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Peekapoo Temperament: Life with Your Pekingese Poodle Mix Dog

The Peekapoo possesses one of the most sought-after temperaments of any dog out there. This is because the Peekapoo was one of the first poodle mixes back in the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, Poodle mixes are some of the oldest crosses out there, and the Peekapoo – or Pekingese mixed with Poodle – is one of the latest on the scene to excite Poodle-mix fans.

Why The Peekapoo Temperament and Personality Could Work Beautifully for You?

Peekapoos are little bundles of loving energy that make a great family dog. Especially if you’re looking for a dog who is hypoallergenic.

A Peekapoo’s heredity, training, and socialization all play important roles in the development of a Peekapoo’s personality and behavior.

Peekapoos are loving, trusting dogs who prefer to hang out with their families.

Here are other Peekapoo temperament traits that you'll enjoy. But pay close attention and don't ignore the last one.

Peekapoos are Playful with a Prey Drive

Peekapoos love to romp in the yard or walk on the beach. But she’ll think nothing of taking off after a squirrel or other small animal who wanders onto her property.

For this reason, you’ll want to keep her on a leash or in a fenced-in property when she’s outside. She’s small enough, so a four-foot fence should be enough to keep her in the yard to which she belongs.

Peekapoos are Good Watchdogs

Peekapoos love to bark and, because of that, they make for excellent watch dogs.

They are Great with other Dogs and All Family Members

When properly socialized, they fit in well with a family that already has dogs in it. And, because they tend to be snuggle bunnies, Peekapoos are also terrific with older adults and mature children.

Peekapoos Love Meeting Strangers

Peekapoos are interesting little creatures because they are both friendly and curious. This means that a Peekapoo takes no issue with going up to a stranger to investigate.

She’ll even allow him to pick her up to get to know her better.

Keep in mind, though, that this is the behavior of a dog who received proper early socialization.

Regularly introduce your dog to other people and animals while she’s young. If you do this, then she will have a healthy curiosity when she's older, rather than fear, anger or trepidation.

Peekapoos are Alert

Peekapoos are pretty alert, though, so if she senses something is off about a situation, she’ll have no problems letting you know. In other words, when raised properly, she has a perfect balance of getting to know strangers without letting her guard down if trouble is truly afoot.

Peekapoos are Adaptable

When it comes to her ideal living space, the Peekapoo does just fine whether it’s an apartment with no yard or a house with a large one. So long as she can be with the people she loves, she will be content.

Best to NOT leave them Alone for Long

If you have a schedule that would leave a Peekapoo alone for long periods of time, know that this crossbred dog sometimes suffers from separation anxiety. Walks and playtime in a fenced-in yard can help ease the pup’s stress.

A Brief History of the Peekapoo Breed

Breeders developed the Peekapoo in the 1950s specifically for people who suffer from allergies. They bred the dogs to have coats that were non- to low-shedding.

One would think that if a breeder wanted to cross breeds, she’d have to have a valid reason. Creating a breed for people who believed their allergies would prevent them from ever having a dog is certainly a great reason to do so. For this reason, the Peekapoo is actually one of the oldest hybrid breeds out there.

Training and Socialization

You should make training an active part of your Peekapoo’s life. Positive reinforcement with a clicker and treats works well, as do puppy class sessions. In fact, puppy class is a great place to teach your Peekapoo the socialization skills she will need to get along with other dogs as she gets older.

Also, this early dog-to-dog socialization will be especially helpful if you plan to introduce your Peekapoo to other animals.

Human socialization is also important, as Peekapoos are naturally suspicious dogs, but will do well if introduced to people often and at a young age. They do have a tendency to be combative toward new dogs or other pets, but you can short-circuit this with early socialization skills.

Crate training is usually successful with Peekapoos. They can even come to see their crates as safe dens and nap there during the day. After she completes her housetraining, you can then remove the door to the crate and let her go in and out of it at will if she has shown a fondness for it.

Peekapoo Size

The Poodle side of a Peekapoo is typically of the toy or miniature variety.

Peekapoos can range in weight from as little as four pounds to a maximum of about 20.

They also reach a maximum height of 11 inches tall.

Health Concerns

Before you Bring your Peekapoo Home

Health issues can be present in any pet, but there are a few questions to ask the breeder before bringing home a Peekapoo pup:

  • “Is this puppy from First Generation (Pekingese to Poodle) or multi-generational (Peekapoo to Peekapoo) breeding?”
  • If the pup is First Generation: “are there any health concerns I should know about in either the Poodle or Pekingese parent?”
  • “Do you have health clearances for issues like Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, which can affect the Peekapoo in particular?”
  • “Can you show me the clearance from Auburn University for thrombopathia (a rare form of hemophilia)?”
  • “Do you have a health clearance certifying that the pup’s eyes are normal and that she doesn’t have Progressive Retinal Atrophy?”

