How Big Do Cockapoos Get?

“How big will my cockapoo get” is the first question almost every new owner asks me, and the honest answer is that it was mostly decided before the puppy was born. A cockapoo is a cocker spaniel crossed with a poodle, and poodles come in three sizes. The one they used sets the ceiling.

So before you guess from the puppy in front of you, find out what the poodle parent was. That single fact tells you more than the puppy’s current weight ever will.

The miniature is by far the most common pet cockapoo, so if nobody can tell you the parent, the middle row is your best bet. Toy crosses run roughly half the weight; the maxi is a different, bigger dog that catches people off guard.

How small do they start?

Tiny. An eight-week-old miniature cockapoo is barely bigger than a tennis ball, three to five pounds of fluff. That’s worth seeing before you bring one home, because it is very hard to believe the dog in the chart above starts here.

Growth chart by age

Here’s the rough timeline for a typical miniature cockapoo, the most common kind. Treat the numbers as a guide, not a promise. Every puppy runs a little ahead or behind.

For a toy cockapoo, roughly halve those weights. For a maxi, add a good bit. The shape of the curve stays the same: fast early, then a long slow taper as the dog fills out rather than grows taller.

When is my cockapoo full grown?

Height first, weight second. Most cockapoos hit close to their adult height by seven or eight months, then spend the next few months filling out their chest and frame. Call it done at around a year for a toy or miniature, a little later, up to fourteen months, for a maxi.

How can I predict the adult size?

Three quick checks, in order of how much I trust them. First, the parents: ask the breeder the weight of both, since the puppy usually lands between them. Second, a vet rule of thumb for small breeds, the weight at six months is close to the adult weight. Third, the old paws-look test, big loose paws and leg still to grow. The parents beat the paws every time.

Will my puppy stay this fluffy?

The size settles by a year, but the look keeps changing. The soft puppy coat blows out into the adult coat around eight to ten months, and that adult coat is thicker, which makes a lot of cockapoos look bigger than they weigh. That coat is also why so many owners think their dog is overweight when it isn’t, and the reverse.

Is my cockapoo overweight, or just fluffy?

You can’t tell by looking at this breed, so use your hands. Run them down the dog’s sides. You should feel the ribs under a thin layer, like the back of your hand. From above there should be a waist behind the ribs. The coat hides all of this, which is one more reason to keep up with the brushing, covered in the cockapoo grooming guide. If you can’t find ribs under the fluff, the scale isn’t the problem, the fluff is hiding a few extra pounds.

For the full breed picture, start with the cockapoo breed guide. A growing puppy is a training puppy, so pair this with the cockapoo training guide for the housebreaking and socializing that fill those first months. If you’re still choosing a puppy, the colors guide covers what shade you’re getting and the names guide helps you pick a good one. And if you want a similar small doodle, the maltipoo runs a touch smaller, while the rest of the designer crosses span every size from lap dog to couch-filler.