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AIBU?

Designer dogs.

71 replies

faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:08

They are not pedigrees. They are crossbreeds bred for funny names
labradoodles, cockerpoos, sprockers, yorkipoos.
If you're desperate for a dog, go and rescue one that some feckless idiot has already bred and couldn't be bothered to be responsible about.
Don't put money in the pockets of some tosser who has bred a random non-breed so they can call it designer and sniffer at the name.
Labradoodles were bred carefully to be non-shedding guide dogs for blind people with allergies. A lot of thought and work went into breeding these. Shoving a random Labrador and poodle together shouldn't mean charging nearly £1000 for the offspring.

I don't care if IABU :o

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faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:10

Wah! Snigger at the name.

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Wordwork · 07/05/2011 21:12

Pedigrees are just as daft, though. And at least the crossbreeds have a bit of hybrid vigour, as well as a stupid name.

zukiecat · 07/05/2011 21:13

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fruitshootsandheaves · 07/05/2011 21:14

I refer to my dog as a Scottish Red Snapper if I meet people who are being a bit pretentious about their breed of dog.

squeakytoy · 07/05/2011 21:14

The mixed breeding is irresponsible because it can lead to genetic problems with the new breeds. Just mixing them because the name sounds "cute" is very stupid.

faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:17

Pedigrees were bred for a purpose though, hunting, herding etc. Breeding nowadays has got stupidly out of hand and should be far more controlled than it is, but breeding a dog for a name? Really?

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SecretNutellaFix · 07/05/2011 21:19

one of the girls I work with is very spoilt precious brattish. She had one dog- pedigree Labrador but didn't seem to do much with her iyswim, so when she mentioned she was getting another puppy(after complaining constantly about this one) myself and a particular other colleague were quite worried. So when she got it, she didn't much like that we both told her she had been taken for a ride. The breed? A sprocker (springer/cocker cross), and she had been charged £500 for it. She still gets pissed off we tell her that she paid that amount of money for a mongrel. So we do it all the more.

fruitshootsandheaves · 07/05/2011 21:20

The man who bred the first labradoodle was on tv recently. He did it because he knew someone who was blind but allergic to dogs. He never meant for them to become a 'fashion'.

SecretNutellaFix · 07/05/2011 21:20

sorry, posted too soon. She only got the dog because it sounded cute. Apparently it's a menace and completely untrained. At a year old.

BluddyMoFo · 07/05/2011 21:21

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DUSTIN · 07/05/2011 21:21

YANBU- this makes me cross too. I am a veterinary nurse and worked for an animal rescue charity for many years. We had many crossbreed designer dogs for rehoming. We didn't have people rushing to give us hundreds of pounds for them.

elastamum · 07/05/2011 21:21

Not sure what your point is. Labradoodles are a type not a breed. The worse thing that could ever happen to labradoodles is that they become a breed as the doodle gene pool is far too small.

Ive got 3 asleep by my feet as I type. I got labradoodles as I have bad asthma. I bought the first 2 and the breeder gave me dog 3 as she was returned to him by someone who bought her then decided they didnt want her. They are fantastic pets, loyal, friendly and great with my kids.

BUT they is nothing very designer about the dogs in this house, they all look a bit different. I have a blond fluffy one, a hairy one and one that looks like a small lab on a bad hair day! They are huge, they all shed a little bit and they need a lot of exercise. My advice would be, dont buy a labradoodle unless you are at home during the day and you like walking - mine get 2 hours most days.

midori1999 · 07/05/2011 21:30

YANBU at all. In any way.

However, sprocker's are 'proper' working dogs and have been bred as such for absolutely years, long before 'designer dogs' existed or labradoodles. They still aren't a breed though.

faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:32

My point is that dogs should not be bred for comedy value. There are plenty of dogs being bred for terrible reasons, the name must be one of the loopiest reasons there is.
There are a very few genuine labradoodle breeders, who have put years of research and effort into breeding programs to help people. The majority are riding on the back of a fashion and hugely high proportion of labradoodles are the result of a random mating guaranteed to bring cash to the owners.

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bananasinpjamas · 07/05/2011 21:34

Labradoodles were bred for guide dogs for people allergic to dogs as far as I know- cockapoos sound a bit odd though. Crossing dogs in this way if done correctly can help counter genetic problems in purebred dogs.

faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:35

Midori - there is a gamekeeper who breeds sprockers. He has waiting lists for them, never advertises, but none are sold as pets.
If you look on designer dog websites, I can't believe that the sprockers on there have been bred responsibly for their working ability.

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leafbird · 07/05/2011 21:39

i agree with dustin im a veterinary nurse also and see so many so called designer breeds that are for re-homing,sadly people follow trends and as always when this happens its the animals that suffer,all dogs need at least two walks a day, vaccinations,training ,flea and worming treatment and socialising sorry to go on but you wouldnt believe the cases we see .

faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:40

Bananas - that's my point - it's not being done responsibly. The offspring often have terrible problems because they inherit the worst of both parent breeds.
It's the owners of Shih tzu's having a laugh at getting their bitch mated with a poodle dog to create a shitpoo. I've seen that. No thought in it whatsoever, apart from money in the bank for a funny name.

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PrinceHumperdink · 07/05/2011 21:40

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PrinceHumperdink · 07/05/2011 21:41

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faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:44

Yes princeH - a real litter of puppies with no guarantees of characteristics or temperament.

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Al0uiseG · 07/05/2011 21:44

Anyone for a Bulldog cross Shitzuu? :o

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faverolles · 07/05/2011 21:45

:o

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elastamum · 07/05/2011 21:50

Mine came from a breeder who was passionate about Labradoodles. I have their history back 3 generations, I really dont think they were bred for comedy value.

That said dog 3 was bought by some people who had no idea of the difficulty of having a puppy and very young children and they just couldnt walk her enough. She was desperate, stressed out and thin when she was rehomed to us by the breeder at just a year old. now she has company she is as happy as larry, but it has taken a year for her to chill like the others.

MadameCastafiore · 07/05/2011 21:55

We have a lovely labradoodle, no health problems and is extremely clever and loyal.

Think it less bloody cruel than breeding pedigrees to the point where they have loads of health problems.

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