I have been wondering for a while where the trend of mixed breed dogs came from. I'm not talking about dogs from the shelter. I mean dogs like labradoodles, puggles, peekapoos etc. I know that breeders want to get desirable traits from each breed into the puppies, but does it always work? Are the dogs better than the purebred parents? I have heard that dogs can have lower risk of certain diseases if they are not purebred, but the majority of people that I know with these dogs didn't get them for that reason. Do you have an opinion on intentionally breeding dogs of different breeds?
I'm not saying it's a bad or good thing, I just find it interesting and I've wondered if it's healthy or not. And I'm not breeding dogs or anything, just curious.
Update:Thanks for all the answers!
AloHa- I have a dachshund and I love him very much. I'm sure your yorkie/dachshund mix is adorable!
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Yes I have an opinion on the practice of crossbreeding to produce intentional mutts ... It should NOT be done!
I don't actually know where or how the 'trend' started, but Poodle-crosses have been popular for a long time, probably because many people (mistakenly) believe that anything crossed with Poodle ('-doodles' and '-poos') will result in a low- to no-shed, hypoallergenic dog.
Sometimes the crossbred pups get the poodle coat, sometimes not. Sometimes they get the coat from the other breed. If that other breed is a Lab or Golden Retriever ... that's a heavy-shed dog!
So it became a fad, to mix breeds, make up some cutesy-@$$ name for them, and sell the pups for outrageous amounts of money. Stupid, uneducated people are willing to pay for something 'special' (?)
Good (purebred!) breeders health-test their dogs, match bltch and dog selectively before breeding to ensure a quality litter, and guarantee their pups. Purebred pups produced by good breeders will be predictable. Purebreds 'breed true'.
'Designer dog' breeders only want to make money. They care nothing for the health or quality of the pups they produce. Crossbred dogs are a crapshoot. No way to predict which characteristics of either breed will appear in the pups.
Pounds, shelters, and rescues are overflowing with mixed-breed dogs needing homes ... I see no way to justify producing MORE of what there's already too much of.
I think the trend started maybe 6-8 yrs ago, when labrador+doodle hit the main stream population.
My opinion is that people wanted something different so when walking down the street, they get other people's attention. "OMG! Your dog is sooo cute, what is he?". Walking a Labrador Retriever is not as much fun as walking a Lab+Poodle mix. You get a smaller sized dog, which equals smaller "clean ups". Also Celebrities made some of the mix breeds very popular.
I myself have a Dorkie, yes that's the breed name. I laughed the first time I saw the Breed Name Tag. I thought poor thing, such a weird name. My Dorkie is now 6 yrs old and has the smarts of a Dachshund and is the funny comedian of a Yorkie. I didn't set out to get a mixed breed, I was looking for a Dachshund or a Beagle, but this little guy did a bunch of "look at me" tricks.I had said that although he was cute and all, I wanted a puppy that would be an affectionate dog and right on cue he gave me a kiss and popped just one ear up. We took him home that day, he has been to 3 different States now and adjusts to different house rules-he knows which friend or family's house he can do what in, i.e. sit on a couch or in the corner on the dog mat, if they have a doggie door or if he has to wait until someone opens a door for him. He knows the different commands from different people that we know. He will answer to any name you call him, as long as it starts with "J". J-Boo, Johhny, Just Dog, JD, J-Dizzle.
My daughter adopted a Dachshund, he's a bundle of "center of attention energy" at 4 yrs old. He is a very jealous dog, a barker and protective. The same qualities are in my Dorkie, but watered down to a Yorkie meter-he's more laid back.
Sometimes breeders mix the breeds to eliminate health problems. Dachshunds are very venerable to hip displacia, (our Dorkie has the same health risk, since his mother is a Dachshund), while tiny dogs can have seizures. So research each breed in a cross breed to make sure you end up with a healthy dog that won't have behavior problems. Oh and make sure it's cute, because you can't stay mad at a cute dog for very long after they just chewed up your shoes.
Mixed Breeds aka Desinger Breeds usually don't cost more than a full breed, unless it's an ultra rare mix of high standard pure breeds. Shelter dogs are mostly pure breeds that people couldn't take care of anymore. So before you buy a puppy at a store (they are supplied by puppy mills=not as healthy) go to a reputable breeder, ( a person who only breeds 1-2 dogs and takes care of their pets) or a shelter.
It doesn't matter what breed you're looking for, you'll end up with the one you're meant to have.
I know you're not looking for a dog and are satasfying your curiosity, so this is all just food for thought. Hope this helped
I realize that the lab and golden poodle mixes were invented with a purpose in mind, but the others I believe are just fashion accessories. Breeders trying to make a cute sounding product for sale.
There are of course other purpose-driven mixes, for working livestock or particular type of hunting; myself, I respect those dogs, in fact I own one. I think breeding for talent is a good thing, but breeding for fashion should be discouraged.
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An answer below incorrectly refers to these mixes as "breeds". It s not a "breed" unless both its parents were the same breed, mating 2 of them produces offspring that match the characteristics of the breed.