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A Cockapoo or Cockerpoo is a hybrid dog, created by crossing an American Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, in most cases the Miniature Poodle or Toy Poodle. Breeders usually try to retain the small build of the American Cocker Spaniel, while retaining the wavy quality of the Poodle's coat.
Cockapoos tend to have far fewer genetic problems than their parent breeds. This is due to what is called hybrid vigor.
It is important that the cockapoo's ears be kept clean, as Cockapoos are prone to ear infections. This is because of the Cockapoo's long ears, and is a problem common to long eared dogs, especially Cocker Spaniels.
The Cockapoo has been popular in the United States since at least the 1960s. It has become so common that many, if not most, Cockapoos on the market today are the result of breeding male and female Cockapoos rather than of a direct cross between the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle.
The Cockapoo is still under development. Strictly speaking, the Cockapoo cannot be described as a dog breed because it does not 'breed true'. In breeders' terms, 'breeding true' means that, when two specimens of the same breed are mated, the puppies have more consistently predictable characteristics and will resemble their parents, rather than exhibiting random characteristics of the dog breeds in their parents' ancestries.