Breeds, like fashions, go in and out of style. The 40's and the 50's saw the American pit bull terrier at the peak of its popularity as a family pet. Disney's 101 Dalmatians created an international Dalmatian craze.
At the turn of the millenium, we saw a new fad raise its head. This is the designer dog.
For those not in the know, a designer dog is a mix of two popular breeds given a new, trendy name. A labrador/poodle cross is a "labradoodle". A golden retriever/cocker spaniel cross is a "comfort retriever". A maltese/poodle becomes a "maltipoo", and so on, and so on. While some of these mixes have been around since the 60's, they have never been as prevalent as they are today.
Breeders of these so-called designer dogs tout appealing phrases and promises. "Hypoallergenic," one says. "Smart as a poodle, friendly as a lab!" claims another. These are some common claims breeders make to make their dogs seem more appealing than purebreds. Non-shedding, "miniature", hybrid vigor - more things breeders cite.
Most designer dogs are first generation, meaning that one parent was a purebred, such as a golden retriever, and the other parent was a purebred, such as a poodle. When you cross those two dogs, the resulting puppies are first generation "goldendoodles".
Breeds picked for designer dogs are chosen for a variety of reasons. Popularity is certainly a factor. Both labs and poodles are in the AKC top ten, so interest in "labradoodles" is pretty much guaranteed. If you decided to cross two relatively uncommon breeds, such as a Norwegian Elkhound with a German Wirehaired Pointer, you wouldn't have nearly as much interest in your Gerwegian Wirehaired Hounds.
Temperament is another important factor. As I said before, "labradoodle" breeders tout their pups as being friendly as labs but with less energy, smart as poodles but more obedient, and as having the non-shedding coat of a poodle.
Of course, anyone with even a basic knowledge of genetics knows that is simply doesn't work this way.
The breeds we know and love today are the results of decades of carefully planned breedings between two dogs with common traits. When you introduce variables into a breeding, you have no idea what traits will pop up in a litter. Sure, there's a tiny chance you'll end up with that perfect dog you were promised, but there's also a chance that you'll end up with a hyperactive, stubborn dog with the heavy shedding coat of a lab.
Picture it as a hat filled with slips of paper, each with a different trait written on it. If you reach in and grab a slip, you have just as good a chance of getting an undesirable trait as you do a desirable trait.
Hybrid vigor is another term commonly associated with designer dogs. It is something of a misconception. The scientific phenomenon known as hybrid vigor is defined as "Increased vigor or other superior qualities arising from the crossbreeding of genetically different plants or animals." Dogs have minor genetic differences that mostly apply to physical appearance. Though they look vastly different from each other, German shepherds and pomeranians both belong to the dog species, known as canis familiaris. Their basic genetics are similar.
Take tigers as an exmaple. No two tigers have the same set of stripes, but despite these variations, they are still the same species. The same concept applies to dogs, but with a a much larger pool of possible variations.
In combining a lion and a tiger, you get a hybrid. A dog and a dog, regardless of breed, will result in another dog, not a hybrid.
When I said that designer dogs experiencing hybrid vigor is something of a misconception, I mean that no, they don't experience true hybrid vigor, but there is a possibility it could be healthier than a purebred. There's also a chance that it could be less healthy. It goes back to variables. A standard poodle is prone to von Willebrand's Disease but does not tend towards epilepsy. An Australian shepherd does not typically experience von Willebrand's Disease but has a predilection towards epilepsy. In theory, if you combine the two, you could get a perfectly healthy dog that has no health problems. In reality, there's an equal chance that you'll get a dog that has both of these health problems. It is untruthful for a breeder to tell a buyer that one possible outcome (no health problems) is the only possible outcome.
Designer dogs are mutts. I'm not using the term in a derogatory manner. There are essentially two kinds of dogs: purebreds (dogs of one breed with a traceable ancestry of that single breed) and mutts (mixed breeds - having 2+ breeds in its ancestry,) Designer dogs are always a mix of 2+ breeds.
There are hundreds of thousands of dogs, both purebreds and mutts, in shelters right now. What makes designer dogs different? Absolutely nothing.
Let's go way back and talk about breeds. Every breed was developed for a reason, a purpose. Sporting dogs were bred for hunting. Specifically, pointers were bred to point out quarry to their masters, retrievers were bred to retriever downed quarry, etc etc. In creating a breeding, one had a very specific result in mind, an idea that would become the standard.
What are the requirements for designer dogs? There's only one. Parent A is a (insert popular breed here) and Parent B is a (insert other popular breed here). There's no set appearance, temperament or instinct, skill. Therefore, I have to ask: why? They serve no purpose other than to be companions, and we already have breeds for that. It's called the toy group.
There is NO REASON to breed mutts. Ever. Not a single one. You want a purebred? Fine, go to a reputable breeder or a breed specific rescue. You want a mutt? Go to a shelter. Don't support someone who is shamelessly contributing to the overpopulation of homeless dogs for their own profit. Many of these dogs do, in fact, wind up homeless because they were falsely advertised, or because they were simply a spur of the moment impulse buy. I see several "puggles" every month at my local shelter, not to mention the numerous doodles that show up in Colorado retriever rescues.
I don't have anything against the dogs themselves. They aren't to blame; the breeders are. Then again, when it comes to dog issues, isn't that usually the case? Don't blame the dogs as a group. Blame the owners that made them that way.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
