FAQs
We are ethical hobby breeders, not a licensed breeder; however, we adhere to as many of the standards that are inspected in order to obtain a breeding licence as possible. We appreciate the numerous steps the UK Government has taken to put unethical puppy farms and breeders that don't care about the health of the dogs they breed out of business. These steps are not intended to stop pet owners from breeding an occasional litter in their home from their beloved family pet, which is what we do. We operate transparently, with full disclosure and we do not sell puppies to impulse buyers. To buy one of our puppies, you will need to complete an application form, be vetted, then visit the puppies with their mother in our home where we can answer all questions you might have. Only then will we accept a reservation deposit.
In the simplest terms, ethical breeders follow the Golden Rule of doing unto others as they would have others do unto them. We have bred our much loved pet, who is an important member of our family and has brought so much joy into our lives. We want to share this very rewarding experience with other dog lovers by producing two litters of healthy, well socialised and confident puppies who will go out to other families and spread the joy. This is why we named our website Cockapoo Joy. This is what a well bred puppy brings to you.
There are four key ethical elements to our breeding plan. We voluntarily comply with Lucy's Law (compliance is not mandatory for hobby breeders). We adhere to the requirements of the PetPlan Puppy Charter. We use the Puppy Contract from www.puppycontract.org.uk as the basis of selling our puppies. We adhere to the advertising standards of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group, which you may read at https://paag.org.uk/advertising-standards/
In addition, we have a robust socialisation plan underway with the puppies and this website and blog provide comprehensive information about caring for your puppy once you take him or her home.
No, this will be her second litter. Her first litter of six puppies was born on 12 October 2023 by natural delivery. No intervention was required during delivery of the puppies. Caramel was a natural; an advantage of waiting until she was mature to breed her. She was nearly three years old and in her fourth season when we bred her to Rudy, a Red Sable F1 Toy Cockapoo owned by Cuckoo K9, Eastleigh, UK. Rudy is also the sire of Caramel's second and final litter. The ethical guidance on breeding is that a dog should be at least one year old and in her second season or later before breeding. Caramel's seasons prior to breeding were about 8 months apart, so the minimum breeding window would have been when she was 16 months old, but we wanted her to be more mature, so we waited longer For her second litter, we waited until her 8th season. The main reason to wait was timing so the litter would arrive early in the year and be ready to rehome in the Spring.
Yes - the entire litter will receive the first set of core vaccinations including DHP and Lepto4 in their eighth week at an Oxford based Veterinary Clinic, just before you collect your puppy. These include:
Canine Distemper - A viral disease which can cause severe, and often fatal, pneumonia (lung inflammation) and encephalitis (brain inflammation).
Canine Adenovirus type 1 and 2 - These viruses can cause severe and fatal Hepatitis (liver inflammation) as well as upper airway inflammation.
Canine Parvovirus - A highly-contagious and often-fatal virus that causes severe illness with signs such as vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.
Leptospirosis - This infection can cause liver and kidney failure. The bacteria live in stagnant and standing water such as lakes, rivers and ponds. Lepto4 protects the puppy against four different strains of this disease.
Buyers will need to get the second round of vaccinations for their puppy at 12 weeks. If your chosen Vet practice offers a Pet Health Plan as a monthly subscription, the vaccinations are usually included at no extra cost, along with flea, tick and worm prevention, nail clipping, and an annual health check, though each Vet may vary what they include in their Plan. Additional vaccinations to consider:
Kennel Cough - A mild disease that mainly leads to discomfort. Most kennels require a dog to be vaccinated for Kennel Cough before they will accept them for boarding.
Rabies - This disease doesn't exist in the UK, but if you wish to take your puppy abroad, they will need a current rabies vaccination.
