Its about time!!

This was either posted in a dog magazine or a news paper I came across it while browsing a pet forum.

Designer pets often wind up at SPCA when fad fades

Jim Gibson, Times Colonist

Published: Sunday, February 26, 2006

In Chinese tradition, those born in the Year of the Dog have the defining attributes of man's best friend -- faithful and loyal.

But not all dog owners are as faithful and loyal to their canine pets, according to Penny Stone of the Victoria SPCA. Some jump into dog ownership for questionable motives -- the desire to own one of the new "designer" breeds, such as the labradoodle (lab/poodle), or a celebrity dog like actress Paris Hilton's chihuahua.

"Everyone wants something absolutely unique to distinguish them from the crowd," says Vancouver psychologist Stanley Coren, author of best-selling books on dogs.

The mere mention of fad or celebrity dogs prompts a groan from Stone. Invariably, they end up at her shelter, shuffled off by owners unwilling to accept the responsibility of dog ownership when the novelty fades.

"Sometimes they've had them less than a week," says an exasperated Stone, who notes young women are particularly prone to passing off their petite pups. Initially, they take the dog everywhere -- cuddled in their arms or in a cute carry bag -- but then tire of them.

Problems erupt when they leave the dog home alone. Previously never out of its owner's sight, the dog suffers from separation anxiety and starts "peeing on the bed" or otherwise wreaking havoc, says Stone. Suddenly, the little dog is no longer cute but a lot of work and aggravation.

In terms of popularity, the Labrador retriever is consistently top dog in the Canadian Kennel Club's registry, but many owners choose dogs several sizes down from the Lab -- small dogs account for half the club's 20 most popular purebred dogs.

Roughly 70 per cent of the dogs listed for sale in a recent Saturday Times Colonist were lap dogs. Most were purebreds, but cross or "designer breeds" involving chihuahuas, Jack Russells, Yorkies and miniature poodles were available.

These designer dogs -- particularly those mixed with poodle or shih tsu -- usually end up with catchy names like maltipoo and shih-poo, guaranteed to delight potty-mouthed five-year-olds.

Yet small isn't just cute but convenient, according to Connie Wilson, publisher of Vancouver-based Modern Dog magazine.

"The biggest trend now is small dogs because of the more condensed living in cities," says Wilson. Small dogs need less exercise than bigger breeds, plus they're easier to pick up and take travelling.

But Wilson is reluctant to label a particular breed as fashionable, since the term implies it will eventually go out of favour -- which may lead canine fashionistas to dump the dog. "There'll always be a dog of the moment," she says. "[But] dogs are a life-long commitment."

Coren recognizes the practicality of what he calls "small fru fru" or "little toy" dogs. What raises his dog-loving eyebrows is mixtures of breeds purporting to offer the best qualities of both parents. That rationale always reminds him of George Bernard Shaw's supposed encounter with a gorgeous but ditzy woman. She thought they'd produce beautiful, brainy children together.

What if it has your brains and my looks?" the playwright replied.
Some designer dogs make no sense to Coren, who cites the growing popularity of "the puggle." Beagles are a sweet-tempered breed, but way down the scale in intelligence and trainability. The pug isn't much brighter, and it's prone to snoring. The likely result of crossing the two, Coren says, is a "sweet, stupid dog that snores."

Reputable dog breeders and Canadian Kennel Club members dismiss the designer dogs as over-priced mutts of questionable quality.

Though designer or mixed breeds are often priced in excess of $1,000, they come with no guarantees about how they'll turn out, or even whether they'll be healthy, says Victoria chihuahua breeder Jean Westwood. "It's really, really sick to me."

Margaret Jones, regional director and dog judge for the Kennel Club, worries about breed standards when purebreds are indiscriminately bred to feed a fad -- often by backyard breeders or larger puppy mills keen to make a buck, regardless of the quality of the dogs. Sometimes, these puppies end up being sold through fronts such as seemingly dog-loving families or pet shops.

"No reputable breeder will sell into places like that," says Jones, since they have no idea whether their puppies have gone to responsible homes, or by how much the price has been inflated.

Popular entertainment has always fuelled demand for certain breeds. Early examples are the '50s television series Lassie (collies) and Rin Tin Tin (German shepherds). That kind of exposure can be to a breed's detriment. Disney's 101 Dalmatians -- the 1961 and 1996 versions -- "just about ruined the breed," according to Jones, since indiscriminate breeding to provide spotted puppies like those in the movie resulted in lower-quality animals.

A more recent example is Frazier, which boosted the popularity of the Jack Russell terrier, a dog that's often feistier than new owners expect.

A breed doesn't need to be cute and cuddly to enjoy a spike in demand from media exposure. Coren notes that rapper Ice T increased the desire for pit bulls among young males with his Got a Dope Pit Bull Named Felony.

Next month, Disney releases a new version of The Shaggy Dog Story (1959), starring a lovable bearded collie, and Coren is predicting an upsurge in the breed's popularity. The SPCA's Stone knows what that likely means for her shelter -- especially when new owners realize the work involved in keeping the big, hairy animal groomed.

"We're probably going to get [some] a year later."