Why are the puppies so different in a litter of designer dogs?

Question

I just saw two Shihapoos the other day that came from the same litter and they looked sooooo different? Why is that? I thought that if they were the same breed, a Shihapoo, that they would look the same?

Was there something wrong them?

Answer 1

Well, first of all, shihapoos aren't a breed....it's a mix!

There is no way to have consistency in a litter of mixes because mixed breeds don't breed true.....you're going to get the worst of both breeds. Conformationally and genetically!

The only thing wrong with them is they should never have been born.

Answer 2

You are breeding 2 different breeds together. There is no consistency in a breeding like that. In a litter of 10, all the puppies in the same litter, could be very different from one another. No standard to the so called breed, no consistency. There is nothing that they are breeding for other than ' cute ' and cute only last so long, then the real troubles come shining thru.

When I breed a litter, all the puppies in the litter look exactly the same. They are all born the same size, and when people come to meet the puppies at 6 weeks of age, they cannot tell one from another. Consistency in the litter!

Answer 3

Because Shihapoo is NOT A BREED! It's a cross between a shih tzu and a poodle! Therefore some of the pups will look like shih tzus and some will look more like poodles.

These so called 'designer breeds' are being pumped out by unscrupulous people who know how to take advantage of other's ignorance. Breeds are created by hundreds of generations of selective breeding, not by crossing two breeds. The very term 'designer dog' is a joke - these are animals, not handbags.

What you've seen here is a litter of crossbreed dogs. This question perfectly illustrates the very ignorance that people are exploiting to make hundreds of dollars. Don't be part of it!

Chalice

EDIT: Oh, I get it now I've read your profile and seen your other qs. Nicely put, have a star. However I don't think you'll get anyone answering on here who's actually fooled by the whole 'designer dog' thing - it'll go right over their head. The phrase 'pearls to swine' springs to mind.

Answer 4

A Shihapoo is not a breed, it is a mix. Being a mix there will be many variations on what the pups & adult dogs even from the same litter will look like. Some may take after the Shih Tzu breed, some the Poodle and still others a combination of the two. With mixes it is always a guessing game as to what they wil lturn out ot look like.

Answer 5

When the two breeds came together to make the "designer" breed, you are going to get traits from the two different breeds into the pups. It's not like purebred dogs where the puppies resemble their parents... say for instance you breed a beagle and a poodle, some pups will come out looking more like the poodle and some more like the beagle... and some will look like a mix of both.

Answer 6

You are kidding, right? Just trying to rile the masses?

A Shihapoo, I'm assuming is a mix between a shih tzu and a poodle. That means the pups received genes for both breeds. As a result, some will look like more Shih Tzus and some will look more like poodles, and others will just be a random mixture of the 2. As these pups are mixed, not only can they look like either or, they can also have personality traits of either or both breed.

Another point I'd like to make, what it looks like today, isn't neccesarily what it's going to look like tomorrow, ie, when it grows up. Had a friend once that adopted a rott/german shepard mixed pup. As a pup, he looked like a rather cute rott. 8 months later, that dog was one of the ugliest german shepards I'd ever seen. Not that I think german shepards are ugly, just that that mix did not look so good on that dog.

Answer 7

in no way. It doesnt remember what percentage cases you breed it to a dogs of an similar blend.. its no longer considered a purebred till it breeds authentic for no less than 6 generations.. breeding authentic signifies that it comes out with predictable features and traits... Breeding a "whatsadoodle" decrease back to a unique "whatsadoodle" will nevertheless no longer produce domestic dogs with an similar features, they nevertheless carry genes for each breed in its history and characteristic the ability to provide domestic dogs that would want to desire both breed... it takes generations of selective breeding, study of genetics, line breeding, and so on to finish breeding some thing that breeds authentic. those who're breeding those mixes are breeding for earnings and in no thanks to purposly create some thing with certain features.. maximum of those clothier dogs are only F1 and F2 mixes. added There are registries that understand a number of those mixes, yet they don't seem to be legitimate registries.. ACA, APRI, Continental KC, and so on are all pup mill registries.. they exist soley to placed "papers" on a dogs it really isn't any longer eligible for registry through a respected club. only because there is "a" registry that recognizes them, does no longer mean its a purebred. no longer all breeds are the end results of blending breeds.. many of the former breeds were wide-unfold from selectively breeding the better 1/2 and toddlers dogs because it became usual. imagine about it.. no longer all purebreds can effect from blending breeds.. you want to ascertain some breeds first! at the same time as all AKC dogs are purebreds.. having AKC recognition isn't what defines a dogs as a purebred. there are a range of different respected registries obtainable that understand breeds which aren't any further AKC recognized.. there are also some uncommon operating breeds that are only recognized by making use of their personal breed club. Gaining recognition with a registry isn't what defines a purebred dogs. What defines a purebred is once you reliably get predictable features and traits for no less than 6 generations. i'm able to reproduce a poodle to a poodle and recognize that i receives the curly poodle coat.. there is no guessing if it would want to have a poodle coat, or a wirey terrier coat. i'm able to reproduce a dachshund to a dachshund and recognize that the domestic dogs will come out with short legs and lengthy backs.

Answer 8

Because when you mix two breeds you get anything that is what makes this so wrong if they all came out to look like one or the other breeds it would not be some bad but they don't and this is why most look so deformed they end up begin killed in a pound where no ones whats them

Answer 9

Genetics my friend. There is such a goofy pairing with mixed breeds (which yours is- don't kid yourself- designer dogs are just mixed breeds. Shihapoo is NOT a breed) when it comes to the genes they will pass on, you really have no idea what you will get. Just like humans- brothers and sisters who don't look the same but have the same parents- it the same genetic lotto with dogs.

Answer 10

A designer dog is not a breed. It is like crossing a German Shepherd and a Irish Setter. Not all the puppies would look the same because this is a MIX! One could have looked more like the mom, the other could have looked more like the dad. Please do not purchase one of these dogs, instead, go to a shelter where shih tzu and poodle mixes are found all the time!