An increasing demand for honest, reliable Cockapoo related information being sought by the growing UK market triggered a group of dedicated owners, enthusiasts and breeders to join together to form The Cockapoo Club of GB. The sole focus of this Club was to produce a static website where this valuable information could be set-out to assist, educate and advise on all aspects ‘Cockapoo’.
To all regular followers of an on-line forum, it became quickly apparent that the same questions were being posted on a weekly basis as rolling threads which made information difficult to access. With breeder specific websites not all able or willing to show the potential range of Cockapoo options, one breeder posted a question on this global forum as to what would be wanted, needed and desirable for a GB based organisation. The response was huge and the number of other forum users who put themselves forward to assist with forming a GB club surpassed expectation.
Within 4 weeks, a select team was engaged in open on-line dialogue and with a prolific work rate they created a Members' Club. A full Committee was voted on and the duly elected Chair announced the Club in November 2011. People wishing to join put themselves forward for proposal and seconding by way of a brief summary of their interest in Cockapoos.
The CCGB’s focus is to offer information, encourage members' networking, offer support and advice, promote animal welfare and actively encourage ethical breeding practices. To this end it offers a registration for puppies to all Approved Breeder Members and will produce five generation lineage papers showing parents' health test results and identification details. Validation of the information provided was part of the incentive in setting up an inspection scheme for all prospective Breeder Members. This ground breaking approach has been backed up by training of the CCGB Inspectors at Wood Green Animal Shelter in Godmanchester,Cambridgeshire, which was sponsored by a suitably impressed owner member. Fourteen of the CCGB members travelled from all over GB to attend. A very successful day saw those members undertaking eye-opening and thought provoking seminars on all the relevant topics of animal welfare, husbandry, Emotion Mood Reinforcement Assessment (EMRA), education, mentoring, support, home visits and rescue. Wendy Kruger who headed the training on behalf of Wood Green said “ What a fantastic group of people. You’re doing a great job and I wish you all the very best of luck with it.”
Breeding membership is open to anyone whether it’s for a one-off litter, a Hobby breeder or fully Licensed breeder. The CCGB Inspectors' role will be to both gather the required information and to offer the Club's support and advice to the breeder, from conception through to how to give lifelong support to the puppies' owners.
Stephen Charlton on behalf of the Club stated “This has been a wonderful day, spent with like-minded people with the same goal and commitment from all around GB . Following this initial step in Inspector training we can now look to visit those breeders who are aready awaiting an inspection which, if passed, will place them on the Approved Breeders' List. The CCGB is certainly going to be a strong force and by setting the bar high we hope that this beautiful, happy, cuddly, intelligent, versatile and loving dog can be fully catered for with regards to health and longevity."
Back row l to r: Wendy Kruger, Michael Watson, Julie Ashforth, Harri Sharples, Ali Shearman-Jones, James Blazey, Helen Ranaghan, Karen Greenwood and Colin Straughan.
Front row l to r: Eileen Gilmour, Julia Charlton, Karen Fox-Williams, Mandy Bates and Sarah Moore.
