Designer Hybrids

You might think this post is about some sort of fancy new car, but the title is actually a reference to the latest trend in dog breeding. Designer dogs are purposeful cross-breeds of two purebred dogs, often also called hybrid dogs. These types of dogs have exploded in popularity, often because many of them are low-shed, low-dander dogs (all of the Bichon and Poodle mixes), and sometimes because people believe them to be healthier than purebreds. Unfortunately one of the biggest reasons they've become so popular is because they're trendy and cute.

I know several people who have purchased designer puppies recently, and I have to say it saddens me for a number of reasons. First, it saddens me because whoever they are paying to "breed" what is essentially a mutt with a silly name (like Cavachon or Yorkipoo or Puggle) clearly is breeding just for the money. Responsible breeders do not breed mutts--they breed purebred dogs for the love of the breed and with the intention of keeping the bloodlines pure.

It also saddens me that most people are picking out these designer dogs based on one trait only: their appearance. Since there is no breed standard for hybrid dogs, that means that there's no consistently known temperament or common behaviors. One can guess what these dogs will be like based on the traits of their parental breeds, but they aren't picked because of their tried-and-true temperaments. They're purchased because they make adorable looking dogs and not because of the love of their character.

I'm obviously also saddened because people are paying hundreds of dollars for designer dogs when there are thousands of dogs of similar heritage living and dying in shelters all over the country. They might not have the fancy, funny names, but they're there. They might not have the pedigreed parents, but they're there. They might not still be in their earliest stages of puppyhood, but they're there. They are there, but only those people who truly care about the welfare of animals are trying to rescue them!