MY dopey mate and her cross breed dog

[Gervaiz]

My mate bought a puppy last year and boasted about how she'd got a pedigree German shepherd for £25. I'm a dog enthusiast and could tell straight away that it wasn't a pure GS but I assumed as it grew up she'd realise this. She didn't. Instead she continuously posted pictures on Facebook and when people commented stuff like "he'd lovely Hun, what breeds are in him?" She would reply "he's purebred German shepherd Hun" etc! She was making herself look stupid it was so frustrating. Once a bloke commented "doesn't look purebred to me, got some Doberman in him maybe?" And she got all defensive and told him it was pedigree with unusual markings. He didn't respond.

She then came to me and said "did you see what that arsehole put on Facebook making out that the dog is cross!? So jealous!". I took the bait and said "well he's obviously got a lot of German shepherd in him hasn't he? He's close enough!" And fussed the dog. I tried to keep it light but she got snappy and said "he's pedigree, I saw both his parents!". Anyway I let it go but now she's talking about offering him up as stud at £200 a time. The dog is clearly a cross breed but she's advertising him as pedigree with no papers. It's false advertising for a start and a potential breeder will take one look at him and rip her to shreds, especially if they have travelled a long way. How do I get it through to her???!

Just to add, i rehomed my GS for free, for her to go to a good home. I've also had GS's for free.

Cross breeds are healthier! Think of the poor breeds with squashed noses making breathing difficult.

Vets say that the more inter-bred the pugs (for example) are, the more suffering they go through.

nose boops describes them perfectly. I love nose boops

I was playing with a French bulldog the other day (French bull dog owners please don't flame me), two minutes in and his breathing was horrendous. It broke my heart, apparently they are aesthetically pleasing though. Owner was thinking of breeding him, but (thankfully, I think, decided against it) Poor dog, I was worried about him, so stopped playing (I am not a vet, so he might of been fine, but he didn't sound healthy).

@Wauden hybrid health is a complete myth.
A good pedigree breeder health tests before breeding, back yard breeders rarely do.
Some crossbreeds can have just about everything wrong with them.

Birdsgottafly rehoming a dog for free is the complete opposite of ensuring they go to a good home. Might of worked out in your case but in many it doesn’t and shouldn’t be advocated.

@FittonTower
You tried, leave her to it. She paid £25 so she probably knows deep down

Depends if she knows about or has bothered to research dogs though. I am not interested in dogs whatsoever and if someone said it cost £25 for a type of dog, I wouldn't have enough knowledge to know if it sounded about right or a dodgy price.

You mention papers that she hasn't got presumably so anyone interested in the dog that finds out that its not what she's advertising it as isn't going to be fooled and that will be her problem, not yours. Leave her to it.

I’ve a very rare breed parrot she can have for a tenner.

show us a photo OP

Your friend is irritating with all her huns... I would leave her to it!

It might not be true that cross breeds live longer and are healthier BUT I am shocked when people describe an 8 year old dog as old. Our family Heinz 57 dog was a grand old age of 19 when he was kindly (and with much heartache) PTS. So I do have a view that crosses are generally healthier.

I would leave her to it, you've told her and she hasn't listened. You can't argue with stupid basically.

I doubt an experienced breeder would travel anywhere to see a dog in person without seeing pictures first let alone pay upfront without seeing pictures or papers.

Your friend does sound like a dope though.

I thought you were unreasonable right up to the part about studding him out at £200 a pop.

She sounds like a scam artist.

Let her get taken to task by irate “customers.”

People breeding their dog should be asking for full KC pedigree and health tests for the stud before mating, so the only people who will get scammed are as stupid as her.

" apparently they are aesthetically pleasing though."

Not to everyone!

On the off chance she sees reason, she may be eligible (depending on postcode, benefits etc.) for low cost neutering e.g. this scheme from Dogs Trust www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/microchipping-neutering/copy-2-of-low-cost-neutering

I'd be giving her a doggy DNA test for Christmas

Oh can we please please stop with the 'crossbreeds are healthier' shit.

This is ONLY true if they came from healthy parents and ideally, parents that do not suffer the same genetic conditions.

This irritating myth spread by folks with zero idea of how genetics actually works is one reason there are so many so called 'designer' crossbreeds - to a bloody dog bred from parent breeds that are unhealthy and often suffer the SAME genetic defects!!

Cavapoo - a cross of King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and Mini Poodle..

Both suffer hereditary syringomyelia, and heart problems.

Schnoodle - Mini schnauzer x poodle.

Both suffer progress retinal atrophy and hip dysplasia (i am just selecting from lists here there are LOTS more health issues!)

Pretty much all the designer crossbreeds people think are going to be SO healthy... suffer some of the same hereditary conditions.

And then they are generally bred by money grabbing asshats who don't bother with health tests because why would they,th ey are making healthy crossbreeds...

The idea that crossbreeds are healthier is bunkum. What MIGHT be healthier is MONGRELS with no discernable pedigree dog anywhere in many generations.

Or its just an anomaly produced by the fact that these statistics come from insurance company data which is heavily swayed towards pedigree dogs because more pedigree dog owners insure than mongrel owners.

Contact her from an email address she doesn't know. Pretend to be interested. Ask her for photos. Tell her off on receiving photos. Tell her to take advertisement down and get a DNA test before reposting or you will report her to such and such authority. Result.

It's sad that she cares about her dog's designer credentials but people are like that. Agree you will have to leave her to the lions den of breeders and GSD enthusiasts. They will deal with her. My only concern is that she will "rehome" (put on gumtree) the dog if he doesn't have the designer label she wants.

By the way, If she does do that, she's not a very nice person and not someone I would want to be friends with.

I’d buy her the doggy DNA test for her birthday, and tell her it’s the only way to prove to those nongs on Facebook once and for all that her pooch is legit. Grand supportive gesture, from a kind mate. Tell her you’re looking forward to her making them look like idiots, and eat their words about her darling elite doggy. 😉

At least she’ll stop (hopefully?) looking like an idiot herself, when the results come in. Doubt she’ll mention it again, she’ll likely ‘lose’ the test or claim the results never arrived, right? 🤔

Don't mongrels go for hundreds these days. They just double barell the name. Cockapoo etc. Your friend could have told everyone she has a Doberherd or German Sheperman.

This thread is totally worth it just for the phrase nose boops.

Is she planning on insurance? Does she not use a vet?

Wait, has she not taken him to a vet? Vets know what a GSD looks like and they like to note what breed a dog is (or is made up of) presumably due to differences in medical conditions/healthy weight.