What do you think about "Puggles" & other "designer" breeds?

Question

I believe mixing a hunting dog with a companion dog is just a horrible idea. Beagles have the highest shelter rate, meaning there's more of them in the shelters than any other dog. They're hunting dogs and should be used as such. They don't make great house pets due to their high energy level, and their need for run. Lately, when checking petfinder I've noticed that there are more and more "puggles" appearing for adoption. Do these "puggles" take after the beagles temperment, and then after the puppy stage people realize they can't handle them? So it would seem. People shouldn't be encouraging this type of breeding.

Answer 1

WANT A DESIGNER DOG? CHECK THE POUND.

Ever hear of a floppy-faced Jujitsu? How about a King Daley shepherd? A Germox retriever? Those are just a few of the creative monikers that clever dog owners have come up with to label their all-American dogs — mutts, to people with less imagination.

When Steve Dale, the syndicated talk-show host of "Pet Central" on WGN Radio, and his wife decided to get another dog recently after the death of their 15-year-old Brittany, Chaser, all the Brittanys they saw brought tears, so they took their search to PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Chicago, the city’s largest nonprofit humane organization. There they found Ethel, a patchwork puppy who resembles the wild “painted dogs” of Africa

“People stopped us on the street and asked what kind of dog Ethel was,” Dale says. “They seemed disappointed when I’d say she was an Australian shepherd mix.”

Since people seemed to want Ethel to “be” something, Dale began calling her a King Daley shepherd, referencing Chicago’s longtime mayors.

Janice A. Biniok of Waukesha, Wis., has been creating “breed” names for her mixes for years. Currently she has what is probably a Labrador/boxer/German shepherd.

“He’s absolutely gorgeous. He looks like a brindle Labrador, so everybody wants to know what he is. I’ve been thinking of calling him a Germox retriever,” she says.

Why can’t a mutt be just a mutt?

Everybody wants something unique, says Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of "Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?"

People who seek out the dog du jour — which these days is a crossbreed such as a maltipoo (Maltese/poodle) or goldendoodle (golden retriever/poodle) — like the idea of having a dog that not very many people have. And don't mind paying $1,000 to $2,500 or more for one.

Best of each breed?
Pet lovers are also attracted by claims that hybrids are hypoallergenic or have fewer health problems or will carry the best traits of each breed.

“The argument people make is that by crossing a purebred Labrador and a purebred poodle, it’s going to be nonshedding and intelligent because poodles are nonshedding and intelligent, and it’s going to have the work ethic and playfulness of the Lab, making it the perfect family dog,” Coren says. “It’s a nice story, but when you tell it, geneticists laugh.”

Genetic characteristics sort out randomly. So no matter what its breed or mix, an individual dog may be more or less allergenic, intelligent or healthy than another.

“When you cross two things it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to optimize what you’re trying to achieve,” says veterinarian Patricia Olson, president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation, a group in Englewood, Colo., that funds research on pet-health issues.

“You can’t just say if I take this and this I’m sure I’m going to have a healthier dog; it doesn’t work that way. That’s why a lot of these crosses become fads and then go by the wayside, because people have experimented with them in the past and it hasn’t always been what they had hoped for.”

Biniok says the mutts she has adopted from the shelter have never had the hereditary health problems that affected her two purebreds, a Great Dane and a Boston terrier.

While mixed breeds as a class have more variety of inherited diseases than any single pure breed because of their broader gene pool, the frequency of any given disease among mixed breeds is likely to be lower because the population is more diverse.

But because designer dogs are purposely bred from dogs of specific types or breeds, they may have a higher incidence of certain diseases, such as breathing difficulties, cancer or hip dysplasia, depending on the breeds used to create them. The Xolo (or Mexican Hairless) mixes have as many if not more health problems as the purebreds, says Amy Fernandez of Forest Hills, N.Y., who is president of the Xoloitzcuintli Club of America, for people with this scrawny, hairless breed.

Not always a glamorous picture
Plenty of hybrids are well-loved pets, but the ones that outgrow the “cute” stage can face an uncertain future.

“Right now we are dealing with Xolo/Jack Russell mixes, Xolo/pit bull mixes, Xolo/Chihuahua mixes that we cannot find homes for,” Fernandez says.

“People are happy to fork over big bucks to buy these dogs as puppies, but once buyers realize that what they have is a complicated, demanding dog, many of these hairless wonders end up in shelters or worse," she says. "At least once every winter we hear of hairless dogs intentionally abandoned outdoors to freeze.”

When you want a dog that’s one of a kind, there’s no need to spend big bucks to get it. Visit your local shelter instead and come home with your very own roughcoated Malibu griffon, Golden Gate Chiwienie dog or North American mottled shepherd.

