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...

We went to adopt a dog from the shelter but we were turned down due to the size of our garden. They wouldn’t take into account that we lived next door (less than 300m) to a massive park, which they would be walked through at least 3 times a day. So we had to buy one.

The first reputable breeder we sourced who lived relatively close were for cockapoo puppies. Some of the people and puppies we met in our search were appalling and we had to report several for welfare reasons. It cost me just under £1000 for a happy, healthy, well bred and well raised puppy. I feel like I could have given a rescue dog a happy home 😔

Yes certain mongrels have in recent years become very popular and expensive. Mongrel just means cross breed so anything crossed is a mongrel even if people don't like the fact.
Crossbreeds can be healthier than pure breeds though generally I think , especially where there's a lot of inbreeding to get the 'perfect' dog. There's a huge problem with puppy farms and the trendy mongrels though and they can be very convincing that they're selling a lovely family owned pet.

I'd only ever get a rescue personally, there are enough dogs out there without paying money to breeders thus encouraging them to breed more.

I have a golden retriver (and have had retrivers since I was born) if asked I would say I'm working class but Ive never really about it 🤷‍♀️

If I see someone with a flat faced dog I don't think of class, I think poor dog.

I always thought mongrel meant that they were cross breeds but you just didn’t know what those breeds were?

Cockapoo, cavapoo (anything poo-ish) are possibly viewed as a bit “new money” where we are.
Frenchies and pugs are chava.
Lurchers, whippets etc seen as urban hip/classic
I don’t buy into any of this but definitely the way it’s viewed. Interesting to see how that differs greatly depending on parts of the country

@CuriousaboutSamphire

I have one with the other kind of 'Oh my god that's cruel' type of nose and "What's wrong with it's eyes?" dog.

How could anyone just leave your lttle snuggle in town?

S/he's lovely

Where I walk my dog (yes a cockapoo and I am poor, working class, single mum) I see every single breed of dog, yesterday I saw a guy walking a Chinese crested and then a woman walking a saluki puppy, loads of labs, rough collies, old English sheepdogs all sorts. The poo mixes are simply because they are in fashion, bred to be companion dogs and don’t shed.

I actually think it’s sensible to get a poo mix most of the time for a family pet, people don’t research enough what kind of dog is right for their lifestyle, a lazy pair of people I know got a border collie puppy and I knew that would end in disaster which it did and the poor pup was rehomed shortly after.

@WhoEatsPopTarts

Where I live it is, but the cockapoo is for the try hards. The ‘posh’ all have rescue dogs.

Is this the new version of the battered old Peugeot and holey jumper vs Audi and designer wear?

Think it depends on location, I’m quite rural and it’s mainly gun dogs round here. Labs, springers, cockers. occasional collie.

I've got a rescue Jack Russell. DH always does say he married above his station

@MsSavouryPancake

Honestly what a horrible thing . I have two rescue dogs and they are the best dogs in the world . Says alot about someone if they have a so called designer dog iyam.

that someone has allergies?

I agree, OP.

Where I live (urban and middle class), the younger dogs are 90% poodle crosses. I met a woman with a cavapoochon yesterday - what is that about? I have noticed that the cockerpoos in particular are high energy as puppies and can be hard work, while adorable.

I have a pedigree dog as does my friend and we have a hard time convincing people that our dogs have zero poodle in them.

But there's no harm in it. Everyone is largely happy and the dogs are happy.

I do agree with the rescues often expecting above and beyond what is 'normal' but this isn't that new

My parents wanted to get a rescue dog 20-30 years ago. My father was in the RAF but knew he would be leaving within 2 years and the liklihood was he wouldn't be posted again. A rescue wouldn't let them have a dog without a letter from the station commander guaranteeing he wouldn't be posted abroad (so they ended up adopting one from freeads who was about 18 months old)

@CuriousaboutSamphire

I have one with the other kind of 'Oh my god that's cruel' type of nose and "What's wrong with it's eyes?" dog.

How could anyone just leave your lttle snuggle in town?

God, he's gorgeous! I love those dogs 😍

Mostly terrier mixes and greyhounds in my area. Plenty of chihuahuas too.

I view anyone with a pug/bulldog of any sort, as an idiot. I hate brachycephalic breeds, particularly in summer when it's clear they're unable to breathe properly.

Round here it's mostly gun breeds as we're on the edge of a large estate where there are regular shoots and country shows

Yup. You can’t get near our London prep without tripping over a cavapoo. A couple of years ago it was labradoodles.

I presume it’s the size, and the non shedding, but surely there must be other dogs that tick those boxes but are just less fashionable...?

We’re a cat household

Cockerpoos not cavapoos, though there may be a few of those too

We have a working cocker but he’s unusual as he’s not crossed with a poodle. 6 weekly grooming seems more hassle than regular vacuuming to me - I have 3 dc so vacuume a lot anyway and he moults less than our cats used to.

Lots of poodle crosses here but I’ve never seen it as a class thing.

Nah, I've got a 'posh' spaniel and I'm common as muck

Poo's are just popular at the moment, it transcends class.

Also wasnt there this exact thread a month or two ago?

It's probably a vicious circle. Breeders concentrate on more fashionable dogs, meaning it's easier to find fashionable dog and so on.

“that someone has allergies?”

Then they shouldn’t get a cockapoo or any other non shedding breed crossed with a poodle because there’s more chance of it shedding than with a full poodle.

Also, a lot of people aren’t allergic to fur, it’s the saliva and skin that’s an issue and there are a few breeds that anecdotally don’t set off allergies the same, but they’re not the non shedding ones.

“I presume it’s the size, and the non shedding, but surely there must be other dogs that tick those boxes but are just less fashionable...?”

Poodles, lol

Most of the dogs where I live look like they’ve just walked off the set of Oliver Twist.

@LibertyMole

Most of the dogs where I live look like they’ve just walked off the set of Oliver Twist.

You have lots of Bullies? Crikey!

We meet a few, but we all have to travel. It's fun!

Every other person off the rough estates here have XL bullies of the standard which go for between 6-9k