Standard Cockapoo

Check the label for an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutritional adequacy statement covering your Standard Cockapoo's life stage, switching from puppy to adult formula around the first birthday.

Two meals a day for an adult, morning and evening. Puppies need three or four on a consistent schedule.

Even at the top of the breed's size range, weight gain is the risk. Cockapoos tend to become overweight, and the largest size hides it best under a thick coat, so feel for the ribs instead of trusting the outline. Avoid table scraps, keep treats to a small share of the calories, and talk to your vet as soon as the weight starts climbing.

Amounts start with the label and get adjusted with your vet. Joint supplements suit some dogs, particularly given the hip dysplasia this cross can inherit, but ask your vet before adding one.

The Standard carries the most coat of the three sizes and takes the longest at the groomer, who you will be seeing every four to six weeks. Brush at home between visits. The club asks for a teddy bear clip of about two to three inches over the whole dog, head the same length as body, beard and face under four inches, and never a shave-down.

Skin care is usually light: a bath every few months is enough for most. Dogs with ichthyosis, allergies or recurring skin infections may need weekly bathing, and any external parasites are a vet visit rather than a shampoo.

Ears come from the Cocker side and behave like it. Long and floppy, they hold moisture and debris, so examine them weekly and after any exposure to water. A smell, redness, swelling, head shaking or scratching all warrant a call.

Check the eyes regularly for discharge, redness, bulging or cloudiness, since this cross carries several eye conditions. Brush the teeth daily and clip the nails about every six weeks, or when you can hear them on the floor.

Moderate energy is the honest description, even at this size. A Standard Cockapoo does not need constant activity: a couple of walks a day, a game of fetch or a swim will usually do it, and the breed is relatively laid-back at home.

The larger frame does open up more. This is the size that can manage a longer hike or a proper swim session, and agility works well on a dog with the reach for it.

Do not read laid-back as low-need. The breed still requires social enrichment through toys, daily walks and a mix of physical and mental work, and a Standard with none of that will find its own project.

House or apartment both work. The breed is happy with singles and with families, and this size in particular is easy company on a walk without being a handful on the leash.

Cockapoos are great for first-time owners, and a Standard is still an easy dog to teach: smart, eager to please, and responsive to positive reinforcement with treats, play and praise. The club's standard describes a breed extremely easy to train in just about any situation.

Do the socialisation early. Expose the puppy to a wide range of people, places, animals and situations and get into an obedience class as soon as you can. At this size, leash manners and polite greetings are worth locking in before the dog is full-grown.

Keep training past the basics. Trick work and advanced obedience suit a breed that enjoys learning, and they are a better use of a clever dog's day than another lap of the block.

Build up alone time gradually. The club warns that these are people dogs and should not be left for extended periods, and separation anxiety is the specific risk. A Standard Cockapoo is normally a quiet dog; barking when you are out is usually the anxiety talking.