Designer dogs or cross breeds?

Mon 17 Nov 2008 by Sue McCabe

Increasingly, I am encountering so called ‘designer’ dogs in my puppy training classes. Jackapoo (Jack Russell X Poodle), Labradoodle (Labrador X Poodle), Jackahuahua (Jack Russell X Chihuahua) to name but a few. With people paying anything up to £600 for such dogs, it leads me to pose several questions about the ‘designer’ dog craze.

Firstly, these dogs are cross breeds. They are the mix of two (or more) recognised breeds, long since described in most peoples eyes as cross breeds, or mongrels. Why then, with so many other cross breeds puppies and dogs desperately looking for a home in the numerous dog shelters around the country, would anyone pay so much for a bog standard dog?

With the exception of time and genetic make up, pedigree dogs are in fact cross breeds themselves. This of course, will most likely bug the pedigree dog owners out there, who can be snobby about such cross breeds listed above. In reality, all dogs are descended from the wolf and over generations have been genetically tampered with through cross breeding and cross breeding again. This has led to ancient breeds such as the Irish Wolf Hound (still a cross breed) or more recent breeds such as the 19th Century designer dog of it’s time, the Doberman Pincher, a cross of several breeds including the Rottweiller, the Beauceron and the German Shepherd.

Obtaining a dog because of its looks alone should never be the primary reason for choosing a dog. This is fact, whether the dog is a pedigree with years of closely monitored breeding behind it, or a more recent designer type cross breed. This should never be the consideration if one is choosing a rescue dog of unknown or unrecognised breed. Your own lifestyle and your ability to fulfil the dog’s needs according to its breed type are paramount. Then and only then should you narrow down your choice, with plenty of research, as to the size, colour, shape, coat and exercise needs of the dog you are thinking about choosing.

Most importantly of all however, is temperament. It doesn’t matter a jot if the dog is cute/gorgeous/small enough to fit in your handbag/beautiful/what- you-want-because-you-met-someone-with-one-like-him-one-day-in-the-park (circle accordingly). You need to live with this dog, to enjoy his company, to be proud to have people admire him because of who he is, not what he is. You need to be the person who can bring your dog anywhere and know he is safe and reliable. The sad thing is, breed type is irrelevant to all this. Only good temperament, good socialisation and good training results in a dog who can be your best friend. The colour of his coat or how beautiful he is, is just not as important.

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