Designer Breeds

**Twisterdog** · 07-31-2008, 08:40 PM

Every "designer dog" puppy purchased from a back yard breeder, pet store or puppy mill means that a dog in a shelter dies. Pretty simple math.

If a thousand people are looking for pets on a given day, and they buy a thousand "designer dogs" (which are mutts, plain and simple, I don't care how cute and trendy the name is), then a thousand homeless shelter dogs are killed, because the potential homes for them are now filled with expensive dogs with fancy names.

If you want a dog with a trendy name, go to a shelter and adopt a mixed breed that would otherwise be killed. Give it a cute and trendy name. Problem solved.

Pepper, whom I rescued from death row, is a chihuahua/smooth fox terrier cross. I think I'll call her a ChiFox. Whatever ... she's alive and loved. Georgie, whom I rescued from death row, is a beagle/jack russell terrier cross. I think I'll call him a Jackle. Whatever ... he's alive and loved.

**Suki Wingy** · 08-16-2008, 01:38 PM

It wouldn't bother me if they were trying to create a breed with a purpose other than scamming people and making money, but today that's just what mutt breeders are doing.
I am a fan of the Catahoula Bulldog, which started out almost 100 years ago as a cross between a Catahoula Leopard Dog and an American Bulldog. There was, however, a reason they crossed them. People wanted a dog with the drive and intellegence of a Catahoula and the strength of a catch dog to bring the ferral hog home. Up until then they had to use two dogs. It generally worked and now the Catahoula Bulldog has been an established breed for over 50 years.

Catahoula Leopard Dog

American Bulldog

Catahoula Bulldog

(American Bulldogs vary greatly in type, I'm not sure which lines were used in creating the Catahoula Bulldogs.)

I guess I'm trying to say I don't mind if someone sets out to create a breed for a purpose, and stops if it's not working the way they intended, like the Australian Guide Dog Society did when they found out their labradoodles weren't working. What gets me is when people cross breeds with the intent of making money, or creating a cute new name.

**Zoeythelsot** · 08-16-2008, 02:53 PM

My personal favorite Boxador!!! Boxer/Lab

note: This is only my favorite since theres a chance my dog is one, I did not adopt my dog because I thought he was one. And would never promote designer breeds

**lute** · 08-21-2008, 09:07 PM

Too many! Any purposely bred mixed breed is too many! I have seen some doozies too. Some I swear are bred only so the person who bred them(I'll NEVER call them breeders) can make money on cute tiny puppies with a cute name. Makes my grind me teeth every time.

**CathyBogart** · 08-22-2008, 01:03 PM

I don't recall what she called it, but I remember talking to a lady who had paid over $2k for a Chihuahua/Brussels Griffon mix. Now, I'm a fan of both breeds, but this little dog....he was, shall we say....attractiveness challenged. The breeds did NOT mix well.

**Alysser** · 08-23-2008, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Suki Wingy

It wouldn't bother me if they were trying to create a breed with a purpose other than scamming people and making money, but today that's just what mutt breeders are doing.
I am a fan of the Catahoula Bulldog, which started out almost 100 years ago as a cross between a Catahoula Leopard Dog and an American Bulldog. There was, however, a reason they crossed them. People wanted a dog with the drive and intellegence of a Catahoula and the strength of a catch dog to bring the ferral hog home. Up until then they had to use two dogs. It generally worked and now the Catahoula Bulldog has been an established breed for over 50 years.

Catahoula Leopard Dog

American Bulldog

Catahoula Bulldog

(American Bulldogs vary greatly in type, I'm not sure which lines were used in creating the Catahoula Bulldogs.)

I guess I'm trying to say I don't mind if someone sets out to create a breed for a purpose, and stops if it's not working the way they intended, like the Australian Guide Dog Society did when they found out their labradoodles weren't working. What gets me is when people cross breeds with the intent of making money, or creating a cute new name.

