Designer dogs

Designer dogs; trendy and cute with high price tags attached. Bearing names such as:

• Puggles- Pug, Beagle cross
• Labradoodles- Labrador retriever, Standard Poodle cross
• Schnoodles- Schnauzer, Standard Poodle cross
• Maltipoo- Maltese, Poodle cross
• Roodle- Rottweiler, Standard Poodle cross
• Spoodle- Miniature chocolate poodle, Cocker spaniel cross
• Brat- Boston Terrier, Rat Terrier cross
• English Boodle- English Bull dog, Standard Poodle cross
• Dorkie- Dachshund, Yorkie cross

Considering a designer dog?

• Ask yourself why you want one?
• Are you buying a designer dog just to make a fashion statement?
• To be the first one on your block to own one?
• Do you just find them so irresistible that you have to buy one? 

If you are purchasing a designer dog because you have allergies, be warned that even the Labradoodle (the most popular of all the new designer dogs) is not 100% guaranteed to stop allergies.

According to pet author Diane Morgan a “true hypoallergenic dog would have no hair, no saliva, no dander and the inability to urinate.” 

Such a breed does not exist, and common sense says it never will.

Maggie Bonham author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Designer Dogs has this to say:

“There are a number of reasons why designer dogs are so popular. Most notably the price tag and the concept of owning a mixed breed rather than a purebred and quite frankly, they’re so adorable.”

The price tag can be hefty. Labradoodles start at $750.00.  Puggles $1,000.00. Schnoodles $700.00 and the list goes on.

Today critics cry “foul” about designer dogs.  But cross- breeding has gone on for centuries. Critics seem to forget that today’s purebreds were created by careful or sometimes accidental cross breeding.

Tips on purchasing a designer dog:

• Steer clear of kennels offering dozens of different designer dogs. Concentrate on the kennels that have a small selection (preferably one or two).
• Watch out for breeders who sell designer pups at outrageous prices.
• Make sure the puppy comes with a health certificate and contract.
• Research the breeds that you are considering. Ask the breeder for referrals and don’t just buy the first puppy that you see.
• Understand that when buying a designer dog although it might fit in your pocketbook, your pocketbook might take a hard hit later down the road in hefty vet bills.

Purebred dogs owned by conscientious breeders have been developed over years, not months or weeks.  The selection of true purebreds is limited, because ethical breeders study the lines, steering clear of genetic problems and humanely euthanizing puppies not up to standard.

Some designer dog breeders are in purely for profit. It is a game to them evident when you surf the different websites, where one kennel can offer over twenty different designer dogs at exorbitant prices.

The three most popular designer dogs are the Labradoodle, the Schnoodle and the Maltipoo. 

The Labradoodle people, according to Maggie Bonham have now succeeded in meeting the AKC criteria for dog breeds. The other designer dogs fall short.

Wally Conran started the Labradoodle line. Mr. Conran is the manager of the Royal Guide Dog Association in Australia. He was contacted about someone needing a guide dog, but the person was allergic to dogs. Mr. Conran began selectively breeding Labradors and Standard Poodles in order to supply this special demand.

But the problem lies not in the breeding for a specific purpose, but with the other so-called breeders wanting to profit from this latest trend.

If you want a mixed breed, then visit your local dog shelter. There might even be a Groodle or two in the kennels.