train your Cockapoo better:

• Saying that Cockapoos are clever and motivated is an understatement. You’ll quickly find that Cockapoo puppies will be more than happy to work with you to do anything. 
• They need a good amount of exercise – mental as well as physical – to keep them busy and prevent them from going about without guidance. 
• They generally prefer to live in the countryside where there’s room to run, and space to imagine catching birds. But given the right training and mental stimulation, they’ll grow to enjoy city life too.
• They love water and getting filthy in mud! It’s a great idea to join in the fun as well. Just look out for your carpets….
• They have a strong sense of smell, so retrieving or scent work games tend to be the biggest treat for most. 
• They require a lot of grooming – their coats range from being very curly to wavy, to straight. This also means you’ll need to take care that they aren’t handled roughly or over-handled – they’re busy dogs, not babies!
• Cockapoos love retrieving, they’ll love to carry things in their mouths. That being said, make sure you also teach them the wonders of giving things up. It can lead to great things! Like treats   

PRO TIP: If your Cockapoo puppy switches off or starts acting silly (often a sign of stress) it means it’s time for a break. Shift to some play, and revisit training later – we want training to be associated with fun, and not something they begin to dread. 

Overview of the training programme and topics we’ll cover

In this 8-week guide to training a cockapoo puppy, we’re going to be covering many subjects such as 

• Sitting
• Lying down
• Learning their name
• Coming when you call them
• Walking nicely on a lead
• Playing fetch
• Sleeping in their crate
• Coping with being left alone
• Going to the toilet in the right place 

Didn’t we tell you Cockapoos are clever? That also suggests they are prone to boredom when doing the same thing again and again. 

By employing the ‘Push Drop Stick’ strategy to progressively raise the difficulty of exercises, we can achieve greater and faster outcomes while avoiding boredom and frustration. Yay

Essentially, you practice the same thing with your puppy 5 times. If they get all 5 correct, you go on to the next level of difficulty (push). If they get 3 or 4 correct, you should stay where you are (stick). If they get just 1 or 2 correct, you should move back to a somewhat easier level of difficulty (drop).

Can cockapoos be left alone?

Even though they love affection, Cockapoos, once settled into their new life at home, are usually fine to be left alone. Once they are mature, toilet trained, and able to control their bladders, most adult cockapoos can be left at home alone for up to six to eight hours. 

How far can a Cockapoo walk?

The typical rule of thumb is that an adult should walk for one hour per 30 pounds, therefore if your Cockapoo weighs around 15 pounds, a 30-minute walk should be more than enough. The length of the walk can be adjusted to your dog’s preferences for longer or shorter walks.

How much exercise do cockapoos need?

Adult cockapoos would benefit from around two walks a day, as well as staying healthy and stimulated throughout the day. It is important to note that puppies should not be overexercised, therefore sticking to little and often walks, as this can have a detrimental effect on their bone and joint health.

Week 1 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

It’s your first week of training
your Cockapoo puppy. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be
chuffed to bits. The first week is a time for bonding and getting to know your
new pup, so try not to get too stressed out. Your puppy will likely need time
to learn about who you are, and that you love them just as much as they love
you. The best way to do this is through playing and training. Go through some
basic exercises with your pooch so they can learn more about their surroundings
while also having fun.

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Let your puppy explore the garden – Teach your puppy about surfaces	– Name – Sit – Recall – Retrieve – Crate Training – Toilet Training – Alone Training	– Brushing – Hand Touch

Your Cockapoo puppy will find sleeping at night a challenge at first, we recommend letting them sleep in your room until they’re more sure of their surroundings and comfortable in their new home. It also means you can hear them when they wake up needing a wee so will help with toilet training. 

Also, in case you’re tempted, don’t let them cry it out, it rarely works, and you’ll annoy your neighbours, this is a time to be teaching your Cockapoo to trust you’ll be there when they need you. It’s worth having a look at how to get a puppy to sleep through the night] or Puppy night-time routine for more information on that.

 

You should begin teaching your Cockapoo puppy to deal with being alone as soon as you can. It is critical for their well-being to teach them basic home-alone coping skills, but the most common error people make is doing too much too soon. They hurry the process, causing their puppy to get agitated, undoing any good work you may have previously done. You do need to start somewhere, so go through our Puppy alone training article to get you started. Also check out our Zigzag puppy training app, where we have a step-by-step alone training program for your puppy.

