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OP keep us posted on what you decide to do.
Just a point to make about Lurchers & Greyhounds. They don't have to have had a chequered past to have to wear a muzzle. They're dogs that have been bred for 100s of years to chase after a small fluffy thing on the track and are rewarded when they catch it, therefore they are inherantly drawn to another dog running about. That they will be too fast for.
So, they know the difference between dogs and rabbits.
+1 for Cockapoos - they rock! most of the poodle crosses turn out very good. loads round this way. As long as you're prepared to be the subject of some derision. We've got a cavapoo called roger - though for the record he is referred to as the £300 mongrel in this household. he's great with our 18 month old. Great dogs - we found ours from a family in kelsey who owned both dog and bitch. Also, being 'mongrels' tends to give them a bit more resilience to the usual ailments associated with pedigree dogs.
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I would also recommend looking into rehoming. Having lost our rescue Springer 12 months ago we've just decided the time is right to get another. So last week we rescued this little Cocker, he really is great fun.
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Get a puppy.
Rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing, but if you have young children, it is best that a puppy is brought in and learns its place in the family from the start.
And a Staffie from a good breeder would do the job nicely. Wonderful friendly tolerant dogs, and great enthusiasts. But expect thrown balls to be returned thoroughly masticated. 🙂
...or a rescue puppy. Lots of cockapoos around us...just wish more people would pick it up.
You can get rehome puppies from reputable rescue centres. Personally I don't rate Dogs Trust nor RSPCA, too man examples of home checks and behaviour assessments not being done correctly.
In a 15 month period these are all the puppies we fostered for the Blue Cross. Maybe fostering could be an option for you? Probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done.
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I'm with the OP on this one.
If you've got specific requirements in terms of the personality traits, size, coat type etc, and a Cockerpoo fits what you want then get one. Rescue dogs are great and all, but it's a bit of a lottery. Don't let the guilt merchants shame you out of getting the right dog for your family - you're the ones who have to live with it for the next fifteen years.
We've got a Labraspoodle and she often gets mistaken for a Cockerpoo. She's a great dog, and ticks all your boxes, but as others have said they can vary a lot and you should definitely insist on seeing both parents to get an idea what the particular milkshake is going to come out like!
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Thanks for all of the replies, I'm yet to contact Dark Side, followed up on West London Cockapoos (gorgeous pups) who won't have more pups until Spring 2016, however they have provided details of the breeders they got their bitches from. Looks to be a genuine quality breeder in it for the right reasons. Obviously we need to check out everything is as it seems and the breeder sound as though he'll be doing plenty of checks on us to (which I'm pleased about).
Whilst I love the idea of saving a rescue dog I'm not sure it's quite right for us at this time, a I said its our first family dog (my wife had dogs as a child) and given that a dog is such a big comment (not like a bike frame you can swap every 6 months, or more for some of you out there) we want to get it right.