Designer Dogs

I am not a fan of the designer dog trend but I learned of one today that made me lol

havanese + cocker spaniel = havacock

I wish I were joking here, but a girl I know has a Jack Russell + Shih Tzu cross.

This girl probaly doesn't know JackShiht

Bulldog + Shih Tzu = Bull sh itz

Think about it - a designer dog is just a mutt - albeit a very expensive mutt.

what about an ant eater and a shihtzu?

dog of the day

Schnoodle - Schnauzer and Poodle.

A customer of my dad's is now breeding "Reagles" - Rat Terriers and Beagles

Designer Dogs? It sounds like the Marketing Department has rebranded "mutt."

It bothers me that people will sell "Puggles" for a $1,000 because they are the newest thing. You also have people breeding dogs for looks while the characteristics of the breeds can get out of control.

If you want a mixed breed dog there are plenty of them at the local shelters.

I've had my mixed breed (German Shepard/Chocolate Lab/Springer Spaniel) for almost five years. She's awesome! I got her at 6 weeks old for free, and she had her first round of shots!

It blows my mind to think people pay $1,000+ for a dog.

I have a few mixed breeds too. I have a chihuahua/doxie mix and I am constantly asked for puppies. She has been spayed for 9 years, but she is adorable.

Agreed. I think the names are hilarious but it really isnt funny. These are just mutts and if people want to spend $1000 on them, then they are just encouraging more of it.

A Ch-weiner! A couple co-workers have them too.

The thing about "designer dogs" is people are getting bored of the current "pure" breeds. Also, a lot of the pure breeds are really inbred and have developed a lot of hereditary conditions.

By creating intentional mixes, breeders can combine the desired features of a couple different breeds, create a new designer breed, and get away from some of the inbred hereditary conditions.

Designer dog = intentional blending of breeds
Mutt = unintentional mix (people need to spay and neuter their pets!)

Whether or not you want to spend the cash to get a new designer dog is your own business and no one else's. It's no different than people spending $2000 on a yorkie or some other top dollar pure breed.

Designer dogs are intentional breeding of good old fashioned mutts, and them marketing them to make them popular.

A good old fashioned mixed breed from the pound is the best dog you can ever own.

PS: Anyone want a SharPet? (Shar Pei Whippet Mix!) I have one in foster that needs a home. She's an excellent designer dog, breed for speed and intelligence, with a great personality and no real down side.

the mixing of the names really grinds on my nerves... but otherwise i like the idea of mixing breeds

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight so lets mix hereditary conditions of two dogs and create a litter filled with a variety of hereditary conditions!!! A reputable breeder would not intentionally mix anything other than dogs of the same breed. Dogs that have been hip checked, health checked, temperment checked etc. Reputable breeders are looking to preserve the quality of the breed they are pursuing - not messing it up by mixing in a different breed.

I can understand the point about reputable breeders, but isn't this how breeds are developed anyway? In other words, all these breeds didn't just spring forth out of the ether, and there weren't packs of feral yorkies running around before they were domesticated. Aren't today's "designer breeds" just tomorrows "breeds"?

QueenBee, If reputable breeders only tried to preserve the quality of their breed, there would be many breeds that do not exist. Many of the "pure breed" dogs out there are mixed breeds that created their own line.

My mom read somehwere that Miniature Pinschers had a mix of Daschund and Italian Greyhound in their lines (no Doberman or other Pinschers!)...


I also heard that Puggles have become so standard in their breed that they may soon be recognised as a breed rather than a designer...

My dad and step mom have two Min Pin's and he told a relative this weekend that they dont trace back to Dobies in any way.

IMO, a person that makes there 'designs' their line of dogs would not be a reputable breeder.

You mean they didn't wet a Dobie and throw it in the dryer on high?



On my mom's Min Pin, I can def see traces of Doxie in her neck. The coloring is an obvious. Italian Greyhound can be seen in the legs and ears (if uncropped, like my mom's Min Pin).

From Wikipedia: The Miniature Pinscher and Dobermann's Pinscher share no common ancestry. In 1836 (the oldest documented writings of the Miniature Pinscher) after years of study of the breed Dr. Reichenbach determined that the Miniature Pinscher was derived from crossing a smooth coated Dachshund (a favorite German breed of the time with excellent ratting skills) with an Italian Greyhound. This is the only documented facts about the Min Pin's origin. All other offerings have no basis in fact and are speculations based primarily on individuals and some breeders who have no real knowledge so have been left to speculate.

Leave the dancin' banana out of this!

LOL...I just got a great visual of my step mom's annoying little dog rolling around in the dryer. Shame on me!!

I have to admit, Puggles are pretty cool. They look like mini mastiffs.

I saw an Irish Wolfhound at the Scottish Games this past weekend - what a huge and amazing dog!

I heard Puggles have a peeing problem. I think they are cute puppies but not so cute grown dogs. Someone that lives near me has an Irish Wolfhound - it looks like he is walking a horse!!

