[News] Pet Lovers Wag Their Tails Over the Designer Dog

[fasteddie]

Designer dogs -- a combination of two purebreds -- are reaching a startling height of popularity that is jolting even the American Canine Hybrid Club.

The club is registering about 500 litters of designer dogs a month, more than double the number of litters it was registering just more than a year ago.

Those numbers are just the tip of the tail as home breeders and professional breeders across the nation are turning purebreds into mutts with panache.

At Chia's Pet Kingdom in Krum, Texas, Glenna and Jeff Heraly are seeking to breed out the common back problems of the dachshund by combining it with the less lengthy Chihuahua. They are looking to tone down the yappiness of the Yorkshire terrier by slipping in a little of the Shih Tzu.

Chiweenies, a blend of Chihuahua and dachshund, and shorkies, a Shih Tzu-Yorkshire terrier combo, are designer dogs, the latest trend with legs.

The Heralys know that some of their designer pups will inherit the best qualities of their parents. They know it's possible some of their littermates may inherit the worst.

"It's like raising kids," Glenna Heraly says. "Some kids grow up to be killers. Some grow up to be priests and presidents."

The past decade has seen what's been called the most radical shift in dog breeding in at least 200 years.

In kennels and backyards, designer dogs are being created.

Labrador plus poodle equals the hybrid labradoodle.

Pug plus beagle equals the puggle.

Chihuahua plus Yorkshire terrier equals the chorkie.

More than 200 such combinations now are registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club.

"This is a major departure from how dogs have been bred for centuries," notes Cheryl Spencer-Scher of the National Humane Education Society in West Virginia.

At first, way, way back, we bred dogs to be nicer than wolves. Then we bred them to work, and to hunt, and to keep us warm at night. Then we developed kennel clubs and bred dogs to meet exacting standards so that the "good" dogs had tails that wagged a certain way and ears that perked up just so.

About 50 years ago, the idea of creating crosses of purebred dogs began to take hold. Recently, Hollywood celebrities opened the gate and the designer dog trend ran into our lives.

Jessica Simpson carries Daisy, a maltepoo (Maltese-poodle). Natalie Portman brought her schnoodle (schnauzer-poodle) named Noodles onto the set of a television talk show. Jake Gyllenhaal and James Gandolfini both have puggles, the varieties that lead the list of most-bred designer dogs.

http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories....1f951f64.html

[yorkiesmiles]

I don't get this. The prices folks are paying for these mixed dog breeds is unbelievable. There's no registry, yet they get these absorbant prices for what a few years ago would have been considered a mutt, a mistake - you know the neighbors dog, a lab, got our female poodle while she was in heat - type of situation. Some dog owners would have in the past gone as far to have those type of mistakes aborted!

My aunt actually use to have a sheep dog-poodle mix yrs ago, because of a mistake. Maybe that could be a new design - actually to cut down on the huge size of the sheep dog.

Do you think AKC or anyone else would ever recognize these dogs?? I know they occassionally add a breed, but how many decades will it take for any of these "designer" dogs to break into a registry. Or will they first loose their appeal and again be known as a mutt.

My designer dog is a YORKIE!!

[Gray]

I'm very unsophisticated as far as all these "designer dogs" go...but as I read alll of your posts, and see how amazingly dedicated all of you are to your yorkies, there is no other choice I would make - it is PURE Yorkshire Terrier all the way!

[schatzie]

It just seems a tad disturbing that their is such a profit being made on mixed breeds.

I don't even like the phrase "designer dog", ugh.

Mixed breeds are wonderful dogs, so are purebreed dogs....But to give it a silver lining and a high price tag is nothing more but greed imo.

[Baby Blessing]

I never realized that yorkies are yappers, our Cassie was never yappy but she sure could growl when she heard someone come in that was unknown person, but that was about all she would do then turn around and give em kisses galore. Baby Blessing doesn't seem to be a yapper either, glad for that. She reminded me of Cassie this morning, as I was up till wee hours and when I opened the bed room door she let out that fierce growl, she woke Jack, he said wow, not even 5 months and she is already a tiger :-) :-) from the two of us, Patti and Jack ~ Baby Blessing~

[lilbumbleybees]

Designer Dogs are mutts, through and through. And I hope to God that they NEVER make it into the AKC when there are millions of the ver same "desginer dogs" dying in shelters, literally, for someone to love them the same as these overpriced designer dogs

[Toffee]

Originally Posted by Baby Blessing

I never realized that yorkies are yappers, our Cassie was never yappy but she sure could growl when she heard someone come in that was unknown person, but that was about all she would do then turn around and give em kisses galore. Baby Blessing doesn't seem to be a yapper either, glad for that. She reminded me of Cassie this morning, as I was up till wee hours and when I opened the bed room door she let out that fierce growl, she woke Jack, he said wow, not even 5 months and she is already a tiger :-) :-) from the two of us, Patti and Jack ~ Baby Blessing~

I agree. I wish they wouldn't generalize! Our Toffee never yaps!!! Yep yep, he's a kisser too! <3 Cassie sounds so cute.

