Mixed Breeds For Dummies. Miriam Fields-Babineau

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Hearing the hype about hybrids

      

Identifying the pros and cons of hybrid dogs

      

Looking at the most popular designer dogs

      What do Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, and Jake Gyllenhaal have in common? No, they haven’t all won Oscars. They all have Puggles — the designer-dog hybrid of a Pug and a Beagle. Designer dogs are growing in popularity, and they’re often more expensive than purebred pups. Why? Because they’re unique.

      So, why would someone pay upwards of $1,500 for a mixed-breed dog when he can go to the local animal shelter and adopt one for $30? Aren’t all mixed-breed dogs unique in their own ways? Yes — but not all mixed-breed dogs purposely designed. Not all mixed-breed dogs have pedigreed parents. Not all mixed-breed dogs have a well-documented lineage. Designer dogs are intentionally chosen to create a specific appearance and temperament in the offspring. The puppies are calculated, created, and planned. Most mixed-breed dogs are accidents — but there’s nothing accidental about a designer dog, and many people are willing to pay more to get one.

      Designer dogs are not without controversy, though. Purebred dog fanciers (a fancy name for people who are enthusiastic about dogs) are vehemently opposed to mixing their purebred dogs with any other breed. In this chapter, I fill you in on the pros and cons of designer dogs, so you can decide for yourself whether they’re right for you. I also let you know which designer dogs are the most popular, and tell you a bit about those hybrids and what you can expect if you get one.

The Pros and Cons of Designer Dogs

      Although breeders of designer dogs feel they’re meeting the needs of a particular niche of people, purebred breeders and purebred dog clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), think the entire trend is dangerous to all dogs. In the following sections, I offer up both sides of the debate and let you make up your own mind.

      The pros

      One of the advantages of designer dogs is the sheer number of varieties available. Over 200 different hybrid combinations exist, which means there is a designer dog for every taste. Most of these hybrids are small and designed to have good personality combined with adorability.

      Designer dogs are created to fit every need — from pocket-size dogs for easy travel to low-shed dogs for those with allergies. Many of these designer-dog creations are free of some of the traits that can make life difficult for the purebred dog. For example, some purebreds, like the Pug, have a very short snout, making breathing difficult. But the popular Puggle — the hybrid of a Pug and a Beagle — has a longer nose while still maintaining the Pug’s wrinkled forehead and loopy gait.

      Many hybrid breeders claim their dogs have hybrid vigor, a strength that comes from having parents of two different breeds. The offspring of two different breeds rarely inherit genetic defects, because the bloodlines aren’t as close as those of purebreds. Purebred dogs often have inherited traits that can cause genetic defects. For example, many retriever breeds tend to have cataracts or epilepsy, many large-breed dogs have hip dysplasia, and many small-breed dogs are prone to dental problems. Mixed-breed dogs rarely inherit these genetic defects, because their genetics are more varied. (Incidentally, this is true of all mixed-breed dogs, not just designer dogs or hybrids.)

      The cons

      The major con of designer dogs is the price. Most designer dogs cost upwards of $1,500, whereas many purebred dogs begin at $800.

Although each designer dog was bred for specific appearance and traits, there’s a good chance that some or all of them will not develop in the offspring. Mixing breeds is chancy, because the outcome is not absolute. Although purebred dog offspring will always mature to appear like the parent dogs, the hybrid offspring may appear more like one parent than the other, or have a personality more like one parent than the other. So, although you might be searching for a small Yorkipoo, the pup might grow up to be the size of a large Yorkshire Terrier instead of a Teacup Poodle.

      As much as the breeders of designer dogs claim that mixing two breeds improves the offspring’s overall health, that fact is debatable. Although many of the puppies don’t show symptoms of the recessive genetic dysfunctions commonly seen in purebred dogs, many other puppies do. In fact, a hybrid puppy can have the poor luck to inherit the worst physical and temperament traits of both parents.

      

There are no guarantees when you get a dog — purebred, hybrid, or mutt.

The Major “Labels” in the Designer-Dog World

      In the following sections, I introduce you to some of the most popular designer dogs.

      

I can’t cover all 200+ varieties of designer dogs in this chapter. But if you’re curious about the wide variety of designer dogs available, a great resource is the American Canine Hybrid Club (www.achclub.com). Click the Breeds tab to see a list of all the breeds the club recognizes.

      Oodles of Poodles

      Few hybrids are more popular than those with a Poodle parent. In fact, it was the Poodle mixture that started the entire fad of designer dogs, beginning with the Labradoodle and Cockapoo.

      Poodles bring many great attributes into the hybrid crossing, plus they come in four sizes: Standard, Miniature, Toy, and Teacup (a size not currently recognized by the AKC). Plus, they’re low- to no-shed dogs with dirt-resistant coats. When combined with a Retriever, or other straight soft-coated breed, they can produce a beautiful wavy or large-curl coat that’s very attractive.

      The smaller Poodle breeds also tend to live a long time. So instead of having a dog for only 10 to 12 years, you’ll have one who will live upwards of 15 years. That, alone, makes a Poodle mix very attractive.

When compared to other purebred dogs, Poodles are rated high on the intelligence scale. They learn quickly and can work their way through problems faster than most other breeds. What’s not to like about fast housetraining? Poodles are sensitive, highly aware, and learn by watching others.

      Unless very poorly bred, Poodles have few genetic defects, though they aren’t totally without health concerns. Their hips are far better than most retriever and shepherd breeds. They aren’t prone to heart problems seen in many types of dogs. And they rarely have epilepsy, retinal atrophy, or allergies. Overall, mixing any purebred dog with a Poodle will create great offspring.

      Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever/Poodle)

Created as the ultimate service dog, Labradoodles (see Figure 2-1) quickly became popular around the world. Just as the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in the United States, the Labradoodle is also the most popular, large designer dog.

      Illustration by Barbara Frake

      FIGURE 2-1: Labradoodles have three coat types, two of which do shed.

      Initially,