Aibu that dogs are now a class identifier??

[MammabearX1]

Just that.... Since my dc have returned to school (London prep) the school gates are crowded with little fluffy pups.... All expensive cockapoo or cavachon types... Thorough breds seems to be gone out of fashion & there's not a mongrel in sight... I'm thinking these are a class identifier as those fluffy dogs are so expensive... My husband thinks it's down to the dogs size making them perfect for London living with smaller garden space etc... Is it just our school? When I was young the posh kids had cocker spaniels or some type of working dogs but then I grew up in the country...

And you can say mongrel as many times as you like...I really don't care about getting a cross breed, why should I?!

I walk 2 cockerpoos. They both shed. You may get 'lucky' and get a low shedding dog but there is absolutely no guarantee. Those that don't shed need regular grooming, clipping and coat maintenance to prevent matting. They are certainly not low effort on the grooming front. There are far more suitable breeds if low shedding is an option.

Low shedding is not actually something that bothers me either way but I know it's a consideration for some when choosing.

I just think (hope) that people really think about the dog they want to bring into their family and do a bit more research.

When we got a dog when we were young, my dad just paid the farmer £20 and we got one of his terrier puppies, we also got another rescue for free - both quite obstinate dogs as they didn't have the best start in life.

I have always wanted a dog, didn't really mind what sort as long as good temperament, we have primary age children. My husband wanted a non shedding dog did some research and we are waiting for an Australian labradoodle which I cannot wait to collect - so I guess I will be joining that club.

The really wealthy old monied people around me would never have a doodle/ poodle/ mix sort of dog
The have labs, spaniels and small terriers like JRT or Norfolk/ Norwich oh and sometimes a dachshund
The doodle/ poodle mixes belong to a different class of people ( around here anyway)

There are so many pedigree dogs that don’t shed and have nicer temperaments than cockerpoos.
Lots of cockerpoos are neurotic, nervous, resource guard and shed.

People don’t actually do research to find them though, just automatically follow what they have seen someone else have.

Standard poodle owner here, amongst a sea of cockerpoos, labradoodles, that are all apparently Australian!? Goldendoodles, cavapoos ect.

No denying they are cute dogs, but none of the owners seem to know what our dog is.

A poodle would would tick the boxes of what they are/were shopping for, but they get massively overlooked or just ignored all together. No idea why? Perhaps because more effort needs to be made to get one, waitlists for good breeders, travel etc. Whereas there are poo crosses available in every town?

I highly recommend them, they are fantastic dogs who are fun, family friendly clowns and a lot cheaper than the mixed ‘oodles.

I'm also very interested to know why poodles are overlooked for cockerpoos when their looks are so similar. Have we reached the point where people no longer know what a poodle is?

@Blueboys77 I think Crufts / dog shows have a lot to answer for with how poodles are presented and how popular or not they are.

When I watch Crufts I have to say I think the poodles look ridiculous - the way they cut their coats and back comb their hair - it just looks incredibly fake. Nothing like the gorgeous poodles in our village.

BTW we live in the countryside lots of diversity in breeds here - labradors, collies, terriers, greyhounds, weimaraners and poo crosses

Wow. Some really unkind/judgy people out today.

I have a doodle mix along with half our local community. It wasn’t to “look posh” or “show off” etc, we did our research & went for a specific type of doodle due to allergies. I would love to be able to rescue but was classed as being unsuitable due to having children under a certain age.

Not being judgey, but did you look at or consider an actual poodle?

Even Waffle the wonder dog is a poodle, not an ‘oodle or a ‘poo.

I never knew people were so judgemental over other peoples dogs. It’s so strange, but I guess there are people in this world who look down on others for the car they drive or area they live in so I guess rather than being a class identifier, it says more about what kind of person we are and how think of others.