Make sure your Cockapoo is given lots of opportunities to go out for a wee so they don’t have any accidents, you can find more info in our puppy toilet training article.

Essentially you want to take them out after almost doing anything, including sleeping, and then every hour or so.

This week let’s focus on having your Cockapoo get used to your house and garden, they are all new experiences for your puppy and important for their emotional development.

• Letting your Cockapoo puppy explore the garden
• Teach your puppy about surfaces 

For the full lowdown on Socialising your puppy, grab a cuppa and spend a bit of time checking our article out.

Train your Cockapoo puppy with positive reinforcement, there’s no need to tell them off, we need to teach them what we want them to do and reward them. It’s only fair.

Let’s start with the basics and teach these exercises in the first week

• Teach your puppy their name
• Teach your puppy to sit
• Recall training
• Retrieve/fetch: If Cockapoo were born to do anything, it’s to fetch. They love playing retrieving games – you’ll find that they have a natural talent for them.

 

Your Cockapoo puppy is going to get a lot of attention, and also require quite a lot of grooming. For these reasons, you must teach your cockapoo puppy that hands are a wonderful thing that bring rewards and to them to enjoy being touched. Also, be aware that your puppy isn’t a toy and doesn’t deserve to get passed about like one. 

• Handling your puppy – Cockapoos are cuddly, but they’re not toys. Be sure to use lots of treats while teaching them the touch of your hand is a nice thing.

Preventing resource guarding

Preventing resource guarding in any puppy is important, but particularly in gundog breeds as they sometimes are a little too keen to hang on to whatever it is they have. 

No biggie, just teach them that anything they have you’re going to swap for something nicer and do it every time while they’re young. They’ll be wagging their tails and giving up everything in no time.

Week 2 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

How are you doing with training your Cockapoo puppy now that it’s week two? Coming up this week we’ll be covering

Socialisation and habituation – looking at novelty and noises

Training – Lots of new things for your Cockapoo puppy to learn and yes they will lap it up.

Husbandry –  Keep on top of brushing their glossy coat and be the best-groomed dog in town!

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Fireworks – Watch the world go by outside your house – Play dress up – Sit in the car – Invite friends over	– Alone Training – Crate Training – Toilet Training – Name – in garden – Recall – cue word – Fetch – Drop -Sit – add a cue word – Leadwalking	– Grooming

 

This week, try these socialisation and habituation exercises with your Cockapoo puppy.

• Fireworks – at a low volume
• Watch the world go by – just letting your puppy watch the world from your front garden. Have them in your arms and give them a treat now and again.
• Play dress up – Yes you! You’ll get to wear scarves and hats so that your Cockapoo gets used to novelty and strange-looking people. 
• Get started with the car – sit in the car and feed them meals, they’ll learn to love it in no time.

• Alone training – Puppies don’t come pre-programmed to be ok on their own, it does require training, so don’t forget to do it. 
• Crate training – this can be really useful if you’re trying to teach your Cockapoo to switch off.
• Teach them their name in the garden – birds and other noises are a big distraction so it’s worth practising in different places.
• Recall training: add a cue word so your Cockapoo puppy understands ‘come’.
• Fetch and drop 
• Sit – add a cue word so that your Cockapoo knows when they should sit. How cute.
• Introduce lead walking training – Cockapoos can get quite carried away when they’re out on walks, all of that excitement going on around them, who can blame them? We want to teach them that they can walk nicely on a lead.

 

Brushing your puppy

Specifically bred to be hypoallergenic (although sadly, many owners find they aren’t) a Cockapoo’s coat is generally a mix of a Spaniel’s and a Poodle’s – this also means their grooming routines often need a lot more work than either breed on their own! 

As Cockapoos are not a recognised breed, there is no standard for their coat type. This means you can find Cockapoos with one of three different types of coat, which may or may not shed! 

