So what do you think about Designer Dogs?
 

I am not quite sure what to think about this craze for the designer dogs. Do you think it's a disgrace to their lines? Would you breed your Yorkie to something else?

i cant really answer this, because my yorkie has been bred ( not on purpose though ) to my chihuahua.

I think they are cute, but I don't appreciate them being marketed as "Designer Dogs" and sold for EXTREMELY high prices!

Perfectly said...:thumbup: :thumbup:

I have no problem with mix breeds at all - they're cute !!

but the greed is taking over and the people selling them are really raking in the bucks...We have so many breeds already in the dog world - why intentionally go nuts finding the weirdest combos.... It just plays on peoples desire for 'status' with the catch phrase....'Designer' dog.

kind of like the craze of Designer Jeans - they weren't really any better - but people paid just because they thought they were special

I have no problem with designer dogs, as long the breeding and care is ethical. There are a few mixed breederds out there who still do health testing on their stud/bitch, they have incredible puppy programs, exceptional care, and picky home placements. They are few an far between but they are out there and I commend them for their great work.
IMHO, there are "purebred" breedes that think b/c they offer "papers" that puts them above other breeders. Papers mean nothing compared to health, temperment, and care.

I think that they are being marketed that way only because there is a want for them. and just my opinion but what is the difference between two well sought out mates of different breeds than a purebred if thats what people are searching for. And really in prices, the only thing you dont get is papers. Papers are only good for breeding and or showing.

Akc does NOT come and check to make sure that the parents are purebred, nor do they watch every bitch in heat and make sure they mate only with said stud. I think that it should be done that way, but whos to say that some where down the line on even the pedigree pups there isnt some other breed in there.

just my two cents. I am not saying that I will advertise my puppies as a designer dog or as unbelievable high prices. Im just curious to know what is worth that kind of money and what isnt, and to whom??

I think some mixes are cute but I personally would NEVER pay anything remotely close for a mix that I paid for Coco. I would rather spend that money and get a full breed taht I know has been well bred. I would not pay anything more than $200 for a mutt. Idiot celebrities will pay anything that's called designer, which makes them high in demand, which gives unresponsible and greedy breeders a way in to charge an arm and a leg for a mutt. I have owned a mix before and if that is what I wanted, I would go rescue one, just like I did with my other dog.

and i think that is respectable!!

Thank you. But I do agree with your point that AKC doesn't come check to make sure that the sire and dam are both purebreds,ect. But I think that's why it's so important to get to know the kind of breeder you are dealing with. If you have an honest breeder who cares about the well being of the dog, then you are in good hands.

I agree 110%. If people aren't interested in getting a purebred dog, then I wish they would look into rescuing. I would not pay big bucks for a mutt from a breeder when I could rescue one that needs a home. But, I am not a fan of mixed breeds. That is just MHO. A lot of people ARE interested in them, and that is fine. Different strokes for different folks.

I love some designer dog breeds but only certain ones. I like the ones that have alot of benifts and great qualities to add. I like yorkiepoos and morkies, I feel they have alot to offer. As far as other designer dog mixes, I don't believe there is any reason to breed them. For example, with yorkiepoos you get a dog that does not shed, intelligent, and great for people who have allergies. Now what do puggles have to offer?? I can't really think of any good reason a person would cross a pug and beagle. So to sum it up, I do like designer dogs, but only a select few mixes.

As for the price, I don't believe they should be expensive or outrageously priced. I can't justify paying $1000 for a mix, $500 sure, but not $1000 and I have even seen some people pay even more for a mix. JMO

I will have to revise my answer after considering what Trixie posted. There are certain mixed breeds that I do like, only because mixing the 2 breeds makes for a better dog. I really like Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever x Poodle) and Goldendoodles (Golden Retriever x Poodle). I have always wanted a big dog but could never get one because ALL of them shed. The Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are specifically bred to the poodle so they won't shed! I will definately be getting one of these breeds when I get a backyard :thumbup:

see i think its cool that you feel this way, but whats the difference between you wanting a goldendoodle and someone else wanting say a morkie. Thats where I see the double standard. there may not be things that would be benificial to you in that breed but whos to say that there isnt something for someone else.

JMHO :cool:

Oh it's fine if someone wants a morkie and is willing to pay for it, I was just saying I personally would not pay a lot of money for a mixed breed unless it had something to offer that I felt was worth my money. Different strokes for different folks.