Whatever you choose, and whatever you call it, the dog will be just as unique and special as a pricier pup.

Answer 2

In a sense there has always been a history of 'desinger' type dogs. Look at the Cavalier King Charles and other such breeds that were besides ancient or well respected historical people. Puggles are a form of mix breeding. Our history of dogs has been with mix breeding. I have a boston terrier. Its a mix of English Bulldog and Terrier. This breed was created back in the early 1900's. I do think that breeding mixed for popularity reason is not the best but there are some good points to mixing breeds such as temperment and such.

I dont believe that all the dogs in the shelters are there because of the mix breeding. Its because people do not do research on the dog they plan to get and it ends up not being something they want or they realize taking care of a dog is more work than they thought so its easier to just give it up then take the responsibility. I wouldnt single your anger for shelter dogs directly at the mixed 'designer' breeds. There are most likely more mutt dogs than these kinds.

Fighting to prevent dogs in shelters is a life long battle. Granted I love animals and wish to never see one brought a shelter but thats the fact. We are overpopulated in many areas in life and animals are one of them. The way to go is to find the puppymills and get them taken care of. But there will always be someone that just wants puppies cuase their cute so they breed their dogs and so forth which just keeps the overpopulation going.

Fact is its not due to mixing breeds. Its due to lack of responsibility and knowledge why animals are in shelters.

Answer 3

Puggles are also prone to health issues and structural deformities. Some Puggles take after the "pug" side some after the "Beagle side and some from both..there is no way of knowing.
As for other "designer" mixes..many people are conned into believing things about these mixes that aren't true as well. They are basiclly dogs that people irresponsibly breed together for $$$$$ and con people..they are a sales ploy....money machines.

Answer 4

I think is disturbing that people PIMP out their pets to make money off the offspring - whether is selling 'designer dogs' or not - I'm sure they wouldn't do the same to their furless human children - or would they ??

Designer dogs aer nothing more than MIXED breed dogs - I'm not putting them down I love all breeds - pure or mmixed breeds - but the term ' Designer Dog' was only invented so puppy mills & other uneducated people could rake in insanemoney for selling mix breeds - while puppies -pure &mix breed which are more needing & deserving of homes - are in the pounds being put to sleep - If you want a 'Designer dog' go to pounds or animal rescues they will NOT COST you $700 (ususally around $200) and are probably WAY cuter and much healthier than the ones being sold & breed contionusly to supply pet stores & online sales. Online / back yard breeders and pet stores are NOT good places to get pets - 'designer' or not

Answer 5

I'm fine with them as dogs because plenty of dogs are mutts. But I hate that they're called "designer" because they're mutts! Call them what they are. And I hate that people are stupid enough to pay from hundreds to thousands of dollars on them when they can go to the pound and get the same dog for between $50 - $100. If people would just admit these things - out loud - I'd be happy.
But I agree with Mark about the questionable ethics of actually breeding them.

Take the "designer" breed vs mutt quiz:
http://www.grumpybumpers.com/dogs/index.cgi

Answer 6

i dont believe anyone should intentionally mix two breeds of dog and try to pass them off as a "designer breed" if you are a respectable breeder trying to set a new standard with the CKC or the AKC then fine i can even handle that but they should have a set of standards set up as to what they want from the dogs and have some experience in choosing the proper dogs for breeding you cant just own two dogs, breed them and sell the pups, thats called a puppy mill and is illegal in canada and i believe in the usa as well

Answer 7

I believe all backyard breeding should be discouraged. Millions of animals are euthanized each year yet people continue to mate their pets with not thought to contributing to the breed. Many of these "purebreds" are dumped off in shelters as people view animals as disposable.

Many of the designer breeds seem downright silly. People pay a fortune for these dogs, who are just mutts with a fancy name. Very odd. If someone wants a specific breed due to specific characteristics they should seek out local rescues.

Answer 8

the only reason you should buy and bread a pedigree dog is to improve on the breed itself. mixing two pedigree dogs just makes mongrel dogs--just like you can find at any shelter. if you aren't interested in a spacific breed go to the SPCA. educate yourself on the type of dog you want and don't get a dog that doesn't suit your lifestyle--such as don't get a beagle if you are 80 years old and keep up with it.

Answer 9

Go to the animal rescue people ...they have lots of designer dogs there...dogs with more than one breed in their backgrounds. You should find one little guy u like there.

Answer 10

i think " designer" breeds are silly... just a way to make money off a mixed breed. i have a Jack Russell chihuahua mix which thanks to the folks on here he his a "desiner" breed, now he was completly free from a nice lady whos dog happened to get prego and now he is our spoiled rotten lil man. now my sister paid 200 for a dorkie, yourkie dashund mix... she is nuts... if u want a desiner breed go tot he pund thier are plenty there