The Best Designer Dogs - Cockapoos

Alvin, born 2/7/2009 and named appropriately after the worst behaved of the three chipmunks, arrived in CT in April of 2009. He's been a delight and a challenge ever since. His name is right on the money!

He's a handsome Bichon Cockapoo (1/2 Bichon Frise, 1/4 cocker, 1/4 poodle), truly a mixed breed dog and one of the best designer dogs.

You can view his video I Am Puppy on animoto.

You can find out more about Alvin on alvin and simon's blog.

Simon, Alvin's bro, born 6/4/2009, looks like a cocker spaniel (some first generation cockapoos will resemble the poodle parent). He's Alvin's playmate and Alvin's his protector.

Simon (Sir Simon the Sad) loves all food and treats, playing with Alvin, and pretends to be feisty but most times is really so scared he runs behind his owner. He's a very lovable and affectionate pet (one of the reasons Cockapoos are the best designer dogs).

Right now he's a whopping 11 pounds, but should grow to about 20 pounds. Note: By 9/10/2011, Simon weighed in at 33 pounds, much heavier than originally estimated!

You can view his video I Am Puppy, Too on Animoto.

You can find out more about Sir Simon on alvin and simon's blog.

Five Tips For Buying A Designer Dog Online

Okay - so what the blazes is a designer dog? It's a mixed strain dog specifically bred to create a certain look/temperament/intelligence level. So a Cockapoo is a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle combo, creating an intelligent and handsome dog.

Case in point - the puppy I bought online is one-half Bichon Frise, and one-half Cockapoo, combining what I hoped was the best qualities of the three breeds. Admittedly, he originally looked like Raggedy Andy but once Alvin was groomed, he turned into a handsome dog with prominent back eyes and the colors of his parents and grandparents - a white Bichon parent, and black toy Poodle and fawn Cocker grandparents. Also, he's easily trainable (house and otherwise) and a friendly pup with a stubborn steak. I'm not sure about the stubbornness, but the other traits are inherited.

There were no local or next state breeders with reasonable prices, so I opted for a Midwest breeder located on puppyfind.com.

So, what are my tips after this online buying experience?

1. When you're looking online, be aware that photos can be misleading.

Alvin's pics on puppyfind dot com. showed black bushy eyebrows reminiscent of the comedian Groucho Marx and what appeared to be long cocker ears because of the camera angle (The picture above). This photo was taken a few weeks prior to the online viewing, so the puppy looked quite young. Fortunately, when he arrived at the airport, his appearance was much more appealing than the photo. Guess I was just lucky.

2. Be prepared with questions for the breeder.

Puppyfind dot com contains a tab called Buyer Tips that lists 22 questions to keep in mind when looking for a dog and talking to the breeder. Get the answers and decide if the dog you chose meets the qualifications.

3. If at all possible, see the puppy in action live before the purchase is finalized.

The breeder said that Alvin was the biggest pup in a litter of four, but was shy. If shy means laid back, then at least at first he was shy. But a month later, shy is hardly a word you can use to describe Alvin. He loves people and other dogs and greets all with affection. I transported Alvin from the Midwest to the East Coast via plane and if I had to do it again, I would have driven out to get him because he arrived totally traumatized, and I should have observed the kennel conditions. And that brings me to tip 4.

4. Besides the standard vaccinations provided by the breeder, insist on a urinalysis and a fecal analysis prior to payment and receipt of the pup.

Why? Alvin came from the kennel with three types of bugs - a urinary tract infection, an intestinal parasite called giardia, and ear mites. All can be attributed to kennel living. If you want to save yourself hundreds of dollars in vet bills, make sure the dog is bug free BEFORE you get him. Note that Alvin suffered through six treatments of antibiotics and pesticides until he could say "Ain't no bugs IN me."

A side note - if your pup urinates frequently and drinks water incessantly, get his urine analyzed. An infection-free pup housetrains much faster when he doesn't need to pee every half hour.

5. Be aware of the medical costs of dog ownership.

I haven't owned a dog in more than 10 years, so who knew that a first trip to the vet would cost way more than 10 years ago. Besides the original cost for the breeder and transport, so far I've paid for bug testing and elimination, a rabies shot, a distemper shot, and the monthly treatments for heartworm and fleas/ticks. In these times of financial distress for many people, these costs may be prohibitive.

In spite of the bug problems, I would buy online again, but I would follow my own advice in the five tips. In the absence of a live visit, perhaps the breeder can provide a video of the pups interacting with other dogs and with both children and adults.

Happy designer dog hunting online!

http://www.designerpuppys.blogspot.com