Dog breeds are now a Middle Class indicator?

[Brightonbabe5]

Or at least in my dcs school (private). We thought it was bad in September with all the new puppies on the school run... Mostly the same breeds poodle crosses (cockapoos, labradoodles) bichon friese crosses (cavachons, cavapoos etc)... Insta tells me Christmas has brought a whole new pack of fluffy things.
I said this during the lockdown that these particular breeds are now a status symbol & the new MC accessory. Although DH claims a land-rover is also needed to transport the fluffy dog. Friends agree they are also as these breeds tend to be non shed & hypoallergenic...
DC also want one in the worst way😢 We're refusing based on the fact that we don't want a dog type that's considered a status symbol in our area & they cost a bloody fortune.... They are irrestible though with gorgeous temperaments but out of our range unfortunately

As said up thread. These aren’t breeds but over priced mongrels

All based on my experience with DSis's beagle, who grew up in Brussels and thought our village was paradise. I think he ate anything he found and shagged anything else. I did say earlier that he got me into more scrapes in eight weeks than three Labs have managed in 30 years.... I wasn't kidding.

We live rurally and it's all labs, retrievers, springer spaniel and pointers here usually. There is a small new estate appeared last year and every other dog from there is s poo cross. No idea why.

@XingMing

All based on my experience with DSis's beagle, who grew up in Brussels and thought our village was paradise. I think he ate anything he found and shagged anything else. I did say earlier that he got me into more scrapes in eight weeks than three Labs have managed in 30 years.... I wasn't kidding.

Every single Beagle we encounter on a walk is an absolute loon. Beautiful, gorgeous loons. You get to know their names quickly, because they’re nearly always either 3 fields away from their owner who’s nowhere in sight (so you check the collar, e eventually) or 2 fields away from an in-sight owner moving at a rate of knots bellowing their name furiously

(Full disclosure my mongrel rescue is clearly some sort of Beagle-y hound-y sort of cross, find if a squirrel and deaf when in chase, so meant with love.)

You might see poodle crosses as a status symbol. The owners of poodle crosses probably don't, probably hasn't crossed their minds. They just see their pets for what they are - cuddly beautiful non-shedding family dogs. I'm sure your DC will adore whatever dog you choose to join your family. They might be fixated on one particular (cross) breed right now but that will all be forgotten when you tell them about their new dog.

@Brightonbabe5 To be honest Hunter Wellies, Barbour jackets and Range Rovers are the biggest giveaways of class. Generally those brands wouldn't be seen on a shoot anywhere in the country. Even a little village one.

Le Chameau and Harkila or Schoffel however are the brands of clothing with usually old Defenders or other trucks.

Yup.
A bloke passed me in the park yesterday and said, "Pardon?" (I tried not to judge)
"Oh nothing, I was just talking to your dog."😆

This thread is eye opening.

We are apparently chavs as we are the proud owners of a gorgeous little Siberian Husky boy. We’ve wanted one for a very long time and could finally afford him.

He’s 13 weeks old now and has the most amazing personality. He’s been hard work for sure but he’s toilet trained and a week away from being able to go on proper long walks, he loves us and we love him.

My nearly 18yr old ds has loved them since he first saw one as a toddler. The children chose him from the litter as he looked like his gorgeous dad. He’s cream and grey with one blue eye and one brown eye and is a pure breed.

Yes we paid silly money for him but that’s how the market currently is. I dread to think of how we will be perceived now when going to one of the many local parks.

We have no regrets and my son’s MH has dramatically improved in the last 6 weeks since we’ve had him.

Zoflorabore

Enjoy your new family member.

@AliceMadHatter thank you very much

I am on my 3rd Weimaraner who rolls in mud and gets transported in my 4 series convertible so what does that make me?
Gundog and BMW haters care to speculate?

[quote BigusBumus]@Brightonbabe5 To be honest Hunter Wellies, Barbour jackets and Range Rovers are the biggest giveaways of class. Generally those brands wouldn't be seen on a shoot anywhere in the country. Even a little village one.

Le Chameau and Harkila or Schoffel however are the brands of clothing with usually old Defenders or other trucks. [/quote]
Disagree

50 year old barbours that have been to the factory for repairs many time are old money in the country.