There is only one breed for me...golden retriever. 😍

I’m suppose that I’m ‘middle’ middle class and I live in a small semi-rural town up north. I’d say the majority of dogs we meet on our country walks are other gun dogs (especially springers), JRT and bigger poo breeds.

It's all infantilised cockapoo type mongrels around here. Our cul-de-sac is getting to the point where you can't hum in your own garden without it reducing someone's 'sensitive' dog to a gibbering wreck. Drives me nuts. They're dogs, they're not nervous creatures unless you make them that way by treating them like tiny humans. And makining them that way is animal abuse IMO.

Everyone in my area has either a labradoodle; a Boston terrier; a dachshund or a bloody great Newfoundland.
I don’t know what this means...I don’t own a dog because I don’t like any of them. I’m not really a pet person.

Those dogs are Mongrels.... I think people buy them because they don't shed. Makes sense if you have allergies.

We have a rescue dog that we got when he was an adult. We adore him but I can understand getting a dog that you know the exact breed of and also wanting a puppy if you have small kids.

Personally I would struggle to buy a dog when there are gorgeous rescues begging for a loving home but each to their own

Our very middle class local Primary School is full of parents with their tiny little dogs, most of whom are carried a lot of the way as dogs are not supposed to be in the school grounds.

They do look like little teddy bears and the Bernese Mountain Dog who loves locally walks past them all with his nose in the air like their King!

@redgirl1 absolutely! I couldn't care less what other people choose to do as long as they are good pet owners. So strange that some see pedigrees as better than a cross breed

@2021ishere2021 absolutely not the case here, very few rescues available with a very high demand for them

So I think there are a few things that I have heard multiple people talk about when choosing dogs:
How they look
How big they are
Do they shed a lot / not much
Do they need a lot of exercise
How much space do they have
Do you have young children and therefore need a dog with a good temperament

I think due to working from home, pets have become much more of an option. DH & I used to work full time in offices and would have never considered bringing a dog into that environment.

I would have loved to get a rescue but we were just turned away as we had young children.

No judgement on breeds, I think all dogs have the potential to enrich your life if you bring it up with the right training. I do wonder why people buy dogs that you can't really take on a walk - I am thinking about 'teacup' varieties in particular

@greenstables

Same here right now, but I predict that when life goes back to normal the pounds will be overflowing with lockdown dogs.

A mix of two breeds used to be called a first cross.

@2021ishere2021 not sure, many people I know (my DH included) won't be going back into the office anything like 5 days a week..

@GarlicMonkey

It's all infantilised cockapoo type mongrels around here. Our cul-de-sac is getting to the point where you can't hum in your own garden without it reducing someone's 'sensitive' dog to a gibbering wreck. Drives me nuts. They're dogs, they're not nervous creatures unless you make them that way by treating them like tiny humans. And makining them that way is animal abuse IMO.

Actually it’s pretty rare for an owner to make a dog nervous - they’re fairly resilient naturally...

Bad breeding creates nervous dogs usually, and that’s mostly why people have an issue with all the poodle crosses - they’re a dodgy breeders dream scenario.

Tell people a pack of lies about being non shedding and healthier and just breed any old dogs to a poodle, give them cutesy names and you can just churn them out for big bucks without having to health test them.

And that’s without even adding in how many come from puppy farms.

I think you have to understand that people get most of their initial information on what dog to buy from the internet. Poodles on the internet look massive, skinny and ridiculous! I couldn’t imagine having that kind of dog. Here is what you get when you google poodle.

Now I know that they don’t have to look like that and can be medium sized I would definitely consider one as a pet - I have a cockapoo.

I also think it’s the thought process. For example mine was was - grew up with /love Labrador’s and golden retrievers - Do some research and see I can get one that doesn’t shed if mixed with a poodle - great, won’t cover my house in fur. Then look at the sizes and see some can be very large - then from there landed on cockapoos as similar in look to a labradoodle but smaller. I think slot of people see the ‘Andrex puppy’ as the kind of dog they want.