• Tightly Curled
• Wavy/Curly 
• Straight 

Cockapoo coats can get long and tangled so they’ll need regular grooming and extra trips to the groomers for a cut and style. Simply so they resemble more beauty than the beast. Practice first with a soft brush to get your puppy used to being brushed, and use plenty of treats or a lickimat spread with some liver paste, to make it a pleasant experience for them. You’ll need something to get through any tangles so a fine comb and a little puppy conditioning spray can be used. We can’t stress how gently to go with this, you’ll be brushing your Cockapoo for their whole life so easy does it.

Week 3 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

Can you believe it, it’s already week three! I expect your Cockapoo puppy is growing like a weed and has bags of personality now. 

In week 3 we’ll go over

• How to write out a socialisation checklist 
• Teach your Cockapoo puppy to ‘sit to greet’ and not to jump up!
• Choosing and fitting a harness on your Cockapoo puppy, to get them ready for ‘walkies’!

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training Exercises to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Scent Trails – Go for a drive – Invite Friends Over – Write a puppy socialisation checklist	– Recall – outside in the garden – Four Paws on the floor – Not Jumping up – Down – Generalisation – Alone Training	– Harness fitting

• Scent trails- Cockapoos love to sniff, so let’s harness their search skills and get them following a trail of treats along the floor.
• Invite some friends over let your Cockapoo puppy come and see them when they’re ready, and also see if they’ll sit for attention and treats, much nicer than being jumped on!
• Go for a drive with your puppy – Just a short one for now
• Write a puppy socialisation checklist for your Cockapoo puppy – what things are important to you? Do you have a horse, a bike, or a boat? Pop them on the list to show your Cockapoo puppy in the coming weeks.

• Recall: teaching your puppy to come when called, outside – This will be important when you’re at the park and your Cockapoo puppy ‘just wants to say hello’ 
• Stop your puppy jumping up – Sit to greet will be an important part of teaching your puppy to not jump up
• Generalisation – locations outside of the usual training room look different to puppies. Teach them that cues mean the same thing wherever you use them and practise your training in different parts of your house.
• Teach your Cockapoo puppy to lie down – well you want lots of cafe visits don’t you?
• Teaching your Cockapoo puppy to be happy alone – the important thing is that you keep persevering with home-alone training. Little by little, we can do a bit more each day, momentum is key, oh and stuffed chew toys will help a great deal!

• Harness fitting for a puppy – We’ll be wanting to go for walks outside soon so it’s important to find the right harness for our Cockapoo puppy. Choosing a puppy harness can sometimes be a little difficult, so here’s a little list to help you out

• A Y shape harness means that any pressure is spread over the body and not up around the neck or too much across the chest where movement is restricted.
• One with no moving parts – they shouldn’t tighten or pinch at all and we don’t want that fur to get trapped – yikes!
• Lightweight – Cockapoo puppies don’t need anything too heavy 
• Soft material – fleece-lined or padded is perfect for them!

Week 4 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

So the first month is almost done! How are you finding it? In humans, it takes on average 3 weeks to form a habit, have you got into the Cockapoo puppy training groove yet?

This week we’re going to look at 

• Meeting another dog and finding a puppy class (yay!)
• Teaching your Cockapoo puppy to walk on a nice loose lead and come back when you call them
• Get round to grooming those awkward and sensitive areas on your Cockapoo puppy.

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Meet another dog – Find a puppy class	– Settle on a mat – Lead walking – Recall games – Push/drop/stick on known exercises	– Grooming sensitive areas

• Meeting another dog: Cockapoos are usually very social dogs. Nevertheless, it’s important to socialise them when they’re still young to  make sure they’re at their friendliest and kindest with other dogs as adults. In humans’ or dogs’ worlds, everybody likes a friendly guy.

Find a good puppy class for your puppy – have a look at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or CAPBT for members in your area that might run classes. Any classes you do find verify the trainer’s qualifications and that they only use positive training methods.

• Settle on a mat – this will be useful for you in cafe society, they can get a bit over-excited so it’s also worth teaching them how to calm down
• Lead walking – Be patient when you’re teaching this to your Cockapoo, and remember every time you take them out is a learning experience. If you’re wondering which lead to buy then have a look at our favourite puppy leads.
• Recall games – Play tennis with your puppy is one of the recall games featured in our 50+ training games.

