Designer Dog Breeds?

This is a popular term these days, but have you ever wondered exactly what 'designer dog breeds' are?

The designer dog breeds, also known as hybrid dogs, are basically the product of a mating between two purebred dogs of different breeds.

Probably the best-know examples are the Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever X Poodle) and the Cock-a-Poo (Cocker Spaniel X Poodle), and the Puggle (Pug X Beagle) has also become fairly well known recently.

Designer Dog or Mixed Breed Mutt?

They certainly sound pretty much the same, but there is a pretty significant difference, at least to begin with.

Mutts, or mixed breed dogs as I prefer to call them, can be the result of a union between 2 purebred dogs of different types. But, they can also be the result of a cross between 2 mixed breed dogs, or one mixed breed and one purebred.

The heritage and ancestry of mix breed puppies is often hazy at best, and most likely a totally unknown quantity.

In contrast, the background of designer dog breeds/hybrid dogs, has a definite structure.

The first generation designer dog (know as an F1), is the direct result of mating two purebred dogs. The second generation (F2) results from the mating of two F1 dogs, and the third generation is the result of a cross between two F2 dogs, and so on.

The Pros & Con's of Designer Dog Breeds

• Health
  

  It's well known that every purebred dog breed is troubled by at least one (and usually many more), genetic or hereditary illnesses or problems. This is due to the level of inbreeding that takes place in order to keep a breed 'pure'.

  Available research shows that designer dog breeds, and mixed breeds, are less likely to suffer from genetic weaknesses and are generally healthier overall than their purebred cousins.
  

  
  However, it's very important to pay attention to the specific purebreds that are producing a particular hybrid/designer dog. If both parent dog breeds share the same genetic weaknesses, there's at the potential for a double dose of problems in the resulting puppies.

  For example, if you cross breed two purebreds who each have a predisposition towards eye and eye-lid problems (such as Pugs, Boston Terriers or Pekingnese), the puppies are very likely to have problems in this area. And they may be more serious than in the original breeds themselves.




• The best of both worlds?
  

  Not necessarily. Admittedly one of the first designer dog breeds was the Labradoodle, which was originally bred to combine two individual, breed specific traits with a particular purpose in mind.

  The Labrador Retrievers' superior performance as a service dog, and the Poodles' non-shedding, non-allergenic coat. This combination produced a great guide dog for people with allergies.

  It works quite well in theory, but due to the nature of genetics, it's not always a 'sure thing'! Even an F1 (first generation) Labradoodle can have a lab like coat that sheds.

  When considering a designer dog, it's also not safe to expect puppies from a certain breeding to get only the desirable physical/behavioral traits. They're just as likely to inherit the undesirable ones, and each individual puppy in the litter can be quite different from it's litter mates.

  Be realistic when considering a hybrid puppy, and if there are characteristics in either of the foundation breeds that you really don't want in your dog, don't choose that particular combination.
  
  

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  Predictable or Not?

  When it comes to being able to predict the size, coat, temperament and breed specific traits that a puppy will develop as it matures, designer dog breeds fall somewhere in the middle range.

  Although every puppy is a unique individual, and will not look or act EXACTLY like it's littermates, it's much easier to determine the above factors in a purebred dog.

  For example, all puppies of guardian breeds will naturally develop a desire to guard and protect their owners. Some obviously will feel more strongly about this than others, but it's there nontheless.

  In the same way, puppies from the herding breeds will want and NEED to herd things, and this will be accompanied by a high energy level.

  At the other end of the spectrum, a mutt, or mixed breed puppy of uncertain ancestry is totally unpredictable. His parents are probably mixed breeds themselves, with their own individual jumble of genetic traits. Mix them both together and the results are pretty much 'pot luck'.

  Your cute, sweet little puppy could grow into an 80lb dog with an attitude, or vice versa!

  On the other hand, hybrid/designer dogs produce puppies that fall somewhere in the middle.

  They're not even close to being as predictable as a purebreed dog, but F1 and F2 generation hybrids will show a selection or combination of characteristics found in the original purebred dogs that founded the new 'breed'.

  It's also important to realize that each individual designer dog breeders' stock will vary from those of another breeder, as there are no recognized 'breed standard' to adhere to (as there is with purebred dogs). The 'look' of each designer dog breed is pretty subjective.
  
  

  Finally...

  Designer dog breeds are not generally considered 'recognized breeds' as such.

  There are no designer dog breeds that are even close to being recognized by the AKC, but there is a new registry for Cock-a-Poo fanciers, and the American Canine Hybrid Club has a list of designer dog breeds it recognizes and registers.
  

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