Re: Crossing Breeds

I agree with you Bridie, whatever anyone pays for a dog is their business, it was the amount he'd paid that shocked me, and yes, the main thing is that any dog is well cared for.

Re: Crossing Breeds

I've never heard of a Toodle before Moli. Did meet a lady yesterday, who was walking with her little dog called Polly. She told me Polly was a Wug-WestiexPug-another new one on me-she was very cute though

Re: Crossing Breeds

I personally wouldnt pay £900 for a dog and I think anyone that charges that shouldnt be allowed to breed dogs as they are in it for the money and not the dogs welfare but thats my personal opinion.

Re: Crossing Breeds

They are not a recognised breed Bridie (for various reasons) and it is not unusual for crossbred dogs to be used as assistance dogs. You just need a dog of a type suitable for what you need to use it for.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Poodles crosses are very popular not only because their 'non shedding' genetics (hair not fur), but they are smart! Cross them with a dog that oozes personality (like a lab), then you have a unresistable cutie pie! With the options of poodle sizes available to bread, from wee to ex-LARGE makes a lot of options available.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Cross a poodle with another breed, particularly from the gundog group and the results may not be a non-shedding dog - it will be a mixture and the results are not reliably consistent - The pups could inherit the coat, looks and temperament of either a lab. a poodle, or a random mixture - the pups in the litter bred do not come all the same and I don't think it is fair or honest of breeders to sell these crossbred pups on the basis of being non-shedders. Poodles are smart, so are labradors, but a poodle x (especially a gundog/standard poodle) is often too much for many people to handle. Temperaments will vary considerably and some may well be very worky and unhappy if not appropriately exercised and given something to do. Things don't always work out as expected. I have seen plenty of labradoodles that are very exuberant and difficult to handle and also that shed, sometimes quite a lot. Some of the coats that these crosses have are quite difficult to manage and keep looking good. In some ways I think the labradoodle is not doing any favours to either the labrador or the poodle. Even the man in Australia who started the whole thing off now says he regrets what has been created. As for size it is not the cleverest thing to do to mate a small dog with a large one hoping for small puppies. Puppies inherit bits from both parents and some results of these matings can look very odd indeed and have unexpected health issues.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Breeding is not like jigsaw puzzles! Say you cross a Standard poodle with a Labrador Retriever. Both are bred to retrieve, particularly from water. Both are hunting dogs but Labs are bred to be far more biddable. Poodles less so because they have been lately bred for looks not work.
Half the litter will have the poodle coat. Half the litter will have the Lab coat. Temperament /aptitude depends on genetics of both so is probably a mash-up.
So you might get a clever, non-shedding dog - but the odds are against it.
So what happens to all those pups who don`t have the `desired` look? They are killed or flogged off cheap.
Lovely business. Not.

Re: Crossing Breeds

I have to say there was a man who had two labradoodles brother and sister where I used to live. They were totally uncontrollable and he had a job holding them on the lead when they were younger. He does have a bit more control now but I think if he met a dog that was aggressive he would be in big trouble because his are aggressive and other dogs back down, if they met one that didnt all hell would break out.

Re: Crossing Breeds

My pointer collie crosses cost £100 each dog and I thought that was reasonable for 2 lovely dogs who they had for nearly a year and had to get them back to peak condition from finding them in a poor condition.

Re: Crossing Breeds

A case of either bad handling or little or no training there!