Agreed 100%! I don't get designer dog breeding. I will never understand how anyone can breed for money

**shepgirl** · 08-23-2008, 02:11 PM

I disapprove of all designer breeds while dogs are dying in shelters. It's another money scam and gullible people fall for it while lovable dogs needing homes are euthanized.

**bckrazy** · 08-24-2008, 03:14 AM

I met a Pugapoo at the dog park. PUG x POODLE!

I find any dog lovable and cute, in general... just because they're a dog... but this dog looked gross. D: Not aesthetically pleasing in any manner. It was an overweight, curly, unkempt Pug, basically. It almost looked like a bunch of random dog body parts pieced together, and it walked like it either had HD/ED or would have it very soon.

The owner was so proud. I assumed he was from a shelter but, no, pet store puppy. Why???

Mixed breeds are fantastic, of course. But when people are breeding unscrupulously, with the main intent being money, NOTHING good is going to come of it. If any of these DD "breeders" actually stepped up, incorperated more than TWO breeds, went anywhere beyond one or two generation, bred reputably, and bred for a reason, and actually got together a breed club to responsibly create a breed... I would encourage them. However, all the DD trend is doing is promoting random, irresponsible breeding; period.

**Casper** · 08-24-2008, 08:08 AM

I find the names to be super lame. I saw someone advertising a "Beaglier", or rather a Beagle/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in the newspaper the other day.

The name puts me in mind of what little schoolchildren might say on the playground...
"My Beagle is more beaglier than your Beagle!"

I mean... seriously.

**Ginger's Mom** · 08-24-2008, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by bckrazy

The owner was so proud. I assumed he was from a shelter but, no, pet store puppy.

We met a "chug" at the park last weekend. I must admit he was quite adorable. His owner was a very nice young man, who was obviously quite proud of his dog, and enjoyed showing him off and watching him interact with the other dogs there. To be honest, I look forward to seeing them there again. However, when I asked if he rescued him, he said he got him from a breeder.

I think the people on here understand when I say I wanted to scream, "Breeder? Breeder? What sort of breeder needs to make up names for dogs as they go along? Don't you know how many mixed breed dogs there are in shelters?" But, I just said "oh" and played with my dogs until the anger passed. If we see him and Ben on a more frequent basis I may start talking about shelters vs. breeders, but not on the first meet with a man who is enjoying taking his dog out to dog appropriate places. It's not likely to have an impact until he has some sort of idea about the type of person it is coming from any way.

**Giselle** · 08-24-2008, 02:36 PM

Like I've said before, the reason it is so difficult to educate the general public on this topic is because this is an issue of ethics.

In our collective mind...
- breeding dogs for money is *unethical*.
- breeding mixed breeds and claiming they are a "breed" unto themselves is *unethical*
- breeding mixed breeds in the midst of vast pet overpopulation is *unethical*
- breeding without performing health tests is *unethical*
- breeding dogs solely for companionship while MILLIONS of companion-quality dogs are being euthanized at shelters is *unethical*

To us, it all makes perfect sense because we've developed a certain viewpoint that blends breeding with ethics. "Bad" breeders are those who do not follow our collective ethics. "Good" breeders are those who do follow our ethics: essentially, those who breed for the improvement of the breed itself. The only way to really change the hearts and minds of the general public is to convince them that breeding is an ethical issue in and of itself. And then we can really cut down on the number of unnecessary litters being born.

**lute** · 08-25-2008, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Oyster

I find the names to be super lame. I saw someone advertising a "Beaglier", or rather a Beagle/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in the newspaper the other day.

The name puts me in mind of what little schoolchildren might say on the playground...
"My Beagle is more beaglier than your Beagle!"

I mean... seriously.

I'm with ya there! Beaglier is one I haven't heard of yet. There is a puppymiller that goes to the vet I work for. She has recently started mixing all her different breeds. She was bringing in a lot of Yorkteses(YorkieXMaltese) last year. This year it is Cavashons(CavaliersXBichons). She makes me so mad every time she comes in. She does in fact breed for money. I can't call any animal control on her because she keeps her facility remarkably clean and all her dogs are vetted. The shelter won't touch her.

