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Designer Dogs
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We've all heard the names for the designer dogs. Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Puggle, Maltipoo, Shipoo, Yorkipoo. Each day it seems as if there is a new mix thrown into the seemingly endless pool of designer dogs.
These are not rare breeds, they're not the new "big thing", they've been around for hundreds of years- they're mutts. Those who don't like the term "mutts" being put on these designer dogs state that all purebred dogs were created from mixing breeds. While it is true that this occured, there are extreme differences in how this happened.
For instance, hundreds of years ago, breeds were not created to place thousand dollar price tags on them, give them a cute name and sell as many as they could. They were created for a purpose. Different breeds were mated to gain strength, drive, structure, etc., so that the dog could serve more of a purpose. These dogs were not created to sit on someones lap and be adored, have $50 collars and go to a doggy spa each week. They were created to protect the land, rid it of vermin, guard the family, guard livestock, pulling carts, etc. They were not bred so that they would be cute and cuddly, they were bred to better serve their purpose.
Why are the new breeds being created now? That's simple, it's greed. There's one breeder of Maltipoo's that sells their dogs for over $3,000. There are no health tests performed on the parents, no written health guarantee, and you even have to pay an extra $200 for the dog to be registered. The registration isn't with the AKC, it's with some registry that allows literally everything to be registered (and the cost isn't $200 through the registry).
Most of the breeders of these dogs do not have a policy like reputable breeders have. A reputable breeder requires that the dog is returned to them if you can no longer keep it. They don't want their dogs ending up in a humane shelter or rescue group. So if the designer dog breeder wont take the dog back, what do you do? Sadly, most of them end up in humane shelters. If the dog is not properly socialized with people and other animals, it is very likely that it will be put down.
These designer dog breeders also usually do not perform the health testing that should be done prior to breeding. They state that mixed breeds have less health problems than purebred dogs. This is very untrue. Mixed breeds actually have more of a chance of health problems due to the lack of testing by the breeders!
The Shi-Apso in the photo above is currently in foster care. She's a great dog, wonderful temperment, but she has an eye disorder that requires medication. The medication costs $30 a month, and her owners gave her away to a rescue group because they didn't want to deal with the problem. Apparently the cute and cuddly puppy they thought they were getting turned into a hassle, and they wanted rid of her.
The types of tests that should be performed depends on the breed and what they're most likely to get. With big dogs, testing on the joints is a big issue due to the risk of hip problems. With most dogs this doesn't show up until later in life, but some dogs are actually born with malformed hips and can barely walk as puppies.
Eye and ear exams should be performed on breeding dogs to rule out any problems. Many conditions are preventable just by not breeding dogs who carry problems. There are also tests for heart issues, and thyroid disorders as well.
When these designer dog breeders are charging a few thousand dollars for a puppy, one would think that they would be getting a high quality dog. But if these health tests aren't done, you would have the same chance getting a healthy dog off the street.
But why the high price tag on these dogs? Mainly due to the publicity. They've been on the news, they've been in the newspaper, several celebrities have them... that makes people want them. The main thing is supply and demand. As long as people demand them, these designer dog breeders will keep supplying them, and at a high price tag.
One breeder in the midwest claims that they have sold 2,500 mixed breed dogs in the last 5 years. That's 500 puppies a year. Let's say that the average litter size is 6 puppies. That would mean that this breeder would have about 83 females pregnant a year, or 41 females pregnant twice per year. Then you have to factor in numerous males to this as well. Now, do you really think this "small, family operated" facility can properly take care of all of these dogs- not to mention all the puppies? It's not possible. Yet this place is pumping out puppies, and charging $1,000 each pup... and people are paying it!
You can go into a humane shelter and pick out a wonderful mixed breed or purebred dog. You won't know the history of the parents, if there were health tests performed, but you will usually have a pretty good idea of what you're getting. Shelters will not place a dog that has temperament issues. They will test these dogs to see if they do well with children, if they need to have a fenced in yard, if they do well with other animals. Plus most of the shelters will vaccinate, spay/neuter (or give you a voucher to have this done free), microchip, de-worm, and perform a heartworm test on the dog prior to you taking him home. Most humane shelters charge under $100 for an adoption fee. A lot of times they'll have little puppies, sometimes the dogs are a few years old- but the great thing is that usually the older dogs are already housebroken, have learned basic commands and adjust very well to their new home.
Save a life, adopt from a shelter or rescue group.
Don't feed into the designer dog hype and be fooled into paying thousands of dollars for a mutt.
Click Here To Find A Rescue Group