Taramisu the Cockapoo!

Hi there! My name is Taramisu, Tara for short, and I’m a cockapoo (a cocker-spaniel poodle mix). My mom’s friend thought of this name when they were out to dinner at an Italian restaurant eating tiramisu for dessert. It’s brown and white, just like I am, so it was a perfect fit! I’m 10 years old but I’m still very fit and agile for my age. My aunts and cousins have owned cockapoos in the past, so my mom was familiar with my breed, but I was the first one she ever owned herself. I think it’s safe to say that she’ll never own another breed of dog now!

I’m great around kids and people, but I’m not very cuddly!

I let my family hug me anyways because I know they like it! Plus, I’m the perfect size – about 20 pounds. I have a soft, curly coat that’s easy to maintain. I go to the groomers about once a month and I never get that wet dog smell! I also never shed and have had very few medical problems. Even when I do go to the doctor, I’m really calm and the vets are always very impressed with me. I’m a very mature dog and don’t bother myself with activities like playing fetch, eating shoes, or getting overly excited. My mom says I’m a regal princess, and I agree! I also love being active and playing outside, I go outside at least 5 times a day.

I’m really good at performing tricks like “roll over” and standing on my hind legs.

My mom always tells me how smart I am. I wasn’t too difficult to train. Of course, I only do these tricks because I know I’ll get a treat at the end! One way I’ve tricked my mom into giving me a treat is by not listening when she says, “come”. I know that if I wait long enough, she’ll offer me a treat to come! I’m pretty sneaky like that. My best trick is when I bring my mom the newspaper. She loves when I carry it all the way to the kitchen. I have also memorized all the spots in my neighborhood that give out dog treats. Each day, I make sure mom and I walk by one of these spots so that I can get an extra snack.

Editor : Am I the only one who is astounded at how well this dog is trained?! Roll over, beg, and bring in the paper? I think Tara’s mom put a lot more effort into training her than most!

I love being outside and going on walks, but only if my mom is there. We have a very nice dog walker, but she’s just not my mom! My mom likes to say that I take her on walks, not the other way around. I love being in charge and think that I’m the queen of the household. When I see other dogs on my walk, I bark a lot at them. My mom says it’s not very nice, but I always have a blast doing it. Even though I’m not friendly to dogs on my walk, I do have a few great friends (and many of them are poodle mixes too!). My other cockapoo friends have very different personalities from me and can be very energetic, but I think we’re each special in our own way.

My best friend (besides mom, of course) is Cherry, my stuffed puppy toy. I act like a mom to her.

I like to cuddle with her every day and take her to play with me outside. When it’s time for me to eat dinner, I bring my food to Cherry for her to eat. I put it in front of her and wait for mom to tell me I’m being a good mom. I’m very nurturing to her, she’s like my baby!

Editor : This is possibly the CUTEST behavior we’ve heard about so far!

Things I love:

  • Riding in the car – I go in the car with mom all the time, even if she’s just running to the post office. I love sitting in the front seat and sticking my head out the window! One time, mom tried to put pink goggles on me to protect my eyes from the wind. I didn’t enjoy that, but mom thought it was pretty cute.
  • Belly rubs – I LOVE belly rubs. Sometimes, when I see one of my family members, I’ll just lie down and roll over and wait for them to come to me. They can’t resist my tummy!
  • Vegetables – While I’ll eat anything I can reach, I really love my veggies! Sweet potato, cauliflower, and snap peas are some of my favorites. I especially love eating corn on the cob, just like my humans do.
  • My mom – My mom is my most favorite person in the whole world. I get pretty sad when she’s not there, even for a few hours. Luckily, she works at home, so I get to go to work with her every day.
  • Paddleboarding – One of my special talents is paddleboarding!
    I have great balance and love hopping on the board with mom. I stay on the front of the board and act as the lookout for her.
  • The beach – I go to the beach every weekend in the summer! While I don’t like swimming, I love putting my feet in the water and rolling around in the sand. I get SO dirty, which is annoying to mom but I can’t help it, it’s just too fun.
  • Guarding the house – During the day, I like to sit on top of the chair in the front room of our house. When I see another dog or someone coming to our house, I bark a lot to make sure mom knows there’s an intruder.

That’s all from me. I hope you can see how fabulous us cockapoos are and might consider getting one in the future!

Loved, loved, LOVED this article! Tara has such a personality! I think what surprised me the most was that Tara isn’t very energetic and doesn’t like to cuddle much. What didn’t surprise me so much is how many tricks she knows – paddle boarding, fetching the paper – Poodles are supposed to be one of the smartest dog breeds, so having this in her DNA really helps! I think Tara would probably be more energetic and yappy if her mom didn’t train her so well and spend so much time with her.