Ugh! Designer breeds

I personally HATE the idea of designer mixes. Why pay thousands for a mutt when you can get one from a pound?

ORIGINAL: belgmal_girl

I personally HATE the idea of designer mixes. Why pay thousands for a mutt when you can get one from a pound?

 
i feel the same way...i used to maintain the fish section of a pet store and those puggles and snoodles and all that would go for like $800. i have i guess a 'designer dog' now but i got him from the protective league

Oh my GAWD that dog is soooo cute.  But you could easily find one just that adorable and uniquely colored at a shelter!  Look at my 2 shelter babies!! 
 
The ones that irritate me the most are labradoodles.  They aren't even that cute to me, yet every labradoodle owner thinks they are the end-all of dog "breeds".

I am also wondering what the temperament will be if it's a Cattle dog - Cocker mix. That could be a disaster!

ORIGINAL: Pit_Pointer_Aussie

I am also wondering what the temperament will be if it's a Cattle dog - Cocker mix. That could be a disaster!

ha, seriously! He sure is cute though!

I personally don't have a problem with "designer" dogs. I feel like I would be talking out the side of my face if I bought a pure breed yet knocked those who bought mixed dogs. . I don't understand why someone would pay $800 for a mixed though, but I don't have a problem with it.

I only have a problem with puppy mills...

I personally don't have a problem with "designer" dogs. I feel like I would be talking out the side of my face if I bought a pure breed yet knocked those who bought mixed dogs. . I don't understand why someone would pay $800 for a mixed though, but I don't have a problem with it.

I only have a problem with puppy mills...

I feel the same, to an extent.  I know some families who jumped on the labradoodle bangwagon and have been really happy with their labradoodles.  To me, as long as you understand what you are (or are not) getting, it's not really any different than getting a lab/poodle mix from the pound.   Another dog found a loving home, yay.

I guess what bothers me is that people try to make money breeding these mixes, people who usually have no business even breeding pure labs or pure poodles.  It seems at iDog and in the fancing world in general, we like to describe an ethical, reputable breeder as someone who breeds for the improvement of their breed above all else.  Assuming this, how can one possibly be an ethical breeder that is breeding mutts without any good proof of what genetic problems or improvements may or may not result?  In my experience, the majority of people supplying designer mutts like labradoodles are not really trying to develop a new breed that is better than a lab or a poodle, they're only doing it to meet an arbitrary demand.  That's what I don't like about designer breeds.

I do agree with everything you say. Genetic problems are just going to follow these designer breeds if the breeders aren't careful.

I guess what bothers me is that people try to make money breeding these mixes, people who usually have no business even breeding pure labs or pure poodles. It seems at iDog and in the fancing world in general, we like to describe an ethical, reputable breeder as someone who breeds for the improvement of their breed above all else. Assuming this, how can one possibly be an ethical breeder that is breeding mutts without any good proof of what genetic problems or improvements may or may not result? In my experience, the majority of people supplying designer mutts like labradoodles are not really trying to develop a new breed that is better than a lab or a poodle, they're only doing it to meet an arbitrary demand. That's what I don't like about designer breeds.

Hear, hear. I do respect those rare "designer" breeders who seem to do it ethically in the hopes of getting their cross registered as a purebred one day. The ones who do health and temperament testing, who don't let their dogs go before 8 weeks old, who don't have tons of litters every year, the ones who seem more concerned about the dogs and the breeds than the money... don't seem to be too many of those, though. [&o]

I met a guy that was selling what he called "Rotten Danes" Rottweiler/Great Dane mix, but the puppies in the litter didn't look like they had a whole lot of conformity or consistency. He had a big male advertising for him, actually thats why I stopped, I said "look at the size of that dog" and made my girlfriend pull over. Quite a curiosity and I like both breeds and the looks of that male but it smells like a scam to me. To think of what a concerted  effort and all the time and expense that it would take to actually start a new breed, opposed to what most these people are doing, which is just breeding dogs.

That pup is soooooo adorable, but I agree that I am "off" the designer breed thing....
 

ORIGINAL: Pit_Pointer_Aussie

I am also wondering what the temperament will be if it's a Cattle dog - Cocker mix. That could be a disaster!

 
That is so funny. We were kind of concerned about getting an ACD mix but he is so chill and laid-back we can hardly believe it. Granted we don't know the other half of his mix but it's definitely not Spaniel! []

ORIGINAL: Ixas_girl

ACD designer mix, I hate that it's soooo cute:

http://tinyurl.com/2gq2z2

What a cute lil mutt! []

My big thing about why I get angry when people buy 'designer' mutts is that they are NOT buying from reputable breeders. I get just as mad whent they buy from a BYB of a purebred dog. 

Wonder how that puppy's family would like it if she herded the kids like an ACD and submissively urinated all over the carpet like a Cocker while she was doing it LOL.  Best of both worlds...[]  But, the cute factor ---- well, maybe it would save her like it doesn't save so many other dogs who are unlucky enough to be purchased by the ignorant masses.