Rant warning: "Designer breeds" Discussions

I know this has been talked about before but why are they so darn expensive? Back in the day the designer breeds were called crossbreeds, mixed breeds, mutts, whatever but not designer breeds. I think it is an excuse to exploit dogs and make some easy money. These people who breed the dogs are certainly not getting them tested for genetic defects and such. Most of them are backyard breeders and probably have never heard of OFA, EIC, and PRA testing...

This type of thing makes me soooo mad! Oh, but "designer breeds have less health problems than purebred dogs." Who can guarantee this? Surely not the backyard breeder. End rant.

No argument here!

I wonder what I should call my cross-breed Tikva, who is definitely a cross although an accident, but what do you call a cross Dachshund and Minpin? A Dachspin?

Pereg was a mutt of no known origin. Very healthy except that she had the Monster somewhere in her background. Who knew.

But I did not buy Lexi, also a mutt of no known origin, or Pereg, or Tikki. They were all unwanted puppies, and only Tikva came from known parentage.

I have a greyhound/lab myself and never met his father. His mother was definitely a lab but at this point I am not sure she was purebred lab. Copper could be more than 2 breeds and it really doesn't matter. We love him just the same.

About 9 years ago when we got Copper designer breeds were just starting to come around. We paid a fair price for him, about $200, and he came with first shots and multiple wormings. Now the price for a mixed breed is at least double that around here.

Miss Tinula & Ugly Thing are Cross breeds & Heinz 57 Miss Tinula came to The Rescue Home I work in as a Sprocker (Cocker x Springer) but as soon as she went up for adoption she lost the fancy name & became a Spaniel mix breed.
Ugly Thing well definitely a Heinz 57 Beagle body short stumpy legs, whippet tail, Cocker ears (mum was Staffy X Whippet X Spaniel) my lodger fell in love with puppy (he went to house on official police matter) then returned after he had finished work & well he came home with Ugly Thing.

At The Rescue Home we are having more & more of these "designer dogs" being handed in when they are between 18 months to 24 months old, due to health problems, behaviour problems & spoilt brat syndrome (dog been allowed to get away with things when a puppy then turn on their owners when told no when they are older) one couple wanted The Rescue Home to pay them the £1.500 pounds they had paid for their dog when he was a 8 week old puppy.

As long as there is a demand for them, breeders will continue to supply them.

So true. As long as people will pay the prices people will breed them.

Why are they so expensive? Because people will continue to pay those prices. Simple as that really!

when I last visited the UK I was amazed the price people were asking for Shar--Pei crosses. Pei can have enough health problems without compounding them by adding another breed like a Pug or a Basset Hound to the mix.

I don't understand the mentality of people who are prepared to pay a high price for a Pei cross something or other, when for a £100 or so more they can buy a pure bred?

I think people who buy the crosses think they will be healthier than the purebreds. I saw an expose on purebred dogs and their health conditions in the UK that was pretty eye opening. The problem is even with crosses they may have health problems as well especially if the dogs are not being tested before being bred.

Yes we have lots of Poodle crosses [Labradoodles] in The Rescue Home with hip problems, we also have lots of Cavaliers crosses in, with variety of health problems

Labradoodles are like $2500 here. I have looked around a lot and I DO NOT see any in shelters. If I got another dog, I really did want a Labradoodle. They are the size I like and have my beloved Labrador in them. Also they don't shed. I've never had pure bred dogs and I find that I have developed an allergy to dogs (part of why I'll never own another). Unfortunately, there's no way I can pay that much and many are probably BYB dogs and finding a decent breeder would probably be hard. People can buy the kind of dog they want for the price they want. The key is are the breeders caring about the dogs health. If so, then one breeder isn't better than the next one with regards to the actual dogs they produce. If they're healthy and the breeders find good homes for them, that's fine. I don't truly support any sort of breeding at this point, but if you must, at least make sure the dogs are healthy.

I agree. Please make sure the dogs are healthy! I don't support breeding either but can tolerate it if the breeder is reputable and responsible. Sadly a lot of breeders are not.

We will probably look at a few shelters when the time is right and get our dog from there. Plenty of dogs and pups to go around who need homes.

I enjoy* perusing through the freeads and seeing the most ridiculous names and prices people think up

*in a sort of masochistic, peel your own skin off sort of way

Cavapoochon - £950
Pooshi - £750
99% pug (????) - £600
Chow chow x pug (what the actual ****????) - £750
Ultimate mastiff - £500
Papitese - £950
Maltipom - £950
Chugenese, chichinese, pomapoochi, french jug, boxsky, siberpoo, malshipoo, jorkiepoo, bitonoodle, whippiepoo, malshorkie, pomshitzchi, juggapom, cockershapoo, sprockerpoo, schnaubea....
Ok now things are just getting stupid.

I'd say more fool the people that actually pay for these dogs and move on, if it didn't fuel more greedy idiots to breed again and again.
People don't even think any more.
Will mixing these coats make a grooming nightmare? Any matching health? Will the breed temperaments compliment or clash? Is the conformation of mum and dad going to negatively affect puppies? WHO CARES LOLZ IT'S CUTE AND I CAN SELL IT

Totally agree Erin, and as for cutesie dogs in clothes ....... I can't go on.

Oh yeah. Around here mix anything with a poodle and poof you have a designer breed. Its disgusting!

Ive found that breeders and the general public are so degrading to anyone breeding dogs (for profit) that having a litter has become an ethical minefield. Consequently those that navigate this minefield can charge a premium for their pups. Breeders are creating exclusive rights to breeding and selling pups and can subsequently charge absolutely ridiculous prices. As a result the level of inbreeding evident in breeds is creating health problems, and creating an exclusive market. I would happily breed any healthy dog with another for the sake of companionship rather than profit. The designer breeding is just another way to make pups and prices exclusive and does make me think less of any breeder snobbish enough to label their pups such.

I do agree there. Let's stop acting like "ethical" breeding is SO MUCH BETTER than other breeding. I care most about the health of dogs. My last dog was built like a PROPER dog, lived to be almost 16, never had hip or joint problems, allergies, or really any health issues at all until his last year. However, I'd be SMASHED INTO THE GROUND if I bred him for a puppy after he died so I'd still have a part of him.



He's built like a normal dog, has a normal face, and was such a HEALTHY DOG. In MOST CASES, a dog that looks like my Brownie did IS GOING TO BE HEALTHIER than one of those wrinkly breeds etc.

Yet "ethical breeders" of genetic monstrosities like Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekingese, etc. would be classed as good breeders while I wouldn't. Its about the health of the dogs, right? So why are unhealthy breeds praised and healthy dogs not? There's one user here who has one of these "modified breeds" who constantly has health problems (even ones that needed surgery) and can't do things normal dogs can like be in warm temps etc. Yet they claim they got the dog from an "ethical breeder". Really now? Health testing makes an ethical breeder? I think not! There's so much more to it than that!

Yes there are problems with some breeds that does need improving but lets not forget that crossbreeds are in fact just crosses of purebreds, being a mixed breed is not a guarantee of superior health, mixed breed puppies are born with the negative genetic traits of the breeds they are descended from.