Our puppies will come with four weeks of insurance from PetPlan. We strongly recommend that you continue to insure your puppy, whether with PetPlan or another provider of your choice. The advantage to having insurance is that you won't be tempted to consider delaying a Vet visit in order to save money if you have a health concern for your dog. Most insurance companies will only activate a policy once the sale is complete. We have committed to the Puppy Charter with PetPlan, a major UK pet insurance company and one benefit of this is that they will insure the puppies at no cost to you for the first four weeks that you own them. This gives you time to consider the various insurance companies and choose one that you like. One option would be to continue with PetPlan, but you must make this decision before the end of the four weeks of free coverage lapses. Caramel is insured with Many Pets, but they don't offer walk away insurance for puppies, which is why we looked elsewhere for your walk away cover. We don't endorse any particular insurance company and we don't receive a commission if you buy insurance from PetPlan, nor would we want to. They offer high street coupons to breeders if puppy buyers insure their pet with them, but these are of low value - we received a £10 Amazon coupon for a litter one referral.
The second litter will most likely be born on 31st January or 1st February 2026 and will be available for collection no earlier than 8 weeks later in Oxford, UK, in accordance with Lucy's Law. We will stagger the collections over several days in order to make the process easier on us and Caramel. The handover meetings take 60-90 minutes.
We won't take deposits for any of the puppies until the prospective buyer has submitted an application form followed by a visit to meet the puppies along with their mother at our home in Oxford, UK. Visit dates will commence around 1st March 2026.
Litter Two is expected around 31st January 2026 and based on a 2nd January ultrasound, we expect 4-5 puppies. Once they reach four weeks of age, we will allow visits and will begin to reserve puppies. Once a puppy is reserved, this fact will be shown below:
Litter Two
Expected 31st January 2026
Litter One Born in October 2023. Here are descriptions of those puppies. Pup 1: SOLD - Chocolate Sable Male with chocolate nose and paw pads, green eyes, tan points and a thick wavy coat
Pup 2: SOLD - Apricot Male with black nose and paw pads and a wavy coat
Pup 3: SOLD - Apricot Male with a white streak on his forehead that is currently looking like a bolt of lightning, along with a large white patch on his chest and a curly coat
Pup 4: SOLD - Dark Red Sable Male with tan points and a white patch on his forehead that initially looked like a heart and so far a smooth coat
Pup 5: SOLD - Dark Red Sable Female with tan points and a tiny white spot on her forehead who is starting to show signs of a wavy coat
Pup 6: SOLD - Apricot Female with a curly coat and the largest of the litter
Here is the process we have established for anyone wishing to buy a puppy:
Use the contact form on the About page or Contact page of this website to request an Application Form. Once we receive your application, you will be invited to come to our home to visit the puppies and their mother.
Visit the puppies and ask all the questions you have. We will be happy to advise you on what we have observed of each puppy's temperament and personality and help you select the puppy most suited to you and your family from those still available.
If you wish to reserve a puppy, let Mike know which one and he will place it on Hold for up to 48 hours pending completion of the Offer and Acceptance Process described below.
Arrange to collect your puppy no earlier than 8 weeks after their birthday. We will stagger the collections over several days, as the handover meeting takes about 60-90 minutes. This also help's Caramel adjust to parting with her puppies (and us too - it is always a bittersweet time). On pickup day, contracts will be signed and the outstanding balance collected.
Additional research we recommend:
Read the About Cockapoos section of this website and the sub-articles filed under that section.
Offer and Acceptance Process
If you decide to reserve a puppy after visiting them, Mike will email the following documents to you:
An Offer Letter
A Draft of the Puppy Contract - This is a standardised contract we can't edit except for Buyer, Seller and Puppy Particulars.
A Draft Addendum to the Puppy Contract*
A Family Tree for the puppies**
Rudy and Caramel's Genetic Test Results**
Read the documents when you receive them and resolve any questions you have.
Once we complete the Offer and Acceptance Process and you are ready to reserve a puppy, pay a £400 non-refundable** deposit by bank transfer and we will cease marketing the puppy you have chosen.
*The Contract Addendum addresses two issues not included in the Puppy Contract or Offer to Sell, namely:
The terms under which any fees paid to the Seller can be refunded if either party’s Vet health checks are unsatisfactory in their Vet’s opinion or in the event that any Vet identified health defects can’t be resolved to your satisfaction.
How the parties will resolve an unsuccessful placement of the puppy in the event she is returned to Seller in her first six months of life after satisfactory Vet health checks.
**These items will be shown to prospective buyer's during visitations.