**cynicallynn** · 08-25-2008, 08:48 PM

I call my dog a German Dane if I am in the company of people who know I'd never buy from a breeder; otherwise, she is just a Great Dane mix. The boyfriend's dog, an unidentifiable mutt, is a very rare and valuable specimen known as the "Urban Hybrid".

**Suki Wingy** · 08-26-2008, 01:35 PM

I have called my dog a North American Spotted Terrier, but more often I just call him a No-One-Knows-So-Stop-Guessing.

**Spiritwind** · 08-26-2008, 04:04 PM

I agree... honestly I don't think the general dog owning public, just your average dog owner has any clue about 1.) The pet overpopulation problem or 2.) the difference between a reputable/ethical breeder vs. an irrisponsible/unethical breeder...

A few examples...

--A month or so ago a friend of mines mom bought a Goldendoodle from a breeder, after the BC she got from a rescue didn't work out -- I knew it wouldn't work out, she couldn't give the dog the time and exercise she needed. So she got a goldendoodle. The first time I saw her they asked me what I though and I said "She's cute.... please don't tell me you got her from a "breeder"? Of course she did, and she didn't understand why they shouldn't have gotten one from a breeder..... even though I told her she could have gone to the shelter and gotten one for $60.... they didn't care how much the dog cost.. they just wanted this puppy.

When I worked at a vet clinic up in that area, we had a pet store owner that brought the puppies in to our clinic to be examined/vaccinated...etc.. most of what he sold these mixbreed dogs that were sold for somewhere between $1200 and $2000.. and people ACTUALLY paid this for a mixbreed pet store puppy.... and 9 times out of 10 within a week or two after getting the puppy from this store they would show up at our clinic with very sick puppies needing expensive treatment.....

-- Then we have a couple that I do flyball with, with a CUTE little maltese/poodle mix who I didnt know this until recently, they actually bred this dog themselves.... they know I recently had a litter and told me they were considering breeding their maltese/poodle mix with their japanese chin, for no other reason than they think the puppies would be cute. Once the lady asked me if I did anything else, or just raised dogs.... at first I didn't understand what she was talking about LOL I thought at first she asked if I breed any breed besides Collies LOL but then it clicked what she was asking.... and I was like "Oh no... this litter I have now is the first litter I've had in almsot 2yrs" LOL I don't think they realize how expensive it is to actually breed the right way!!....

-- Then most recently I got an e-mail from a lady that said she was looking for a Collie, with full registration to keep intact.. and asked me what my prices were. To start off this e-mail was a huge red flag... but I was curious what her intentions were, so I wrote her back and told her to answer her question I needed to know what she was looking for... and what her plans were for the dog..

So she wrote back and said she was looking to get both a male and female at some point, and mainly wanted a pet and best friend for her kids... but wanted the option to breed it in the future...

I wrote her back and told her I agreed, Collies make excellent pets for kids... however I could not ethically sell a dog and would not sell a dog from my breeding, with my name on him to a pet home and allow him to be bred to some random collie "down the road" for the sole purpose of creating more pets. I told her there were many many Collies in rescue and shelters that would make excellent family pets that there was absolutely no reason to breed a dog just to make more pets. I told her I've had Collies for almost 14yrs and worked hard at getting healthy, happy, quality dogs and I wouldn't allow one of my dogs to be bred to some random (probably badly bred) collie just to make more pets... and I told her any reputable breeder would tell her the same.. if she found a breeder who would let her do what she wants, I would run as fast as I could from that breeder because they dont' care about their dogs....

She wrote back and said she understood and I talked to her for a few more e-mails.. she claimed she was still interested in a collie from me and would neuter the dog... so I wrote her and asked her if she had any objection to me neutering the dog prior to leaving..... LOL never heard from her.. apparently she thought she was going to pull something over on me... lol I'm quicker than that LOL.... I've delt with crazy people like this for years...