Le Chameau are the total height of Chav (I have a blue pair)

Zoflorebore enjoy every minute of your new husky pup, I can only imagine the cuteness!

All labs or working cockers for the U types round here.

May be the odd cross breed but generally for older people or as a child’s dog.

Cocker spaniels are an odd one... The Beckhams have three cocker spaniels & surely they're "new money"...
Kate & William have their cocker Lupo & they're royalty...
Katie's sister Pippa, brother James & mom Carole all have Cockers they're upper middle surely?

@nevernotstruggling

I just really love dogs. All of them. If you have a dog I won't notice your Botox or filler.

This is so true. I notice the dogs we meet when out walking, but couldn't tell you anything about the attached humans!

We have a three year old cockerpoo. Not chosen as a 'trendy' dog but because we'd looked to rescue a dog for a while but couldn't find a suitable one due to having children and another dog already. Friend's dog had puppies, we knew they were coming from a family home and knew their dog had a lovely temperament. Bonus that they don't moult, but it's pain that they need a regular trim! Didn't pay a silly price.

Our children go to an independent school and we have a 4x4 so she's clearly a status symbol according to OP! Nevermind that we need the 4x4 on our farm and also have a Labrador.

I think people like poodle crosses because they are cute and non shedding. Not necessarily a class thing, though you need a fair bit of dosh to buy one!

Yes in my area it was french bulldogs or Boston terriers.... Now it's cockapoos. They're bloody everywhere.

@bluebluezoo

Friends agree they are also as these breeds tend to be non shed & hypoallergenic..

Not true. The parent breeds, poodles, yorkies and the like, are non shedding and less likely to trigger allergies.

Cross it with a normal coated dog though and it reduces the chances if the dog having that type of coat massively- it’s usually some sort of mix-part shedding, part not, which can cause huge grooming issues.

If you want non-shedding and hypoallergenic, get a poodle. Imo the only reason people get poo’s is because a lack if understanding of genetics, and because of some preconception about poodles being french wanky dogs with pom poms.

Get a poodle. Cheaper, more stability of breed traits, less likely to be from a puppy farm, and nobody can tell the difference between a poodle and a cockerpoo/labradoodle etc when they have the same haircut.

Poodles are excellent dogs and come in different sizes (standard, mini and toy. Though be careful , a standard is very tall and needs a lot of exercise!) Tend not to be overbred and tend to have extrovert lively intelligent natures

I have a cavapoo, he is a rescue.

I rehomed him at 5 months, nearly had a row with petplan when I phoned to set up insurance for him when the premium was sky high because he was a "designer dog"

@Brightonbabe5

Cocker spaniels are an odd one... The Beckhams have three cocker spaniels & surely they're "new money"... Kate & William have their cocker Lupo & they're royalty... Katie's sister Pippa, brother James & mom Carole all have Cockers they're upper middle surely?

had Lupo - he died recently

And the reason that family has so many is that one had puppies

Bit like the reason so many of my family have same (rare) terrier - two breed enthusiasts, an occasional litter lovely family dogs of a good and known maternal line, and a preference for the puppies to go to families they really know

(I can’t believe how many posters see this thread as anything other than goid-natured teasing, btw)

The poos are out in force where we live

It’s very suburban middle class to have a cockapoo, they are everywhere here

Country- middle class all have labs or spaniels or hounds , the more townie people have the poos

I have been told my own dog is usually associated with travellers and manual labourers (by a snobby friend), she was bread to catch rabbits and hares but luckily isn’t very good at it, and was rejected/thrown out.

So we got her, hurrah

She’s a greyhoundy mongrel (lurcher, which is the Romany word for “thief” ), they make excellent family pets

And they don’t yap

I feel sighthounds are the only dogs for me now

ALL puppies cost a fortune at the moment not just the so called designer ones.

And this thread is mumsnet at its absolute worst- judgey and rude. Get a dog that fits in with your lifestyle and train it and treat it properly. That’s it.

@PattyPan

I actually find those types of dogs a bit nouveau riche. It’s tacky not to adopt.

Same around here. The done thing is to get a rescue - preferably a scruffy haired lurcher