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Are Cockapoos Easy to Train? 6 Tips for FAST Cockapoo House Training

Squelch. An unsuspecting human foot finds a little surprise left behind by a Cockapoo puppy. A stinky situation!

We love our Cockapoo puppies, but a stinky mess where you are not expecting it can be a real bother.

are cockapoos easy to train
Are Cockapoos Easy to Train? How old will a Cockapoo be when it is house trained?

When training your Cockapoo, house training is one of the first things you need to get sorted. So are Cockapoos easy to train?

If you’re thinking about adding a canine to your household, a Cockapoo is a friendly, smart dog that is sure to fit right in. The breed is known for its sweet personality, playfulness, and loyalty. Cockapoos also have a thick coat of beautiful fur that is so soft you’ll want to pet your dog every time you see it!  

Are Cockapoos Easy to Train?

The answer to whether Cockapoos are easy to train is a definitive YES! These Poodle mix dogs are whip-smart, which means they’re quick to pick up the lessons. It all depends on how we try and teach our Cockapoos.

With a consistent reward-based approach, you will have your Cockapoo housetrained, sitting, spinning, and recalling in no time.

A Cockapoo is part Cocker Spaniel and part Poodle. Both Cocker Spaniels and Poodles are known for their intelligence

In fact, Poodles are ranked at number 2 on the list of the smartest breeds of dogs. Einstein Cockapoo!

It should come as no surprise that the Oodle dog Cockapoo is recognized as being easy to train!

Why Cockapoos are Easy to Train?

It is easy for me to listen to Cockapoo owners and breeders and repeatedly tell you that Cockapoos are easy to train. But WHY are they to trainable?

cockapoo puppy at a party
A super cute Cockapoo having a party! But does it have a bellybutton? Find out if dogs have belly buttons.
Photo under license to Oodle Life from Deposit Photos

What makes them such a great breed to learn tricks and behaviors? (provided you are consistent and diligent).

Cockapoos are intelligent, and they are particularly great at focusing on you.

You can only train a dog if it’s looking at you and paying attention to what you’re saying.

Some breeds of dogs are better at locking their eyes on you than others. A Cockapoo is one of those dogs that can focus on you so you can successfully deliver the lesson. 

A Cockapoo’s intelligence also helps them quickly pick up on your gestures and facial expressions during training.

These combined with your verbal commands all help your Cockapoo to learn where to relieve itself, walk beside you, come when you call it. 

How Long Does It Take to Housetrain a Cockapoo?

The time it takes to train a Cockapoo puppy varies by owner. If you’re consistent and patient in your training efforts, it may take as little as a couple weeks. 

comfortable bed for Cockapoo
The Cockapoo puppy feels comfortable with his new bed. (Image: Instagram/@maverick_cockapoo)

The average time to housetrain a Cockapoo is by four months of age. It can take up to six months for some dogs. 

The age of your Cockapoo is another factor affecting the amount of time it takes to housetrain it. If you wait until your puppy is a few months old enough to housetrain it, it will likely take longer to accomplish the goal.  

This is why you benefit from starting to housetrain your Cockapoo puppy right after adding it to your household. Crate training methods see faster results when it comes to house training your dog. 

See how to housetrain a dog quickly in this guide to potty training. (It is written for Bernedoodles, but the same principles apply directly to Cockapoos).

Your experience with training dogs has an affect on how long it takes to train your Cockapoo. 

Why do dogs sleep so much? And why do dogs sleep at the foot of the bed?

Owner Experience Matters

If you are learning yourself while training your dog – it tends to take longer. The housetraining process gets easier with increased owner experience.

well-trained Cockapoo sniffs owner
A well-trained Cockapoo wants to go out for potty. (Image: Instagram/@codybcockapoo)

Don’t get too worried though, most owners are new to this. Given the long Cockapoo lifespan, there may only be very few times you need to housetrain a dog.

Once you learn how you’ll know what to do if you decide to add another Cockapoo to your household in the future!

Reasons a Cockapoo May Be Difficult to Train

One reason for the difficulty in training has to do with other dogs in a household. If you have other dogs in your home, they can serve as a distraction when you’re trying to train your puppy.  

towel to warm Cockapoo
The Cockapoo puppy stayed on a towel to keep him warm during winter. (Image: Instagram/@cockapoodlelu)

They will probably want to play and visit with you while you’re going through instruction with your pup. 

So, put your other dogs in a different area of your home when housetraining or obedience training your Cockapoo puppy. 

Another reason it may be challenging to train your puppy is a lack of trust. If you haven’t established trust with your Cockapoo puppy, it can be challenging to teach it. You build trust with your puppy by spending time petting it and speaking to it in a calm voice. Once it trusts you, then the training workshop will become a lot easier. 

