The puppy coat

Your Felindre Cockapoo’s puppy’s coat is fairly straightforward to care for in the early days. For the first six months you need only to establish a simple routine, aiming to groom him for ten minutes about 3-4 times a week.

As much as anything else, even though your puppy does not need quite this much, he will once his adult coat ‘comes in’ around eight months of age so it is a good idea to prepare him (and yourself for that matter) for what is to come.

These short sessions may seem akin to alligator wrestling, and there may be a fair bit of ‘mouthing’ on the part of your new family member but remember it is a great way to bond with him too. Going forward, regularly grooming your dog yourself also means you can spot any changes to his coat, skin, or ears quickly; if anything needs investigating.

If you are not planning to groom your dog yourself, be sure to do your research and find a good dog groomer in your area. Contact several, check out their gallery pics online to see if they groom plenty of other cockapoo puppies and visit to ensure you are happy with their standards.

Word of mouth can be the best way of finding a good, reliable groomer; along with a ‘puppy familiarisation’ session to see how the groomer handles your dog and start to get him used to visiting for longer. Begin looking for a groomer to visit once your pup has finished his vaccinations, you may be surprised to find how booked up they get. Once your dog starts going regularly you will be able to figure out how well the set-up suits him.

The adult coat

Soon after the eight-month mark your puppy’s coat will change to become his adult coat and this becomes a little less easy to care for. His soft puppy coat will moult to enable his adult coat to grow through. It is important to groom out this moult as it will otherwise matt and form dreadlocks within your puppy’s coat.

As established cockapoo breeders, at Felindre, we find some cockapoos will have straighter coats than others, if straight you may choose to keep their coat on the longer side and maintain by giving him a thorough brush three times a week. He may only need to visit the groomers every 2-3 months but

bear in mind that the hair over his eyes and under his chin will likely grow quite long so you may need an interim visit to ensure you can see his gorgeous eyes and save yourself from a mucky, soggy beard coming in for cuddles after a long drink!

Curly coats

Keeping curly coats longer is much more tricky as the fur on these dogs will easily absorb the mud and dirt that your active pup encounters. Most of these cockapoos will be clipped into a teddy bear trim, any longer than around 3-4 cms and you will have a very matted dog on your hands.

Once a cockapoo puppy is matted the only solution is to clip his coat off and have it re-grow so do not let the grooming routine slide as you will rue the day when faced with a stern talking to from your groomer and your teddy simply won’t look the same without his usual amount of cuddly curls!

Always remember, as you go to grab your pup after he launches himself into a muddy bog or after a bath, not to rub him with a towel when his fur is wet. That will cause his fur to mat so blot him dry and only brush when his fur is dry.

Nails

You will probably want to have the groomer trim your pup’s nails too, or many dog owners have a vet plan which covers nail trims combined with their worming and tick prevention meds as and when needed if this is easier for you.

Ears

One of the key areas of maintenance for your cockapoo will be his ears. As an adult these will need a regular cleaning routine, so get your puppy used to having you lift his ears and gently touch around the membranes of their ear so that they don’t get cross when this expected later on. Of course, plenty of rewards and lots of praise, as with all the good things they do, is essential to teach your puppy that his co-operation will be worthwhile!

Teeth

Your puppy’s teeth will fall out around 4-6 months of age, and you may occasionally find them in unexpected places, but do not be alarmed this is perfectly normal. It is still best to begin teeth cleaning routine when they are little to get your pup used to it, using a baby toothbrush or a special dog one and of course, dog toothpaste. Supported by healthy dental treats or bones that suit your dog’s diet this will ensure they are well looked after.

Cockapoo Puppies for Sale

We have gorgeous light red cockapoo babies ready to leave at 10 weeks of age. For more information visit our cockapoo puppies for sale page.