
We bought tiny ‘Cockapoo' puppy but it grew to HUGE 7-stone hound after breeder crossed it with 5ft Bernese Mountain Dog
Laura McFarlane, 43, and Jamie Griffiths, 51, adopted Bobby from an animal rescue in November 2022 and were reportedly told he was the popular cocker spaniel-poodle crossbreed.
13
13
13
Being a small breed, the couple expected him to end up weighing less than two stone - so they were shocked when he grew to almost four times the size.
Laura says they first realised there was something unusual when Bobby was not even fully grown, but already the biggest dog at the cockapoo socials they were attending.
The couple decided to carry out genetic testing that revealed that there was no trace of Cocker Spaniel in Bobby and that he was a Bernedoodle - a mix between Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle.
Bernese Mountain Dogs are a large breed originating from the Swiss Alps that were bred for such tasks as pulling carts due to their power and size.
But Laura says they have "no regrets" about adopting Bobby - who now weighs the same as a 13-year-old child - and that there is just "more of him to love".
Laura, from Pontypridd, South Wales, said: "We were told that he was a cockapoo. We expected him to grow to a maximum of 12kg.
"Once he'd had his injections, we started taking him to cockapoo socials.
"He was the biggest dog and he just got bigger.
"Everybody kept saying to us that they thought that he was a labradoodle.
"We sent for a DNA test for him and it came back that there's no Cocker Spaniel in him.
He's a Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle - so not a small dog.
"He was so big by that point compared to what we thought he would be.
"I don't regret adopting him, there's just more of him to love.
"He's my best friend. He's a lot of fun, he's extremely cheeky. He's extremely fun and he's got lots of doggy friends."
Regional sales manager Laura says the 45kg beast is served up three meals a day and even joins in with the couple and has a full English breakfast or Sunday roast on special occasions.
Laura said: "We feed him three times a day - he's always hungry anyway but we're quite strict with his food because he does have a sensitive stomach.
"He has three feeds a day so if we can do him a Sunday dinner or a breakfast we'll do him a little one as well because he likes to join in.
"We don't like leaving him at home on our days off because one of us is always working from home.
"We just take him everywhere. He's done everything - he's been on speed boats, been camping.
"He lives the life of Riley."
Laura now wants to encourage other prospective dog owners to adopt rather than buying from a breeder - and would advise them to ask questions in order to avoid the same doggy blunder.
Laura said: "Ask as many questions as possible - if you're going to a breeder then get their backstory maybe.
"I would always encourage adoption over going to a breeder and buying a puppy.
"That's the second dog we've had from a rescue. We had our first dog for 10 years and we've had Bob for three so I would [recommend adoption] because there's just so many dogs there.
"We can't live without a dog really.
"Bobby is no trouble to us."
