[MyLilyRose]

Originally Posted by Deuce

pug-beagle-love-puggle-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

An excerpt that made me puke a little in my mouth:

"For the most part, designer dogs are not hard to breed. Ms. Miller says she simply puts the two dogs together when the female is fertile. The animal's size can sometimes make things a bit tricky. Ms. Miller has one yorkie male that is only 2½ pounds -- too small for some of her larger females -- so she has used artificial insemination to breed that dog. When hybrids are bred with other hybrids, some breeders continue to tout their lineage, but they are not currently recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club."

And another:

"To reduce health risks, Ms. Miller, the Missouri breeder, has the parents of her dogs genetically tested to ensure they don't carry liver disease or have retinal dysplasia, two ailments that can occur in Yorkshire terriers and shih tzus. The cost of the tests, along with other expenses, brings the price of her shorkie tzus to $1,600 each."

That's more than I paid for my yorkie with registration (limited).

BYB's, Greeders, and those "go between" people must love this article, and will probably link it on their websites, "see, hybrids are better than purebreds, and what we're doing is GREAT!!!".

Basically, people are paying thousands of dollars for a mutt.