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Originally Posted by QuickSilver  I honestly think this topic is kind of a red herring. The real issue is the irresponsible, mass production of dogs, purebred or mixed. Puppy mills are the largest producers of purebred dogs in this country.
At my rescue, most of the animals are mixed, though we do get a sizable majority of purebred chis. We almost never get a "designer" mix. I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that if you want a morkie, you just pop down to your local shelter.
I don't believe that dogs have any inherent monetary value, so dogs cost what they cost. If the public decides that they are willing to pay more for a shih tzu than a yorkie, than shih tzus are more "valuable", or simply more expensive. If people want to pay a lot for chorkies, than chorkies will be expensive. Value is in the eye of the beholder.
That being said, I do believe in responsible breeding, which means screening out health problems and making sure all your pups will go to good homes. From what I can see, someone who goes to the effort of breeding responsibly will want to breed pure breds, rather than cross two breeds, since that would likely just be a shot in the dark.
I don't know, I've seen some really great cockapoos. They're gorgeous, and they're much smarter than the cocker spaniel, which is one of the dumbest breeds out there. That's always turned me off about cockers, so to me, a cockapoo might be a good idea. |
Boy, I've missed your posts around here.
Totally agree.
I think there ARE some responsible, respectable breeders out there who are not puppy mills or BYB and really want what's best. Cockapoo's have been around since the late 1940's (or early 1950's) and they've been trying to get accepted into the AKC for years. They're great dogs. My mom had one, she was smart as can be. Golden Retrievers weren't accepted for a LONG time either. They were a mix of some hound and something else, I believe. All dogs come from mixes somewhere and as long as your doing it responsibility, I don't see anything wrong with it. Some people LOVE the Labrador breed but don't like shedding or have allergy issues; hence the Labradoodle... which I believe is a true breed in the UK.
Now if you're just the average joe that says "Hmm... my pug would look cute with this Yorkie!" that's just dumb.