My niece has a golden retriever and poodle breed.
I believe it's called a golden doodle.
It's quite an interesting looking dog.

How can you not love any dog with "oodle" in it?

Golden Doodle (Golden Retriever x Poodle)
Labradoodle (Labrador x Poodle)
Schnoodle (Miniature Schnauzer x Poodle)
Choodle (Chihuahua x Poodle)
Yoodle (Yorkie x Poodle)

:P

Would a Doberman + a Poodle make a Doodle?

(not that I would want to witness that breeding!)

I'm convinced this all started when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck created "Bennifer"

And don't get me started on the invention of the 'spork'

Seems like every celeb couple has one of those nowadays.

Personally I'd rather have a plain jain dog.
That golden doodle scares me- and she is like she is lopsided.
BUT! to each his/her own.

We have a year old MaltiPoo and just love her. She was also several $$$ cheaper than the pure bread Poodle, Maltese or Schnauzer I was looking at. I tell her often as I am trying to comb out the kinks that if I had know when we bought her how much the Maltese and Poodle hair don't mix, I might not have bought her Yes I would have

They seem to bread poodle with a lot these days don't they!

Then please define what you mean by preserving the quality of their breed. You do realize that every breed is a designer breed, or don't you?

For example, are breeders of the Neopolitan Mastiff not reputable? After all, the breed itself is only about 30 years old.

What about the Beauceron? It was originally a cross between the Doberman and the German Shepherd.

The Black Russian Terrier? It was a cross between Rottweilers and the Giant Schnauzers. Then again, the Giant Schnauzer was mix with Airedale Terriers.

I guess the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever doesn't count either, since it is a recent blend of several breeds of retriever as well as the cocker spaniel and irish setter.

Well, Poodles are fairly intelligent dogs, don't shed, and usually fare well with asthma sufferers.

My guess is they are used to mix with other breeds for the coat and shedding, but it's just a guess.

maybe poodles are just tramps that will breed with any dog out there


poodles have loose morals!

Poodles are very intelligent, but their hair stinks. The reason their hair doesn't "shed" is because it gets tangled in the other curly hair surrounding it.

I think that the problems with pure bred dogs will also start to happen to these designer dogs. Breeders will only breed for aesthetics...which can breed the brains right out of the dog and cause health problems.

That's exactly why they are breeding lots of other breeds with poodles. It's the reduced shedding and dander.

ewwwwww my neighbor has a brown Labradoodle and it is scary!!!


Bengals - clearly, you know a lot about different breeds. All that I am saying is that it seems like things are getting out of control. By 'designer' I meant 'fad'. I believe that some of the breeds you mentioned were purposly bred to strengthen an existing breed (working, guarding etc) and not to be a fluff of fur for someone to carry around in a little pink bag!

I think it is OK to mix breeds. I also think that care should be taken to forsee any potential unintended outcomes. For example, Beagles are scent hounds, and Pugs have short snouts and protruding eyes, so some worry that the combination may put Puggles at a higher risk for eye injury.

Last year we adopted a rescued puppy who is part standard poodle and something else (we were told lab, but we think he might be part Irish wolfhound). I think he was an "accident," but he's an awesome dog, and we love him. All 62 pounds!

Breeding other breeds with poodles, in particular, is purposefully done to create a strong breed. The poodle is intelligent, and does not shed. If you can find a way to carry a labradoodle in a little pink bag (and the foster I'm watching just looks like a big white sheep dog without the shedding), I'll be impressed.

The whole idea of cross breeding is to keep the animals stronger, because inbreeding of "pure breeds" has weakened many breeds. Most of the ones they are breeding now belong to a group that does not exist, the family companion group. These dogs are not meant to be working dogs, but rather companions who are breed to be less allergenic, less work to care for, etc.

Silly rabbit, don't you know that rescued "accidents" are always the best dogs?

Yes, I do. Every animal we have is rescued. 2 dogs, 4 cats, 1 cockatiel, and a feeder goldfish rescued from a pet shop!

A feeder goldfish rescued from a pet shop? Thanks for making me laugh!

I stocked my parents garden pond with feeder gold fish when I installed it for them, what seems like centuries ago, but is really only about 10 years ago. The people they sold the house to marveled at the beautiful fancy goldfish that were in the pond when they bought it.

The only difference between a feeder goldfish and a fancy comet goldfish? The price and age!

I would cross a Ball Park and a Hebrew National to get a National Park.

Oh, I thought we were talking about hot dogs...

GD, wouldn't it be a Hebrew Ball?

I think that would be a Bar or Bat Mitzvah!

It's actually my daughter's fish. I think we've had him for a three or four years now. His name is Frodo. He started out in a bowl, then he graduated to a 5 gallon aquarium, now he's in a 10 gallon aquarium. My wife says his next aquarium will be somebody's pond!

They can get pretty big. I bought a few fancy goldfish when I was a teenager and put them in a 20 gallon aquarium...wow!