How to train a Cockapoo puppy: a week-by-week starting plan

Cockapoos combine two bright, people-focused breeds: the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle. That usually makes them quick to learn and eager to work with you. It also means a bored Cockapoo will find its own entertainment, often by chewing, barking or stealing socks. The plan below gives your puppy a good start.

Before you start: how puppies learn

Puppies repeat what gets them something they want. If sitting earns a treat, they sit more. If jumping up earns attention, they jump up more. Reward-based training uses this: you mark and reward the behaviour you want, and avoid rewarding what you don't want.

A few rules make training faster:

• Keep sessions to 2 to 5 minutes, several times a day.
• Use small, soft treats your puppy really likes, and take some from their daily food allowance.
• Say the cue once. If your puppy doesn't respond, make it easier rather than repeating yourself.
• End on a success, while your puppy still wants more.
• Avoid shouting, smacking, rattle cans or spray collars. They teach fear, not the behaviour you want.

Week one: settling in and toilet training

For the first few days, focus on helping your puppy feel safe and on toilet training.

1. Take your puppy outside to the same spot when they wake up, after eating, after play, and at least every hour or two while awake.
2. Wait quietly. When they go, praise them calmly and give a treat straight away, outside.
3. If there's an accident indoors, clean it with an enzyme cleaner and say nothing. Telling a puppy off for accidents teaches them to hide when they need to go.
4. At night, expect to take them out at least once for the first few weeks.

Start teaching their name at the same time: say it once in a happy voice and reward them when they look at you.

Socialisation: the most important job in the first months

Puppies are most open to new experiences in their first few months of life. What they meet calmly during this time shapes how confident they are as adults.

Aim for short, positive introductions to:

• people of different ages and appearances, including people wearing hats, glasses or high-vis jackets;
• household sounds such as the vacuum cleaner, washing machine and doorbell;
• traffic, bikes and buggies, viewed from a distance at first;
• different surfaces, car journeys and the vet's waiting room;
• calm, friendly, fully vaccinated adult dogs.

Let your puppy watch from a distance and approach in their own time. If they seem worried, move further away. Until your vet says your puppy is protected by their vaccinations, carry them in busy areas and avoid places where unknown dogs go.

A reward-based puppy class is a good way to practise around distractions. Ask to watch a class first, and choose a trainer who uses rewards rather than corrections.

The first cues to teach

Teach one cue at a time in a quiet room, then practise it in busier places.

• Sit. Hold a treat just above your puppy's nose and move it slowly back over their head. As their bottom goes down, say "yes" and give the treat. Add the word "sit" once they do it reliably.
• Recall. Say their name and "come" in a happy voice, then reward generously when they reach you. Practise at home and in the garden before you try it outdoors, and never call them to you to tell them off.
• Settle. Reward your puppy for lying calmly on a mat or bed. Cockapoos often need help learning to switch off.
• Leave it. Show a treat in your closed hand. When your puppy stops trying to get it, reward them from your other hand.

Lead walking without pulling

Get your puppy used to a soft collar or harness at home first, for a few minutes at a time, with treats. Then practise walking on a loose lead in the house and garden. Reward your puppy often for being next to you. If they pull, stop and wait for the lead to loosen, then carry on. Short sessions work better than long walks at this age.

Teaching your puppy to be alone

Many dogs find being left alone stressful, and Cockapoos are often very attached to their people. Start teaching alone time early, while life is calm:

1. Give your puppy a chew or food toy in a safe area and step out of sight for a few seconds.
2. Come back before they become upset, calmly and without fuss.
3. Build up the time very gradually over weeks, from seconds to minutes.

If your puppy cries, barks or scratches when you leave, go back a step. Persistent distress when alone needs help from your vet or a qualified behaviourist.

Crate training: optional, and only if your puppy is comfortable

A crate can give a puppy a safe den and help with toilet training at night, but it is not essential. If you use one, introduce it slowly with treats and the door open, make it comfortable, and never use it as a punishment. Puppies should not be shut in a crate for long periods during the day.

Grooming and handling

Cockapoo coats can be curly, wavy or straighter, and most need regular brushing and professional trims to stop painful mats forming. Get your puppy used to being handled from the start: touch their paws, ears and mouth gently, then reward. Introduce a soft brush for a few seconds at a time. A puppy who enjoys being handled will find grooming, vet checks and nail trims much less stressful.

The teenage phase

Between about 6 and 18 months, many dogs seem to "forget" their training. This is a normal stage of development. Keep training sessions short, go back to easier steps, and keep rewarding good choices. Plenty of sniffing walks, food puzzles and training games help burn off a Cockapoo's energy.

You can read more about the breed in our Cockapoo breed guide.