If the breeder cannot answer these questions to your satisfaction, and especially if she cannot provide the necessary health clearances, you know not to spend your money here. This is a breeder who only cares about profit, not the health and wellbeing of her dogs.

Peekapoos tire easily and are prone to heat exhaustion.

You can expect a healthy Peekapoo to live anywhere from 10 to 15 years.

After you Bring your Peekapoo Home

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Grooming

When you keep your Peekapoo clipped, a twice-weekly brushing is all she needs to keep her hair from tangling. She’s actually fantastic for people with allergies because she rarely sheds, if at all.

Coat colors can range from silver and gray to red, cream, buff or black. And since they do not have an undercoat, Peekapoos are hypoallergenic dogs because they tend not to cause allergies.

Brush your Peekapoo’s teeth about two or three times per week to prevent dental disease and bad breath.

Make sure her nails are trimmed as well. If you can hear the “tic, tic, tic” on the floor, then they’re probably too long.

Regularly touch every part of your dog to get her ready for her vet exams. Do things with her like playing with her feet, looking into her mouth, and inspecting her ears for debris. As you do this, look for anything unusual, like a sore or any inflammation.

With training and the proper socialization, Peekapoos are a great crossbred dog that will reward you with that Peekapoo temperament you didn’t even know you were searching for.

Exercise

While Peekapoos do well in crates, they shouldn’t live there all day. The moment you get home from work or school, take your Peekapoo outdoors for a romp around the yard.

If you don’t have a yard, take her for a long walk to stretch her legs – maybe even end up at the dog park?

You expect at least one long walk and one lengthy play session outdoors every day.

You want to help her exert that extra energy or she’s going to channel it into something destructive – and that is definitely something you don’t want.

Finding the Perfect Peekapoo

You have two options when it comes to bringing home a Peekapoo: go through a breeder or adopt one from your local shelter. The choice is ultimately up to you, but it’s important to know the differences going in.

Peekapoo Puppies for Sale

If you’re interested in bringing a Peekapoo home, you can expect to spend between $275 and $1,450, depending on the breeder.

It’s always good to know the average range because this can help you determine whether the breeder is ripping you off or charging you too little. (Too little may mean a sick or problematic dog.)

Peekapoo Adoption and Rescue

Adopting a Peekapoo is a great idea for several reasons, two of which are that you get to save money and you get to give an otherwise homeless dog a loving home.

Something important to note here is that when you adopt a mixed breed dog, you may never know exactly what you’re going to get. That’s because the shelter often doesn’t know either. They see a dog on the road without a collar or tags, and they pick him up, hoping to get him a good home.

So, you could end up with a dog who is not a First-Generation breed. Then, there’s no telling what you’re going to end up with. Who knows what she’s even mixed with? Without knowing her parentage, there’s no way to know the traits she has a predisposition to ahead of time.

If you’re okay with this, though, then let the shelter know you are looking for a Peekapoo. If they don’t have one available when you go, you can always put your name on a waiting list so that when one comes in, they know to call you first.

And while most dogs who are up for adoption are adults, this has its positives, too. For one thing, the dog has some degree of training, so she’ll already know to go outside to do her business. Plus, she should be well past the chewing stage by now.

Peekapoo Breeders

In this unscrupulous world, you have to be ever-so-careful, and that especially applies to breeders. Even more so – it applies to breeders specializing in cross-breed dogs.

When you buy a Peekapoo from a breeder, you must make sure the dog is a First-Generation dog. Else, you could spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars for a dog who isn’t the dog the breeder claims she is. And you certainly don’t want to support a breeder this unethical with your hard-earned money.

As I mentioned earlier, make sure the breeder can give the necessary health clearances. Also, be sure to inspect the premises to see for yourself how the breeder is raising the pups.

Also, how do the pups interact with Mom and Dad? This is a great way to tell the kind of dog you’ll end up bringing home.

Don’t forget to research the breeder online before you buy. Chances are good that if there’s a bad experience out there, someone has posted it to warn others from buying from the same breeder in the future. Don’t be a sucker – do your research so you can buy with confidence.

Conclusion: Why the Peekapoo?

There’s a reason the Peekapoo temperament is so widely sought-after. For one thing, you can crate-train her to the point where she actually enjoys being in her crate when she doesn’t have to be. That’s not a common trait for a majority of dogs out there.

She’s a loving and devoted little dog who will use her bark to protect her family if she senses an incoming threat. She also has a high energy level so, to keep up with her, she’ll run you ragged and get you in the best shape of your life!

She can be a bit of a bully at times. But, with proper training and socialization, you should be able to snap her out of it and help her see how a well-behaved dog should act.