• Get started with grooming sensitive areas – remember to use a Lickimat and treats so that your puppy enjoys the experience. Under the arms, and on the face are two places that get quite tangled so brush an easy part of your Cockapoo before you try those. Keep sessions short and sweet for this, you can always go back to it later in the day. 

Week 5 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

By week 5 we imagine you’ve got to know your Cockapoo puppy quite well, quirks and all! Now it’s time to build on some of the training you’ve already taught them and make things a bit more difficult using the Push/Drop/Stick system.

If they’re fully vaccinated it’s also time to take training outside – if they’re not then practise in other areas of your house or garden.

You’ll be pleased you put in the effort to properly fit and train your Cockapoo to wear a harness. For the time being, a puppy’s training is primarily about learning how to walk nicely and react appropriately to the things that happen around them. Every day’s a school day at this age.

Continue working on socialising your puppy to things that fit your lifestyle this week. Early exposure to life’s surprises will help your puppy accept them easier.

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Go to the pub – you deserve it! – Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist	– Alone Training – Recall – outside using a lead – Lead walking – outside – Push/drop/stick on known exercises	– Pretend nail clips – Grooming

• Go to the pub/dog-friendly café – you deserve it! The dream is finally happening, use your settle training and come prepared with your settle mat, stuffed chew toy such as a squirrel dude or Toppl and have your puppy on their harness and lead. 
• Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – maybe this week your puppy gets a day out at the beach and can have a paddle in the waves?

• Alone training: Gradually increase your Cockapoo puppy’s time alone so they learn to cope and can enjoy some tasty food while you’re gone. 
• Recall – Practice calling your Cockapoo puppy to come back when you’re outside. Keep them on the lead to begin with, then try dropping the lead on the floor, you’ll still have a safety net but you can start getting a little more distance. Use a long recall lead if you’re worried about them running off, and always practice in a safe area of the park. There might be distractions around such as other dogs and people too, so think about how you might deal with those, perhaps have a secret squeaky toy hidden on you? Be ready to get it out and play with your puppy to keep them engaged on you and not others!

• Lead walking – Outside, loose lead walking can get tricky, there are so many people, and dogs, and birds, and cars and just EVERYTHING for your Cockapoo to be interested in! Take plenty of treats, go at a good fast pace when you’re training, and reward frequently! 
• Push/drop/stick on known exercises – let’s get those brain cells working on and increase the difficulty on known exercises.

• Start pretending to clip your dog’s nails – It’s OK to just hold a claw, pretend to trim it, and then give a treat. Don’t hurry this, because we’ll want to do it for real shortly.

Week 6 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

6 weeks into training, and we can begin refining your Cockapoo’s talents such as

• Working on things from your personal checklist
• Teaching your cockapoo puppy to follow you on walks
• Checking your Cockapoo puppy’s mouth and teeth

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Tick 3 things off your personal checklist	– Following on walks – Push/drop/stick on known exercises	– Check puppy’s mouth

• Tick 3 more items off your socialisation checklist – Build emotional resilience and teach your Cockapoo puppy that sounds aren’t so scary.

• Following on walks – Be like the Pied Piper, with your puppy toys and treats so that your Cockapoo puppy sticks to you like glue. Might get every other puppy in the park following you too, yes their owners will be jealous. 
• Push/drop/stick – what needs a little more work this week? Maybe your Cockapoo puppy can sit for a bit longer?

• Start checking your puppy’s mouth and teeth – It’s worthwhile being able to check your puppy’s teeth regularly. Start slowly with just a little lip lift and then rewarding.

Week 7 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

Your Cockapoo puppy may be physically maturing quite quickly, but mentally they are still babies for a long while. Keep this in mind and don’t expect too much of them as they’re not the best at regulating their emotions at this young age.

This week we’ll go over:

• Puppy Agility – You’re going to have so much fun with your Cockapoo doing this!
• Beginning to go on walks with friends and their dogs
• How to let your Cockapoo puppy off the lead safely – honestly, not so scary!
• Starting to teach your Cockapoo puppy to have ear drops.

