8 Week Old Cockapoo (Everything You Need To Know)

So you’ve brought home your gorgeous little curly addition that fits easily into your hands. They’re wide-eyed, confused, and have no idea how to navigate the world, and you realise it’s down to you to teach them. Being a Cockapoo parent means you need to be in the know.

If you know exactly what to expect from your new little fluff, you can be sure they’re thriving. Most people will be able to tell you what to expect as your puppy grows, but those first few days or weeks when you have a tiny little bundle of fluff can be the most nerve-wracking.

You need to know everything from the day you bring your new pup home.

Training an 8 Week old Cockapoo

The biggest thing you need to remember here is to relax. We’ve all made the mistake of getting our expectations too high and not being able to meet them, and frankly, a puppy that is 56 days old and just came away from everything they know into a strange environment might not be ready to start learning just yet.

When Luna was a baby, I would get frustrated at myself that she couldn’t grasp exactly what I was teaching her. Was she too slow at grasping her toilet training? Was she supposed to know her name after the first few days? Like many owners, I put a lot of pressure on myself to get things right straight away.

In reality, every puppy learns at a different speed. You might have brought home a pup that naturally gravitates towards puppy pads or one who thinks everywhere is free game and barely stops playing to have a quick wee. Either way, you should enjoy bringing your new companion home instead of stressing about training.

When they hit puberty at around six months, most of their training goes right back out the window anyway! So relax, enjoy playing and get to know each other.

What Size is a Cockapoo at 8 Weeks?

There is a wide range in Cockapoo sizes at 8 weeks old, and it will usually reflect on the size of the parents. Smaller Cockapoos can grow to full size around 6 months old while larger ones can keep growing until they’re a year old, but most will fall somewhere in between.

At 8 weeks smaller Cockapoos may only be around 5 inches tall while larger ones can be between 7 and 9 inches. Usually, they will grow relative to their size as a puppy so you can predict if they are going to be on the smaller or larger size as an adult, but growth spurts can come along at any time and throw your predictions off!

8 Week old Cockapoo Weight

The weight of a Cockapoo puppy can range just as much as its height. You can have a petite little pup at just 1kg in weight or a little chunker that can already by hitting 4kg on the scales! The tiny 8 week old puppy you bring home is usually the size of a fully grown Chihuahua, but in another 8 weeks, they can double in size.

How Much Food Should my 8 Week Old Cockapoo Eat?

Puppies are always on the go, so they need consistent energy through their food. An 8 week old puppy should be fed 3 times a day to make sure they’re not eating too much in one go but to also give them extra energy throughout the day. Twice a day would be too long between meals for a growing puppy.

A Cockapoo puppy should be fed 3 meals a day for the first 6 months of their life to help with growing; after that, you can reduce it to twice daily.

The amount you feed will depend on your puppy’s weight, and you can find most feeding guidelines on the back of bags of dog food. They will usually give you a total; you have to divide it by three to determine how much to feed per meal.

How Much Should an 8 Week Old Cockapoo Sleep?

A Cockapoo puppy should be getting plenty of rest. Growing is hard work, so they need time to recharge their energy. An 8-week-old puppy will usually get between 18 and 20 hours of rest per day, leaving only 4 hours to play nonstop and eat.

This is why puppies are so energetic when they’re awake. They have short bursts of energy followed by a long nap to prepare for their next playtime.

As they get older their sleeping patterns will change and reduce to around 13 or 15 hours per day which mostly includes sleeping through the night.

What do 8 Week Old Puppies do All Day?

If you were going to make a chart of daily activities for your puppy, most of that chart would be blocked out by sleep. Many, many hours of sleep.

It leaves little time for anything else except eating, pooping and a few minutes of zoomies before falling back into a sleep so deep you find yourself staring at them to make sure they’re still breathing.

While they’re awake, you should be bonding with them through cuddling and playing in between their meals and going to the toilet. It is quite a juggling act to find time for everything but as they get older they will stay awake longer, and it becomes easier.

What Size Harness For an 8 Week Old Cockapoo

At 8 weeks old, you won’t be going on many walks with your puppy just yet; it can be another month or so until they’re fully vaccinated and able to venture outside. That doesn’t stop you from starting to get them used to wearing a harness and lead and going for little walks around the lounge or the garden. By the time they can go out, they will be an expert at walking in a harness.

The important thing to remember about a harness for a puppy is that it will grow out of it, so don’t go flashy just yet. Get something you’re comfortable with being useless in a couple of months. Mesh harnesses are great because they’re very lightweight and flexible for your puppy but there is usually a learning process in teaching them to be comfortable with putting their head through it.

An alternative style is a harness they can step into, which is a little more adjustable, so will fit them for longer but doesn’t have as much give as the mesh ones. Getting them used to a harness should be gradual, letting them wear it for brief periods initially, but once they’re comfortable and vaccinated, you can start your adventures.