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
13
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Tim Dowling: a tribute to my father-in-law, droll master of mischief
When my wife and I got engaged 33 years ago, she immediately rang her mother. 'We're getting married, Jesus Christ,' she said down the phone. Then she laughed for a bit, then she hung up. 'She says you have to go and see my father to request my hand in marriage,' my future wife said. 'What?' I said. 'Are you kidding?' 'Apparently not,' she said. Her parents had been divorced since she was nine, but they were on good terms. 'Fine,' I said, even though I'd already basically changed my mind about the whole business. I had to put off calling my own mother, in case my future father-in-law said no. We drove up the road to my girlfriend's father's house, where he lived with his second wife. They had only just got married themselves, or maybe they hadn't yet. It was that same summer, in any case. We drank tea in the garden and made small talk for long enough that I began to hope the time for requesting hands had safely passed. Then my wife turned to her father and said, 'Why don't you show him your extension?' My wife's father and I went upstairs to examine his half-finished loft conversion. If I recall correctly, the last leg of the journey was by ladder. He showed me where his spare bedroom and office and second bathroom would eventually go. And then a terrible silence fell, into which I cleared my throat awkwardly. I imagined there was a form of words for this sort of thing, but I didn't know what it was. 'So, I guess the reason I've come here today,' I said, 'is really to ask your permission to marry your daughter.' A considerable pause followed. 'I see,' he said finally, raising an eyebrow. 'And how do you plan to keep her in the style to which she has become accustomed?' I didn't expect questions. 'Well,' I said. 'I sort of figured she might eventually get used to worse.' He gave me a long and grave look, so grave that I cast my own eyes downward. That's when I noticed there was no floor; we were standing on joists, and I was looking down into the room below us. I thought: it would be the work of a moment for him to push me through. My father-in-law died a few weeks ago, at the age of 95. My wife was with him in hospital, and when she rang to tell me the news, I did not immediately think of this 33-year-old episode – the episode of the requesting of the hand. But it came to mind soon after I put the phone down. At the time I did not know my future father-in-law very well. I did not think of him as a man who was fond of mischief, or even capable of it. I had every reason to believe he was serious when he asked me that question, and that he strongly disapproved of my answer. It did not occur to me that he might just be messing with me, that he might have been tipped off about my intentions by his ex-wife. Or that he might have already put a celebratory bottle of champagne in the refrigerator in preparation. But he had. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Also, I realise only now, my wife must have been in on it. 'Did I know?' she says when I ask her. 'I don't think so. Wait, yes, I did.' My father-in-law could also be a man of surprising and unprompted generosity, once volunteering to have our dog for the whole of Christmas and New Year, while we went away. When my wife rang him on Christmas Day – with justifiable apprehension – to see how things were working out, he insisted the dog had been no trouble. 'Has he taken the right dog?' I said. Only later did we find out that just before lunch she'd pulled the Christmas ham off the table and run out the door with it. He had the right dog after all. The day after my father-in-law died I found myself back in his attic extension, with my wife and his wife and my three sons, going through old papers and photographs and stuff, the accumulation of a long life. I had been up in this room so few times over three decades that it was astonishing to see 30 years of wear on the walls and window frames. I reflected on how a true sense of mischief requires one to cultivate a certain reputation for sternness, so as not to give the game away. Of course people who know you will eventually catch on. You can't fool them for ever. I looked down at my feet, and I thought: somewhere under there, under the carpet, under the floorboards, are the very joists we stood on.


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Northumberland goats GPS tracker scheme to be expanded
A scheme tracking goats via GPS technology is expanding as part of efforts to prevent overgrazing.A herd of 13 goats spending the summer at the Druridge Bay reserve in Northumberland will wear collars with GPS trackers that can alert them to stop at certain Wildlife Trust said the collars help protect sensitive areas such as ground-nesting bird sites and ensure the goats are in the right area when they need to be scheme, which has been trialled on cattle and goats for the last two years, is expanding to West Chevington where a free roaming herd of cattle will be introduced later this summer. Staff can draw invisible GPS boundaries around grazing areas to control access and prevent overgrazing."The GPS collars allow staff and volunteers to monitor their movements from a distance, thereby allowing them to continue with the important job of grazing the reserve for the benefit of the flowers and grasses," said Alex Lister from the charity. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Ulverston's charity-owned park awarded green flag
A charity-run park has been awarded a green flag in recognition of its Park in Ulverston, Cumbria, was handed the award by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, which recognises high-quality green spaces."Ford Park is a vital green space for communities in Ulverston to enjoy nature and during the ongoing cost of living crisis it is a free and safe space for families to socialise," said Paul Todd, the awards scheme park's management said they were "thrilled" with the award, which recognised the hard work of volunteers. "We're incredibly proud to be recognised for the care and commitment that goes into maintaining our eight-acre community greenspace," a spokesman park has a kitchen garden, an orchard, trails and an adventure play is situated just below the Sir John Barrow Monument on Hoad Hill, which has been portrayed by celebrated artist LS Lowry. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.