A cockapoo (sometimes also called a spoodle, cockerpoo, or cockadoodle) is a cross breed dog, bred for the first time in the United States, by crossing an American Cocker Spaniel or English Cocker Spaniel and a poodle (in most cases the miniature poodle or toy poodle), or by breeding cockapoo to cockapoo.
Cockapoos are generally very healthy and robust medium-sized dogs. As with a lot of smaller dogs, they tend to be quite long-lived, and it's not unusual for cockapoos to live 14–18 years, while some may live up to 22 years.
Because cockapoos are a mixed breed, they may be less susceptible to genetic ailments than purebred dogs. Purebreds are more likely to share similar alleles, whereas mixed breeds such as the cockapoo have greater diversity in their genes and are less likely to inherit two copies of an undesirable recessive gene. Several studies suggest that mixed breed dogs are less prone to genetic illnesses.
However, both purebred poodles and cocker spaniels can suffer from luxating patellas (loose knees), and this can be passed on to their offspring. For this reason, an OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) exam is recommended to check for this problem before dogs are bred. Purebred poodles and cocker spaniels can also suffer from a number of eye disorders, including
progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). A CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) exam and DNA test for PRA should therefore be performed before breeding. Like many floppy-eared breeds, cockapoos can be subject to ear infections, and it's important to keep their ears clean and dry