The environment can be a factor in training a Cockapoo puppy. Trying to obedience train a puppy at a dog park or in another public area can be challenging because of all the distractions. 

It’s best to do all of your puppy training at home, at least until your Cockapoo has solidly caught on to the lessons. 

The Benefits of Training Your Cockapoo

There are apparent benefits to housetraining your Cockapoo puppy. You get to enjoy clean rugs! Putting your pup through obedience training has its own further advantages as well. 

cute mini cockapoo puppy
A super cute (innocent) Cockapoo! With good training any bad temperament issues can be easily overcome. What a cutie!
Photo by Greg Dunlap /CC BY

When you teach your Cockapoo pup to come when called and stay, you’re taking steps to keep it safe from possible harm. If you live near a busy road or don’t have a fence around your yard, you need to know that your pup will come whenever you call or stay put when you need it to remain still.  

These lessons are also helpful when you walk your dog off the leash in the woods or in a park.

Obedience instruction also makes your Cockapoo a more welcome addition to the household. If you like to have guests over for dinner or for parties, you want a dog that listens when you tell it to do something. 

You already know your Cockapoo has a friendly temperament. Still, you also want to know that it respects your authority in the household. 

Obedience training is another way to bond with your Cockapoo. When you do things like maintain eye contact with your puppy, give it verbal praise, and talk to it in a calming voice, you’re bonding with it!

You can develop a trust and a friendship with your Cockapoo as it gets instruction from you.

6 Tips for Training a Cockapoo

Tip 1: Be consistent. A Cockapoo that receives regular training is going to learn the lesson. If you’re housetraining, it means taking your puppy out every thirty minutes to try to relieve itself in the same area of your yard. With consistency, your puppy knows what to expect and eventually catches on to your lesson. 

Tip 2: Be patient. From birth, a puppy is used to relieving itself wherever and whenever it wants to. So, it’s going to take time and dedication to teach it to do things your way. If you become frustrated with the process, take a deep breath, and remember your Cockapoo puppy is more than capable of learning the lesson you’re delivering. It will happen!

Tip 3: Don’t lose your temper. Shouting at your Cockapoo puppy or even speaking harshly to it is counterproductive. For one, your puppy will become frightened and won’t be able to absorb the training lessons. Also, there’s a good chance your puppy will lose its trust in you. You can’t train a puppy that doesn’t trust you. Try to make training an enjoyable time to share with your pup.

Tip 4: Use a specific treat as a reward. When housetraining or doing any other type of training, it’s best to use a particular kind of treat to reward your dog’s positive behavior. When you stick with one specific sort of appealing food during training, your Cockapoo puppy will connect that treat with the lesson. This makes your training sessions all the more effective.

Tip 5: Expect some setbacks. Maybe after a few days of successful housetraining, your Cockapoo urinates in your hallway. This accident doesn’t mean your training efforts have failed. Your puppy may have just waited too long to alert you of its need to go outside. Or, maybe your puppy was overexcited about something and had an accident. In short, don’t let an accident discourage you in your efforts.

Tip 6: Use verbal praise. Be sure to combine your treat rewards with words of praise when your Cockapoo puppy does the right thing. Cockapoos are friendly dogs that are loyal to their owners, so lots of words of praise from you are going to make them happy and want to please you more.

Which Cockapoo Training Book Should I Get?

If you are looking for a book resource to train your Cockapoo – I strongly encourage you to take a step back. Instead of seeking a smaller less reviewed book that says it will give you Cockapoo specific tips – go for one of these two puppy training books.

I recommend these two almost daily to people asking for my basic approach to puppy training.

They are classics of basic puppy training – each has been read (and reviewed) hundreds of thousands of times. I particularly enjoyed Lucky Dog Lessons because of Brandon’s positive reinforcement approach with specific strategies for early training.

Sale
Lucky Dog Lessons: From Renowned Expert Dog Trainer and Host of Lucky Dog: Reunions
  • McMillan, Brandon (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 336 Pages - 10/02/2018 (Publication Date) - HarperOne (Publisher)
Sale
Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement
  • Kay, Larry (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 304 Pages - 09/25/2012 (Publication Date) - Workman Publishing Company (Publisher)

If training a Cockapoo tricks is on your to-do list – a foundation of basic training as taught in either of these books is necessary first. Start with the behavioral basics and then tricks like Spin, High-5, Beg and even BANG! are fast and easy to teach your well behaved Cockapoo.

Cockapoo Recall Training

One of the most challenging parts of training any puppy is recall. Cockapoo’s are fairly easily trainable in most aspects – but many owners will struggle with recall.

This YouTube video details the same style of techniques I use to train Oodle dogs to recall correctly.

Learn More About Cockapoo Care and Training