It seems like new designer breeds are coming out by the day, each one cuter than the last. That’s certainly the case with the Cockapoochi. It’s a newer designer cross between the Cockapoo and the Chihuahua, and there are plenty of reasons to love this small dog.

Breed Overview

They’re high energy, but because of their small size, they thrive in smaller living spaces like apartments. Moreover, they’re extremely loyal and great family dogs. Unlike the Cockapoo, they’re not always hypoallergenic, so keep this in mind when deciding if one is right for you.

Finally, they have wide-ranging personalities, but one thing that always stays the same with a Cockapoochi is their intelligence. They’re extremely smart dogs that love their owners, and when you pair that with how cute they are, it’s no surprise that they’re rapidly growing in popularity!

Cockapoochi Characteristics

Cockapoochi Puppies

The Cockapoochi is a fairly new designer breed – they are the result of a wonderful mix of the sweet-natured Cockapoo and the sassy Chihuahua.

These pups may be short, but they makes up for it in spades with their huge personalities. If you looking for companionship, you may just find that the Cockapoochi is the breed for you. They make wonderful family pets as well!

Temperament & Intelligence of the Cockapoochi

This is one area where it’s hard to say exactly what you’re getting. The Cockapoochi is a mix of three different dog breeds, each of which can have vastly different personalities. What we can say for sure is that the Cockapoochi is eager to please, loving, and a great companion.

But they can also either be shy or outgoing, feisty or timid, or mischievous or proper; it really depends on which parent they take after. However, no matter what parent they take after you get an intelligent dog. All three parent breeds are extremely smart, so you know the Cockapoochi will be too.

Are These Dogs Good for Families?🏡

While the Cockapoochi is a great family dog, you need to be careful around smaller children. It’s not that you need to worry about the Cockapoochi going after them; it’s that you need to worry about your children accidentally hurting these small dogs.

It wouldn’t take much for a child to fall and seriously injure a Cockapoochi, and when that happens, there’s no guarantee that the Cockapoochi won’t bite as they try to defend themselves.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?🐶 😽

As long as you take the time to socialize them properly, there’s no reason a Cockapoochi can’t get along great with other pets. But while Cockapoochies do get along well with other pets, we would be careful bringing them around larger dogs.

Depending on your Cockapoochi’s temperament (and it could go either way) they’ll either shy away from the larger dogs or act like they’re the same size. If they act like they’re the same size it wouldn’t take much for a larger dog to accidentally hurt a Cockapoochi while they’re playing.

Things to Know When Owning a Cockapoochi

Before you rush out and track down a Cockapoochi breeder, there are a few basic care requirements you should know about. This way, you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into and there aren’t any surprises after you bring your new puppy home!

Food & Diet Requirements🦴

Because the Cockapoochi can vary from 10–20 pounds in size, it’s impossible to say exactly how much you should feed yours. It all depends on their weight, but an average Cockapoochi will eat between ½ and 1½ cups of dry kibble each day.

Always feed your Cockapoochi high-quality kibble to ensure they get all the nutrients they need as a part of their daily diet.

Exercise🐕

While a Cockapoochi is a high-energy dog, because of their smaller size, they don’t walk quite as long as larger high-energy dogs. Aim for two walks a day, preferably one in the morning and one in the evening. From there, try to get them out for at least 30 minutes during each walk and give them plenty of time to sniff and explore.

Training🦮

Because of their higher intelligence levels and desire to please, training a Cockapoochi is comparatively easy. You need to stay consistent with the training, stay positive, and give them plenty of positive reinforcement. If you stick with these things, there’s no reason you can’t train your Cockapoochi to do just about anything you want!

Grooming ✂️

This is one area where it’s hard to say exactly what you’ll need to do with a Cockapoochi. If they take after their Cockapoo parentage, they won’t shed at all, but you’ll need to brush them daily and take them for haircuts.

However, if they take after the Chihuahua, they’ll shed. While this means you won’t need to take them for haircuts, you will need to brush them often and vacuum your home a bit more to clean up all the hair they shed.

Health and Conditions❤️

Like any dog, the Cockapoochi has a litany of potential health concerns they can develop. They can develop any of the potential health issues of either a Cockapoo or Chihuahua, but they’re less likely to develop an issue that only affects one of the parent breeds than a purebred would be.

It all depends on which genes they inherit from each parent, making it a little more challenging to figure out which conditions you should look out for the most.

Male vs. Female

The differences between male and female Cockapoochi stay pretty much in line with the primary differences between male and female dogs of any breed.  Male dogs tend to be a bit larger than identical female dogs, but with a Cockapoochi, it’s more important to figure out which parent they take after if you want a better indication of how large they’ll get.

Males tend to demand attention a little more than females, while females still want the attention but are more likely to make you come to them to give it to them.

Of course, your dog’s personality will play a large role in this, too, but overall, it’s more likely for a female Cockapoochi to stay a little more aloof compared to male Cockapoochies.

3 Little-Known Facts About The Cockapoochi

As a newer breed, there are still quite a few unknowns out there about the Cockapoochi. We’ve highlighted three of the most notable facts you should know about the breed here:

1. Cockapoochies Are Not Always Hypoallergenic

While the Cockapoo is considered hypoallergenic, the Chihuahua is not, so there’s no saying whether your Cockapoochi will be hypoallergenic or not. It really depends on what parent they take after, and there’s no knowing until it’s too late.

2. Cockapoochies Can Be Shy or Outgoing

If you’re trying to get a dog with a surefire temperament, the Cockapoochi isn’t the way to go. Sometimes they can hide from just about everything, and other times they can explore every noise and check out every person.

3. Cockapoochies Are Extremely Smart

While it can be challenging to find a near-guaranteed trait with a dog breed with three different parent breeds, intelligence is all but a sure thing. That’s because the Cockapoo comes from the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle, both of which are highly intelligent.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a unique dog that’s great with families and extremely cute, the Cockapoochi is a great choice. You don’t need tons of land to get one either, as they’re great apartment dogs.

Just know that there will be a fair number of differences between each Cockapoochi, depending on which parent they take after, so don’t get too set on any one thing before getting one!

Featured Image Credit: Left – mountaintreks, Shutterstock | Right – Rafael Guajardo, Pexels