I agree. :thumbup: :thumbup:

I agree with you!:thumbup:

Okay, I'll chime in here. I wanted a Yorkie for years. I have always thought they were the sweestest faced little things ever. I held off though...WHy? Because I had always heard they were terrible to housetrain. I just wasn't sure I wanted to go through that, so I didn't get one. Then I heard, "oh, get a mix and they are easier to house train". HMMMM...gave that alot of thought. Had a friend with a s**tzu/maltese mix. Such a cute puppy. Housetrained easily. So then I looked for a Yorkie mix. Did some research, Maltese are around the same size as yorkies, don't shed. So then I looked at some Morkies. Saw some really cute ones, saw some really ugly adult ones. Then one day I saw Cooper's picture and fell head over heels in love. You could have told me he was anything....but I was in love. Do I care he's a Morkie? No...I do love that he has the Yorkie look, because that is the look I have always loved. If he had grown out of that cute puppy look though, and become one of those less attractive Morkies, would I have cared? No. I love him. To me he is perfect. He got a little larger than was supposed to...do I care? No, he is perfect. Oh, by the way...Yes, he was a breeze to housetrain!!! What can I say, He's absolutely Perfect!!:D Attached are a baby pic and one taken just the other day at 8 months old. See...he's perfect:p

Your baby is so adorable!! :D

He is SO precious!!!!!

Thank you!!!;)

Right on and well put. I would never have a problem with 'designer dogs' if they called them mixes or mutts which they are and charged a nominal adoption fee. I wouldn't have a problem if they didn't sell them with so many false claims such as hybrid vigour or the hypoallergenic labradoodle who are not in fact hypoallergenic many times and have a great potential to shed as labs do and if you don't brush and comb a poodle if its coat gets to any length it will mat up with coat trying to come out.
A cross can have the same health problems as any of the purebreds that make it up. Some crosses can be a nightmare as the mixes are made of of breeds with totally different purposes and uses for dogs such as the Puggle, mix of a beagle (hound) and the PUg( a toy or companion dog) I have friends that work in Pug rescue and they have been inundated with puggles that are unmanagable and some end up being euthanized due to unsolvable behaviour problems.
Many many crosses end up with dental problems because the mix has created bites and teeth that are way off.
I agree, that if you don't care if you have a purebred or a cross, go out and adopt one from a shelter.
Somebody asked if a purebred breeder would allow a breeding of my purebed Yorkie to a different breed or mix and I would say absolutely not and I have been phoned and emailed looking for a stud service for one of my boys to other breeds or mixes. I didn't spend 10 years of blood sweat tears disappointments and money to show my dogs, pay good stud fees to exceptional males to improve my Yorkie line to then turn around and breed them to make a mix breed.
No reputable show breeder would be involved in the mix breed production. As a purebred breeder it is against our ethics, against our Club Code of Ethics.

on the rescuring comments:

i volunteer so i understand how important it is to find homes for these dogs. but the only dogs i see in the particular shelter that i help out with are large, dark, short hair mixes. nothing wrong with that, but there is no variety there. i think large dogs are great but i personally get irrated when im have a propsective adopter and every dog i tell them about is basically the same. and then they get discouraged as well and a lot of times people who are ignorant drop off the young adults or older large dogs because they like the "puppy" so those dogs usuallt stay a long time, they are all good dogs.

But when looking for a small breed dog, that is not defective (this is not used in a offensive manner) such as sickly, tempermental, or very old they and are not considered adoptable in my eyes (still dont want nothing bad to happend to them, i feel that this happens because people want a younger puppy or dont have the means to help a sick puppy) thats not want i am looking for, also if you find something that is not defective then it is too far away OR they charge the same amount as a breeder. i have seen where they were charging $1000.00 for a purebred yorkie. i think that was crazy. if i pay $1000.00 for a purebred dog i want full rights to the papers and breeding, etc... they make it easier for people to go to the breeders and harder to adopt from them with some places fees. and if you want a specific breed, or breed mix or shape or color whatever you may not find it at a shelter when you are really interested. i never thought that people would ever surrender a toy breed such as a yorkie until i started getting in the small breeds more heavily. and there are a variety of them on line but like i said a lot of times there is something or unappealing about the situration. also a lot of adoption places are extremely finiky.

