Best toys for a cockapoo
Cockapoos inherit a curious, food-and-fun-motivated brain from the poodle side and a friendly, energetic body from the cocker spaniel side, which makes them one of the harder crossbreeds to bore. The best toys for a cockapoo tend to do two things at once: hold up to genuinely enthusiastic chewing and carrying, and give that quick brain something to solve rather than just something to chase.
Why a cockapoo gets through toys fast
Cockapoos are often described as "soft-mouthed" retrievers of small objects, which is true for carrying things around gently, but that same energy turns into determined chewing and shredding once the novelty of carrying wears off. A cockapoo left with only a squeaky plush toy will often have it in pieces within a session, not out of aggression but simply out of the same enthusiasm that makes the breed so trainable.
Toys built for genuine chewing — rubber, dense rope, or reinforced fabric — last considerably longer than soft plush with a cockapoo, and are worth the extra cost if your dog is a determined chewer rather than a gentle carrier.
The puzzle-and-food angle matters more than most breeds
Because cockapoos are bred from two breeds that both rank highly for trainability, plain repetitive fetch toys satisfy the body but not the brain, and a bored cockapoo is more likely to find its own entertainment in furniture or shoes. Treat-dispensing puzzle toys and slow-feeder style toys give the same dog a job to do, and many owners find behaviour settles noticeably once a cockapoo has something to work at rather than just something to carry.
Rotating two or three toys rather than leaving everything out at once also helps — a toy that has been put away for a week gets treated as new again, which stretches the usefulness of a smaller toy collection considerably.
What to watch for with a curly, low-shedding coat
A cockapoo's curly or wavy coat catches debris more easily than a smooth coat, so toys that shed fluff, or rope toys that fray into loose strands, can end up tangled into the coat around the mouth and paws. Smoother rubber toys and well-made rope toys with a tight weave cause fewer matting problems than cheaper, loosely woven alternatives.
Size matters too: cockapoos range from toy to standard depending on their poodle parent, so a toy sized for a large dog can be genuinely too big for a smaller cockapoo to enjoy properly, and vice versa for a bigger dog with a small toy that disappears too easily.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Kowloon All Senses Branch Bone Bacon
A 15cm bacon-scented rubber branch bone, for chewing, fetch and dental play
£4.19
Guru Distracto Pod Bone
Medium Guru suction treat pod for paste-based distraction on hard surfaces
£5.19
Kingdom Fruit Rope Dog Toy
A plush fruit-shaped rope toy with a squeaker in both the head and the body
£6.99
Inflatable Herding Ball for Dogs with Pump
A large inflatable herding ball with pump that taps into your dog's chase instinct.
From£19.99
Plush Strawberry Snuffle Mat
An interactive foraging mat with removable plush strawberries that hide treats and kibble. Encourages natural snuffling and slows feeding, providing mental enrichment for dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs alike.
From£13.99
Durables Toy Crocodile
A crocodile dog toy from Red Dingo's Durables range: a 150g character toy for fetch, tug and carrying about, backed by Red Dingo's five-year guarantee.
£20.49
Tuffy Junior Zoo Hippo Dog Toy
A junior-sized Tuffy hippo built in bonded layers with webbed, multi-row stitched seams, light enough for smaller dogs and puppies, that floats and is machine washable.
£18.99
Sportspet High Bounce Glow in the Dark Balls
Sportspet High Bounce Glow in the Dark Balls is listed in our pet toy range for dogs. The page brings together the available option labels and the product facts that can be checked, so unsupported claims are left out.
From£4.99
Ancol Orva Puzzle Ring
A 30 x 3.5cm dog puzzle ring for treats or paste, with a built-in lick mat
£21.99
Common questions
- Are cockapoos hard on toys?
- Many are, particularly younger dogs still working through the chewing stage, so durability is usually a bigger factor in choosing toys for a cockapoo than it might be for a naturally gentler breed. Rubber and dense rope toys tend to outlast soft plush by a wide margin with a determined chewer.
- Do cockapoos need puzzle toys?
- They benefit a lot from them, because the breed is bred from two highly trainable, food-motivated parent breeds and tends to get bored on physical exercise alone. A treat-dispensing puzzle toy gives a cockapoo's brain something to do, which often shows up as calmer behaviour around the house.
- What size toy is right for a cockapoo?
- It depends on which poodle size is in the cross, since cockapoos range from toy to standard sized dogs. A toy sized for a small dog can be swallowed too easily by a larger cockapoo, and a toy sized for a large dog may simply be too big and heavy for a smaller one to play with comfortably.
- Why does my cockapoo destroy soft toys so quickly?
- It is usually enthusiasm rather than a behaviour problem — cockapoos carry things eagerly and that carrying often tips into determined chewing once the initial interest fades. Rotating toys, offering a proper chew alongside soft toys, and choosing tougher fabrics all help a soft toy last longer.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.