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Puppy Parkour – Tick 3 things off your personal checklist	– Wait – Walk with a friend’s dog – Recall – off the lead – Push/drop/stick on known exercises	– Pretend ear drops

• Have a go at puppy agility – your Cockapoo won’t be doing any jumping yet, but you can teach them foundation behaviours that you’ll need for ‘real’ agility later, as well as teaching them things on the flat like tunnels, and recalling through cones.  
• Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – Perhaps taking your Cockapoo to an agility club and just letting them watch what’s going on, smelling the area and getting acquainted with the area is an idea?

• Teach your Cockapoo puppy to stay – Staying still does not come super easy for energetic Cockapoos but it’s a good exercise to teach them with lots of real-life applications. 
• Go for a walk with a friend’s dog – preferably one you’ve met before. Both have treats so you can reward the dogs for keeping a distance at first. 
• Recall – off the lead
• Push/drop/stick on known exercises

 

• Pretend ear drops: Cockapoo puppies, in particular, have quite hairy ears where all kinds of things can build up if we’re not careful. They are especially susceptible to ear problems because they spend so much time in the water and mud, so make sure to clean and dry your puppy’s ears regularly.

Week 8 – Training your Cockapoo puppy

We’re in the final week of our 8-week guide to training a cockapoo puppy. Your puppy is doing great, so let’s start teaching them some new things. In week 8, we’ll go through how to teach your Cockapoo all about:

• How to cope with fast-moving joggers and bicycles.
• To practice in different places and generalise the behaviour.
• Introducing them to nose work
• That having your claws trimmer isn’t so bad after all.

Socialisation exercises to do this week	Training to do this week	Husbandry Tasks to do this week
– Joggers and Cyclists – Tick 3 things off your personal checklist	– Practice exercises in different locations – Teach a hand target – Introduce nose work – Push/drop/stick on known exercises	– Nail trims

• Joggers and Cyclists – Use treats to teach your Cockapoo puppy that ignoring joggers, cyclists oh and not forgetting skateboards and focusing on you instead will result in fantastic rewards. You can reward calmness or ask them to do something else like sit or watch me.
• Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – What is it going to be this week?

• Practice exercises in different locations – this is called generalisation. Why not try the local pet shop, or perhaps the garden centre, and teach your puppy that sit means sit wherever I ask you to do it. When you practice in new places, make sure you pack even yummier treats as these places will be distracting. 
• Teach a hand target  – This is a favourite activity among pups and their owners. Hand targeting or touching is the foundation for various trick behaviours like spins, twists or sit up and beg. Cute! 
• Introducing nose work to your puppy – Your Cockapoo puppy’s nose for scent work is amazing – both Poodles and Cocker Spaniels are famed for it, so you’re getting the best of both worlds! Play a game of hide-and-seek with their favourite toy to bring out their wonderful searching abilities.

• Trim your Cockapoo puppy’s claws – It’s time to trim their claws – make sure you use a pair of clippers made especially for claws because they’re rather tough! Also, use a lot of treats and only snip the ends off; there’s no need to go too low and risk catching the quick (the vein that runs through a dog’s nail; cutting it hurts a lot and bleeds as well!)

So what’s next for your Cockapoo puppy?

Looking for more great puppy training tips? Check out our overview of when to start teaching your puppy anything, next. If you haven’t already, download the Zigzag puppy training app, where you’ll be able to access a personalised and tailored breed-specific puppy training programme. We also have a team of puppy training experts ready to help and talk to you all about your Cockapoo. Your Cockapoo puppy will find sleeping at night a challenge at first, we recommend letting them sleep in your room until they’re surer of their surroundings and comfortable in their new home. It also means you can hear them when they wake up needing a wee so will help with toilet training. 

 

Also, in case you’re tempted, don’t let them cry it out, it rarely works, and you’ll annoy your neighbours, this is a time to be teaching your Cockapoo to trust you’ll be there when they need you. It’s worth having a look at how to get a puppy to sleep through the night] or Puppy night-time routine for more information on that.

 You should begin teaching your Cockapoo puppy to deal with being alone as soon as you can. It is critical for their well-being to teach them basic home-alone coping skills, but the most common error people make is doing too much too soon. They hurry the process, causing their puppy to get agitated, undoing any good work you may have previously done. You do need to start somewhere, so go through our Puppy alone training article to get started. Also check out our Zigzag puppy training app, where we have a step-by-step alone training program for your puppy.