Why do people pay top dollar for dogs that are called cockerpoo, labradoodle etc etc

[KnickersOnOnesHead]

Always a question I have been curious about.

People pay hundreds of pounds for these so called 'designer' breeds when in fact, the are just mongrels!

Riven - I think that about kids too, wish people would go and get a couple of rescue kids rather than keep havin em.

I have a Fox-a-Jack. They're very rare . I paid approximately nothing for him. He was from the pound.

I don't know why 'oodles/a-poos are so popular. Fashion I guess. Unfortunately for them their sudden rise in popularity and price means more and more people are breeding them, usually badly.

poodle mixes are very popular because

intelligent and easy to train
low barking
low shedding
low dander so less likely to cause allergic response
intensely cute
great with children
healthier than pedigrees

why wouldn't you pay a premium for that

they should not however have such stupid names

Why does it have to be for "fashion?" Why not just because there's something about the make-up of the dog that appeals? In the same way that anyone has a preference for a lab or a JRT or a SBT or a golden retriever?
I've never followed fashionable fads in my life. Or cared a hoot about labels. I get what I want to, according to a range of criteria. But "fashion" is NOT on the list.

activate I agree about the bloody stupid names! I tend to refer to mine as a poodle/cocker cross. Cockapoo is just embarrassing!

the fact they are deemed "fashionable" or "designer" is I would assume a turn-off to those who have them

Yes, I always call mine a cross breed..

Regarding rescue dogs, we tried to go with a rescue but couldn't find the right dog for us. We knew we were going to have children and needed a dog that we could train. The dogs which had the right temperment had medical issues and the dogs that were 'healthy' had temperment issues or had been abused.

I do not regret getting a dog from a breeder. We knew we were going to start a family so getting a rotweiler mix or a 3yr old doberman that was still nipping was not a smart idea. The golden rescue here in New Jersey turned us down because we don't have a fenced in yard and I was not going to agree to the crazy owner being able to walk into our home at any time in the future to check on the dog. The rescue places also considered us first time dog owners even though I have handled guard dogs on the family farm for years. I knew more about a training a dog than those running the rescue centers we visited.

Clam - because cockerpoo is such a silly name I started to call our pup a poodle/cocker cross when people asked about her. But then everyone seemed to respond with "Oh, a cockerpoo", which made me feel even sillier!

The issue I have with these kind of crossbreeds is that people think they are somehow inherently healthier than a pedigree dog. No, they're just at risk of the hereditary diseases from both of the contributing parents - and a great many people breeding these dogs aren't doing any health tests at all.

Already on this thread people have bandied about that they are healthier than pedigrees! Given the choice between a dog with at least a five-gen pedigree, every dog in the pedigree health tested and with working records and titles to prove their ability and somebody's pet goldie that they mated with the poodle down the road because the puppies will look cute, with no idea if either parent is likely to pass on crippling, life-limiting conditions...

The non-moulting thing is a bit of a misnomer, for every non-moulting doodle there's one that sheds buckets.

I just... as someone who has working dogs, I cannot see the value in breeding dogs that don't have a purpose (and yes, the original labradoodle had an intended purpose but even their 'creator' has admitted he made a mistake there). They're doing it purely to line their pockets, not with the intention of improving the health and ability of the breed.

cross breed dogs of 2 healthy pedigree parents will indeed be healthier than pedigrees as far as recessive conditions are concerned so there is a validity in the argument but there also is in yours

search on the rspca site for a report on the damning effects of breeding fro anatomical features in pedigrees

don't know why I'm arguing we've got a lurcher - mongrel

It's also worth remembering that if both parent breeds share the same recessive inherited disorder, the puppies will still be as likely to get it as if they were pure. This is probably the case for hip dysplasia, where inheritance is not simple but likely to involve several genes, and certainly the case for some kinds of eye disorder such as PRCD, where the same mutation is found in a great many different breeds. Both Miniature Poodles and Cocker Spaniels suffer from prcd-PRA, for example. The reputable Miniature Poodle breeders I know test for prcd-PRA with the Optigen gene test. I wonder how many Cockerpoo breeders test for prcd-PRA?

"cross breed dogs of 2 healthy pedigree parents will indeed be healthier than pedigrees as far as recessive conditions are concerned"

Oh will they buggery, cross a poodle with a goldie and you could end up with a pup with hip dysplasia and Addisons, they don't magically cancel each other out!

I totally agree with you on the breeding of certain pedigrees however - I have no pro-pedigree or pro-KC agenda, I'll take my chances with a backyard-bred cockerpoo over a KC-reg English bulldog any day.

But when I can have a dog with a full known pedigree of sound, health-problem-free, dogs with working titles and accreditations to their name, that I know will likely excel and stay sound in their working lives, I can't see why anyone would take a chance on your average Preloved-advertised doodle out of someone's back yard.

Far, far better to rescue - and I do have a rescue with no family history.

I have all the relevant pedigree and health certificates for my cockerpoo.

I don't know the first thing about dogs in particular but I do know that genetically if you breed two animals of a species with different genotypes the offspring will be more heterozygous so the chances of a recessive problem are much reduced.

This is known as hybrid vigor and it only applies to the first generation, if you breed two of the new crosses together you start to get the recessive problems showing up again.

clam I was not taking exception to your responsibly bred cockerpoo with health certificates, but to the 'breeders' who do so purely to make money with whatever cross breed happens to be popular at the time. I met a gorgeous cockerpoo today, and can see why they are appealing :) It worries me though that some people are paying top dollar for dogs with no health certs, that they don't really know the background of at all.

Doodle's don't shed, my arse!!

I can stuff cushions with the amount my walking ball of fluff can drop. He's lucky he's cute sometimes.

hetrozygous - exactly

We got our girl (lab\poodle cross) from a reputable lab breeder and we were happy with the answers she gave regarding hip scores etc. I would never refer to my dog as 'designer' and don't know anybody with a cross like ours who does. I see pedigree dogs with weird genetic traits (pugs etc) who look a lot lkess healthy than our girl. The snotty attitudes some people have are unwarranted but hey ho.

My lovely mutt is a cross between a westie and a bichon.....what is the designer name for that?. Wees-on was quite appropriate for a while

is it bitchie

falls about laughing at own soh

Bitchie will do nicely, thanks. :o
We call her the yeti

activate at your dog name!