[stinky]

My baby's not yappy. She's fabulous!

[Baby Blessing]

Originally Posted by Toffee

I agree. I wish they wouldn't generalize! Our Toffee never yaps!!! Yep yep, he's a kisser too! <3 Cassie sounds so cute.

Aren't they the most precious ones, yep our Cassie was the love of our life, it has been horrible not having her with us anymore, she left us with so much love for her, and to continue on sharing our love with another. It is the hardest thing in the world to give up one, but for us in getting another yorkie it was the best thing we did, Baby Blessing has helped us to smile once again.

[scrapbetter]

This is how the AKC registry has grown though, right? Somebody breeds to intentionally produce certain characteristics...and once it is stabalized...and still popular (demand) AKC and other clubs of the world begin to recognize it??
Bren

[AsCeNsIoN]

I agree with Schatzie. Whilst the mixed breeds are as lovable as purebreds, the whole "design'a'doggy" thing is purely for financial gain. Are we gonna see designer dog puppy mills next?

[Bizzymammabee]

You know you really have to laugh at this stuff. Years ago you had to give away your mix pups...now there are suckers everywhere paying big bucks. An attorney I work with paid $3k for a YorkiePoo. God forgive me but she is really ugly and honestly you have to worry about the whole healthy issue. It's bad enough that you get a dog that may have one sort of health issue but you compound that with a mix and pay a ton for the dog. These dogs tend to be accidents in breeders homes with their variety of dogs and they are making serious capital off of it. It's just too weird and sad to see that this stuff happens and people will pay big bucks.

[wenkebach99]

I just had to respond to this post. I had a border collie/spaniel that i adopted and she had heart worms when i adopted her and i had her treated and she lived another 12 years with me until she got Cancer(throat) she was a great dog and i had to have her put down a little over a year ago. Although I would love to buy a Yorkie, Shih-tzu or maltese it is just not feasible for me and I love animals. I tried to adopt again and the ones that i was interested in had already been spoken for. Five months into my search i went to a pet shop and i saw her. There were 4 of them (yorkie, shih-tzu mix puppies) one looked just like a yorkie and 2 looked just like shih-tzu's. Well i got the MUTT all of them of course were mutts but the one i got was more so because she didn't look more like one breed than the other. As my family put it she was the ugliest one of the bunch but all i saw was BEAUTY. Her eyes locked on to me and she chose me and i will love her and take care of her as long as she will have me. I paid $300.00 for her and that included all the supplies i purchased for her that day. I don't show dogs or breed dogs I got her for my companion and let me tell you she has been the best dog i have ever had. She is my love!! I am not disputing that people shouldn't cross breed dogs but i know accidents happen and these babies deserve a happy home as well. I can't beleive they would abort a dog just because it got with another breed. There are alot of people that want full blooded AKC etc pets but some people just cant afford it and all they are really after is a companion to share their time with. Sassy gave me love and a new life and i wouldn't trade her for anything in the world! I hope you enjoy her photos and how could people not give the Mutts a chance after looking into a face like hers, hehe. I have been looking in the maltese, yorkie and shih-tzu adoption sites and one day when i see the right one that hasn't been spoken for i will add a full-blooded baby to my home. The problem with breeders who breed the full blooded breeds they discard the ones that don't MEASURE UP so to speak to the standards and have the put down or send them to the pound where their chances of survival are slim to none. To me dogs are more than something to show for a persons status but a precious bundle of joy that gives us humans unconditional love. Thanks for listening to my side of this issue.
Melinda and Sassy Little

[StewiesMom]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

"It's like raising kids," Glenna Heraly says. "Some kids grow up to be killers. Some grow up to be priests and presidents."



In kennels and backyards, designer dogs are being created.

Here's my two favorite quotes. Essentially, he's saying that purebreds grow up to be killers and mutts gros up to be presidents and priests. LMAO. Some people are really really stupid.

and of course backyard breeders and puppymills are creating these dogs. They've been doing it for years and years. Now, the general public has made it "ok" to breed mixed breed dogs.

Everyone should just run around w/ their dogs unfixed to see what kind of puppies we can make. Then, we can try to sell them for a bunch of money. But we'll probably end up having to bring them all to the already overcrowded shelters since not everyone wants dogs.

[BLowry]

DITTO to all of you...I agree. This is just another way to make BIG bucks. I went onto one of these"designer doggie sites" although they are adorable they are still MUTTS! The prices they were asking for these pups were incredible! They went up as high as $2500.00! That is more than I paid for my AKC registered Sadie! (yorkie of course!) I think people are doing this for the money but, also because alot of famous people own them....all breeds have medical issues that can occur. I believe that this kind of breeding is only going to cause more medical issues with these poor little puppies.