the shelter i work with reviews application, does telephone visits and home visits, checks references.( i do agree with process but it is a slow process) now we normally have large dogs this group required that all dogs be inside, i dont agree, if the weather is bad then yes they should be inside but if it is a nice day and they a nice area for the dog i think that should be enough. you know how some of us have large outside walking dog house or kennels this place will not approve of that. my mom has a walking dog house with a 5 foot ling fence, running water hot and cold, ac, heater, electricty and a grooming station and she was on the board of the directors (retired) and they would not aprove her because the whole yard wasnt fenced in.

i think it is easier to go to a breeder, pick out your puppy, pay the money, maybe signed a contract on papers or breeding, bring it home and have a contact for informatin ( the breeder)

and another good point when some one is looking they wanted right then, they normally dont want to wait and breeders are always there.

i have bought 2 "designer" dogs and i like that term better then mix or mutt. i paid $250.00 for the first and $400.00 (they were asking $500.00) for the second who has passed away. i bought my purebred and my "designer" looks more purebred then the purebred....lol ( which i know is bad breeding and he was an impulse buy)

but i think it is just a matter of what YOU want, not everyone else!!!

Some crossbreeds are really cute. One thought though is that a poodle has 3 times the genetic defaults of a Yorkie or a Maltese so you might want to consider this. Also, I won't personally breed mixes because some of the mixes look 100% purebred and then somewhere down the line someone keeps breeding with a purebred and think they have a purebred. At some point the puppies come up with characteristics of another breed and yet they insist that the dog is a purebreed when it really isn't. Someone who really cares about the Yorkshire Terrier Breed would only breed those within the standard, free of genetic defaults, to another of the same. This is what is called for in ethical breeding, to preserve the standard so one day they don't disappear all together.

I love them. I know a lot of people are against it, but I don't have a problem with it as long as breeders don't jack up the prices, because it's a so called designer mix. I actually really want a yorkie shihtzu mix, shi-poo, morkie, or a malti-poo. As long as a dog is cute and healthy, they're great in my book!:p

Great post! :clapsmile
I think some maybe cute but prefer the breeding of purebred dogs done by reputable breeders. I hate seeing any two dogs thrown together so some can make a buck.

Many of these designer dogs are as Lorraine stated marketed with false claims.

Example: The labradoodle having a non-shedding coat.

The fact is labradoodles have just as good of a chance of getting the coat of the lab and shedding than as the dog getting its coat from the poodle. It seems some breeders make these claims as a selling tactic and the public are later disappointed when their labradoodle sheds after all.

i agree 100%

:goodpost: :clapsmile

i totally agree with you. people are getting these mixes under false advertising. people think anything mixed with a poodle won't shed, but they're wrong. when breeding two different breeds together your ecentually creating a mix of both qualities, but the good qualities that your looking for aren't necessarily going to be the ones that come out. And who's to say every puppy in the litter is going to be the 'standard' of the mix? i wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on a mix. i've go to a shelter or rescue and adopt one for much cheaper and use the money i saved to spoil them rotten

non-shedding big dog???
 

If you want a big dog that DOES NOT SHED why not consider a standard poodle? they are extremely intelligent, easy to train, make great watch dogs, come in a variety of colors--my favorite color is silver, but i have an 8 year old black male, he watches over my yorkies, thinks he's their mama. LOL I had a standard poodle years ago that I showed in obedience. they really are great dogs and truly non shedding, just like the toy poodles, but they are not "yappers" or hyper. Just big ole teddy bears until someone tries to mess with their family.

Just my opinion - no matter how people try to fit a square peg into a round hole - a mix is a mix and nothing more - as far as genetics go. I have had mix breed Aust. Shepard and collie when my kids were growing up and a mix golden - we called him shredder (no that is a long story) and both were very sweet and lovable. But if I wanted a mix breed - I would go down to the pound and save a sole. Why bring more mix pups into this word when there are so many that die in the pound or never find a home.
I was listening on the radio yesterday morning and there is this guy that makes cd's for dogs (Scratch, Scratch - is one title) anyways - he said they had this dog psychologist to help them find out which songs dogs like best and they used dogs in this one pound as testers. What they found out is that dogs did not like to phrase "I'll be right back," since they actually knew they were never going to have a home. How sad!!! :( They actually know.

Oh I would get a standard poodle in a heartbeat. I think they are beautiful dogs. But my hubby is in love with labradors as much as I am in love with yorkies. But, I am allergic to labs since they shed so much. So, that is why we are considering a labradoodle or goldendoodle. They are a mix of 2 highly intelligent breeds and make great pets that don\'t shed.