🐩 Cockapoo
Temperament
Affectionate, playful, sociable, eager to please. Bonded with family, generally good with children, other dogs and cats.
Exercise
60 minutes of daily walking plus play. Cockapoos love retrieving and water. Mental work matters as much as physical exercise.
Grooming
Curly to wavy coat, depending on the cross. Brush 3–4× weekly to prevent matting; professional groom every 6–8 weeks. Most are low-shedding but not all are fully hypoallergenic — Generation matters (F1B are most consistently low-shed).
Health
Hybrid vigour helps but watch for parental conditions: hip dysplasia, eye conditions (PRA), ear infections (long ears + hair), patellar luxation, allergies.
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🦮 Labrador Retriever
Temperament
Outgoing, even-tempered and gentle. Labs are people-oriented to the point of being terrible guard dogs — they tend to greet strangers like long-lost friends. They're known for their patience with children, tolerance of other dogs and "puppy-like" exuberance well into their adult years.
Exercise
Labs need 60–90 minutes of vigorous daily exercise as adults — running, swimming, fetch and scent work all suit them. Without enough activity they gain weight quickly (Labs are genetically predisposed to obesity) and develop destructive boredom. Two walks plus 20 minutes of off-lead play is a good baseline.
Grooming
A short, dense double coat that sheds year-round and "blows" twice a year. Weekly brushing keeps it manageable; daily during shedding seasons. Labs only need bathing every 8–12 weeks. Don't shave a Lab — the undercoat insulates against both cold and heat.
Health
Common issues: hip and elbow dysplasia (always check parental hip scores), exercise-induced collapse (genetic test available), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-prcd test), bloat / GDV in deep-chested dogs, and obesity-related arthritis. Lifespan averages 10–14 years; lean, active Labs can reach 15+.
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