The Fad of the Designer Mutt
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Jake Gyllenhaal has a puggle, and it is sooooo cute! Look at him holding it like a baby while he checks his cell phone! Puggles must be the hot new breed! I want to buy one!
Now don't get me wrong. I love Jake Gyllenhaal as much as the next girl, but this picture makes me want to smack him. A puggle, Jake? Really? I thought better of you.
If you are planning on investing in one of these breeds (the goldendoodle, the cockapoo, really any of the -doodles or the -poos), I guess that's your prerogative, but please just hear me out first.
What is This New Fad?
If, somehow, you have missed it, there's a new trend in celebrity dog ownership: strang, unnatural crosses of unhealthy dogs that people pay thousands of dollars to own. They call them "designer dogs."
Look at these Amazon links to the left! There are books now about these popular dog "breeds," describing their temperaments and how to raise them. Again with the wanting to smack people. These animals are not a new breed; they are mutts! Accidents!
Now, I'm all for the owning of mutts. I, myself, have never had anything else. But to breed (that is, intentionally) is to choose two champion animals with a high quality of various traits and to test the parents for congenital diseases. Puggle, labradoodle, pekepoo, or any other cutesie-named dog breeders are not doing this. They are picking cute animals and forcing them to breed beyond their capacity. They are not breeding to "improve the breed." They are breeding solely to make money, and that poses problems for the animals and for their owners.
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So Why Not Get One?
Well, sure, they're cute! They're dogs, and these specific ones are designed to be cute! But they're also a fad, and if you've ever given in to one, you know that they don't last. When you get a dog, you are committing to him for life, not for however long you happen to want him around.
And even if you want to carry your dog around like our friend Jake does, the dog is not a child either. In fact, I recommend the hub entitled Is a Dog Human? for more on that. The answer is, basically, no, and if you expect this designer breed to act as a human in your family, you will only disappointed. These dogs are not special or exempt from that rule because they are "designer."
What is to be Done?
Still think you need one of these "designer hybrids"? Think you can't even deal with adopting a brand new, accidental "hybrid" from the pound? First just take this quiz and prove to yourself that you can tell the difference.
Basically, all that can be done to overcome this destructive fad is to keep a level head. If you want a pug/beagle mix, I almost guarantee there is one at your local shelter. But if you buy a "puggle," you are encouraging backyard breeders to breed more trendy dogs who will not necessarily be healthy.
Pet overpopulation is enough of a problem in this country. Please don't add to the problem.
For a more detailed article about the ups and downs of "designer dogs," please check out Designer Dogs: super-mixes or mixed blessings.
- How Much Should You Love Your Pet
Thinking of getting a dog? Make sure you know the rules! - Rescue, Buy, or Adopt?
So what is the right way to get a dog? - Choosing a Dog for a Family with Children
What special factors should you take into consideration if you're choosing a dog for your family?
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Comments
Angelique-
I, too, support crossbreeding for the purpose of health. By breeding and rebreeding dogs for so long, we have instilled in their species a terrible set of health problems that we then only perpetuate. As long as care is taken in breeding, I am more than happy. Thanks for raising a complex set of issues!
Here, here, Helena! As you say, crossbreeding to solve some of the awful problems breeders have created in pedigree dogs is a good thing. But I suspect these designer breeders give no thought to those issues - which means they could just as easily create dogs with the worst of both breeds, instead of the best.
However, there are a few dogs with designer-breed-sounding names that are genuine. The one that springs to mind is the labradoodle, bred to provide a low-allergen dog for use as a guide dog for the visually impaired. I believe a lot of thought went into the creation of that hybrid.
It's true, Marisa. The problem comes, though, when bad breeders then breed something they call a "labradoodle" that people then expect to be hypoallergenic. Not all dogs crossed with a poodle are shed-free, though many disreputable breeders would have you believe that they are. And while the intention in crossing a lab with a poodle may have been pure, many backyard breeders now take advantage of it and breed only to make money.
hey, ive got a puggle, maddox, he's just over a year old and he's the best bud a guy could ask for, such a cool little dude, chilled and happy, and loves my 4year old son to bits, and my son adores him too... i didn't buy him becuase of the designer fad but due to the fact they are brilliant family dogs and as my place isnt huge i favoured a smaller dog but one that is also solid looking ... maddox fits the bill! reccomend to everyone who is looking for a buddy for life
Chris, I'm not saying that pug/beagle mixes aren't great dogs. I'm saying that they are not a BREED. "They," as a whole, are not "brilliant family dogs" because there is no breed standard. I'm glad that your dog and your son get along, and I'm sure that he'll love having his best bud around for years to come! Thanks for weighing in.
The Puggle is a fantastic combination of intelligence, looks, and loyalty.That is a great article about a great new breed of dogs. I became interested for Puggles for all the same reasons mentioned above.Keep up the Good Work!
thought provoking post. I am at such a moral crux regarding this issue. Before I had children I worked at an animal shelter and adopted shelter animals. Since having kids, I really wanted to "know" what kind of breed characteristics I would be getting in a family pet. The reason people are breeding poodles with other breeds is less becuase they are cute and more for the great family characteristics the breed profile offers, with none of the "hybrid" faults that develop with purebred dogs.
We currently own a one year old goldendoodle, and she is an amazing family dog.
But we have at least spayed her so she/we will not be contributing to pet overpopulation. :) best regards.
Thank you so much for weighing in on this, Amber! You make a good point: crossing poodles with other breeds is not the problem I have. The problem is that "doodles" are still not actual BREEDS. They don't have breed characteristics making them "great family pets" or anything that the "breeders" would have you believe. I just don't like it when backyard breeders make money off of contributing so terribly to pet overpopulation.
But since you worked in a shelter, obviously you understand all of that and made an educated decision (and an even better one to decide to spay your pup), and that's all I'm asking for. No impulse-buying of animals! If anything, that's what I'm trying to say. Thanks again!
They are definately not a recognized breed by the AKC etc., I realize that. I do think that when you mix breed A and breed B, you will get some characteristics from both breeds in dog C. And it is the combination of these breeds I support. I definately don't support people breeding only for money. maybe this would be solved by requiring breeders to be licensed, un- licensed breeders should be fined, and all non breeding dogs in america should then be required to be altered or again with the fines.
there is defninately a need for better regulation of pets and overpopulation in america.
Great hub and I really enjoy your style of writing!
Unfortunately, most people don't realize what you and I know to be a fact: that "dog C" in your example will have traits from both parents' breeds and is therefore still an unpredictable mutt. And many "breeders" of these dogs will tell how great they are with families, etc, but since they are not a breed with hundreds of years of pedigree, it's not possible to say whether or not each individual dog is good with families.
I agree completely with your thing about licensing of breeders; that would be such an incredible first step in the right direction!!
I really enjoy hearing your thoughts; please comment on my hubs any time!
working
Angelique says:
8 months ago
I definitely agree with your post, but before we get too snotty about poos and doodles I would like to raise the issue of cross-breeding for health.
Scientists have completed mapping the dog genome and are well on their way to identifying genes linked to several disorders in several breeds. While this will certainly help improve breed-specific breeding programs, there is also an opportunity to create a new kind of "designer dog" aimed at improved health. Many recessive genes exist in the vast majority of a particular breed. The best the breeder can hope for is to not match two recessive parents or a parent with the defect. However, the recessive gene remains in the gene pool with this approach. By crossing thes purebreds with dogs outside of the breed, it is possible to fully eliminate the undesirable recessive gene from the gene pool. I would fully support cross-breeding for the purpose of creating healthy dogs with few genetic defects or defective recessive genes, something no breeder can promise today.