Crossing Breeds

When you get a Puppy of different Breed Parents it's a Heinz, Mutt, Mongrel ect ect, whatever you want to call it.
What do you think of the People doing this on purpose and calling them........for example "Goldendoodle" ext ect. and charging several hundred pounds for one.
A few years ago the Dog Shelters were full of these type of dogs, or the litters were drowned as careless breeders couldn't get rid of the pups.
Personally I'd never in a Million years pay anything other than a token amount for a Heinz.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Totally agree with you. When I hear someone boasting about having the latest 'doodle' I just say oh, how sensible, you have bought a mongrel!

Re: Crossing Breeds

I have crossbreeds rescue dogs and love them to bits but I don't think dogs should be deliberately bred as crosses without a very good reason. There has been a strong case for the labradoodle as they make good dogs for the blind and partially sighted but generally I am against it. But then I am also against the continual breeding of staffs when the rescue homes are full of them. We don't need any more of this breed until the situation stabilises and the kennel club should do something about it in my view.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Having been involved with 'purebred' breeding (great danes... still in my heart), I have to agree that when I see these made up names of 'breeds' and the money they ask, I just shake my head.

I obtained a 'cockapoo' pup from an elderly couple who received it as a Christmas gift (another 'great idea' gone wrong) at 6 mos of age. She is now almost 10 yrs and I love her to bits. But... she is still a 'mutt'.

Re: Crossing Breeds

There's a lot of snobbery in the dog world, but I'm a firm believer in crossing breeds which I think strengthens the animal. The breed "purists" really annoy me, as they see the purity of the breed to be sacrosanct when, in fact, they are destroying the breed through breeding in weakness instead of breeding in strength by adding to the gene pool.

We have two cockapoos who are terrific characters and who I describe as mutts to anyone who asks, but it is amazing how many people will say "Oh, I thought they looked like Cockapoos!" as though it was a recognised breed.

Having said that though, isn't it true that any breed that isn't a wolf has been cross bred to form whatever it is, as all dogs are descended from wolves are they not?

Re: Crossing Breeds

I read an article recently by an Australian vet about Labradoodles. The Guide Dogs Association (I assume in Australia) are breeding them. Hypoallergenic qualities??
They make excellent pets and love everyone, not too excitable or shy and are easily trained.
So it seems in theory the cross would give a medium size, smart and shaggy dog, not too prone to obesity, the best qualities from each breed.
My old dog was a Border collie/Lab cross, not unlike the Labradoodle. So intelligent and friendly, we miss him dearly.

Re: Crossing Breeds

My Complaint is not against the actual dog it's self, I know some lovely cross breeds that I meet often when I'm out with my own dogs....I object to people crossing 2 breeds and then charging a fortune for it. There's a lady near me who has a cross breed poodle and lab....she paid almost £700 for it......Sheer Madness. It's a Heinz when alls said and done.

Re: Crossing Breeds

I have had crossbreeds and purebreds over the years and they were all loyal, intelligent and not aggressive. Murphy, German Shepherd was a 'straight back' and when I see the GSDs bred with the sloping back, their back legs almost bent double under them I could cry.

There is a lovely story on Dogsey today about an eleven year old Labradoodle who saved his master trapped down a 40ft ravine then went to fetch help.

Re: Crossing Breeds

We have a cross Pug shih tzu, a pug-zu and yes I paid a lot for her because my daughter really wanted her and also because when I went to see her she was in such a state I didnt think she would make it through the night, she was a poor little thing, which I know all the sensible people say is the totally wrong thing to do but Im sadly not a sensible person, I live by my heart not my head.

She couldnt stand or lift her head up when we got her and my daughter sat up with her for a week drip feeding her and it paid off she is now a rufty tufty little madam who rules our house. So I dont really care what she is called as long as shes fit and healthy.


Oh and the morons who bred her said the litter was an accident as they didnt think the dad could get the mum pregnant as he was only 7 months old.

Re: Crossing Breeds

Yes, I should have said White Raven, I think it is outrageous too £700, ridiculous.
And Maryl, our first dog was a GSD and straight backed too and as Plantman says "all dogs are descended from wolves are they not?" and their backs are straight.