Would any poodle cross owners be interested in a separate forum on here where we can (hopefully) talk without judgement?

[DoodlesInTheHouse]

Genuine question. I asked MNHQ about this (under different name, if you are looking at this MNHQ) and they said to ask on here to see if there was interest.

I understand fully the views of some that some poodle crosses are not a good idea for a variety of reasons (puppy farming, health checks, various other reasons etc etc), but we also have our own reasons on why they suited our family, why we chose not to rescue at that time (and very likely will rescue in years ahead) and we are very, very happy with our choices. We are intelligent adults and made an informed choice. I come from a very dog-oriented family and knew what we were doing.

It seems impossible to ask a question about poodle crosses on here without being jumped on. It wouldn't be the done thing if we were talking about breast v formula, or SAHM v working mums, but it seems to be acceptable to ridicule the choices that some of us have made.

Would anyone be interested?

"So ultimately there would be less dogs as pets in the UK. Is that what you want?"

It would be a side effect of what I want, which is that animal welfare should be worth more than people's impatience for a pet dog.

But it'd be a very long time before anything like that happened.

Child friendly dog is a fallacy. How many people by Labs for this exact reason and then stick them on gumtree when they are 9 month old teenage psycho's? Too many that's what.

Is that the lab's fault, or the owners? Sounds like people buying who don't have enough time, inclination to train, knowledge. As likely to happen with any dogs.

In some parts of Europe you need a license for a dog and have to undergo training, that could be a good idea. Fewer people own without thorough consideration, breeders have to step things up - regardless of whether they are breeding pedigrees or hybrids.

It is so wrong that people buy these dogs because they think they look cute (this is definitely the main reason, no matter what nonsense they try to tell you) and everything else comes second.

RTFT lastgirl

It's patronising to say that. A lot of people like the intelligence of a poodle.

This is precisely the point I make in my original post - someone bumbles along and make an assumption based on what? Some perception without anything to back it up at all. Ridiculous.

"In some parts of Europe you need a license for a dog and have to undergo training, that could be a good idea."

Yep.

If we were at a point where breeders were regulated, there weren't thousands more dogs being bred than there are homes for and most breeders (or even better all) were good breeders, I'd not care at all what they were breeding.

I'll never understand why a poodle cross is somehow different to just getting a poodle in terms of it being better suited to being a pet, but if most people were getting dogs from decent breeders I'd consider that part of it none of my business, because really it's not.

If by economic argument you mean the post that you made at the same time as mine, or the one you made less than 2 minutes before that, then your sarcasm was not warranted - unless you aim it at yourself.

Yes. I want less dogs bred in the UK. All dogs. Not just pedigrees, or designer crosses. All dogs. Until all the Rescues are empty and dogs are no longer living for years in concrete cells I want breeding to stop.

It's never going to happen. But every dog purposely bred to be a pet puts another dogs life on the line - whilst lining the breeders pockets.

BTW Puppies in rescue are just as socialised (probably more so) than puppies from breeders.

It's patronising to say that. A lot of people like the intelligence of a poodle

So buy a poodle. Don't create yet another 'breed' to saturate the market with.
(And lots of Labradors are just as intelligent, well except the chocolate ones and HoneyDragons golden )

You are all clearly here for the sake of arguing for arguing sake. Have fun.

EvLt BTW Puppies in rescue are just as socialised (probably more so) than puppies from breeders. You can't know that - you don't know the background of the dog and have less chance of finding out that with most breeders.

Poodle cross owners have been accused of being dim and over sensitive, but you seem to take great umbridge at my own mild comment

I think you will be able to work out what I meant by 'economic argument'.

Exactly as Dallas said.....get a poodle! It is unconscionable to contribute to this whole 'industry' just to get your cute, trendy dog! All the hidden suffering these dogs sometimes face is no joke and anyone who contributes to this deserves to be judged.

I don't agree with breeding cross breed dogs at all but I'll leave it there and don't want to argue about it.

Don't think a new section makes sense. If you want to talk about your dogs why not go on a dog forum? You're less likely to get negativity on a forum about Poodle crosses.

" You can't know that - you don't know the background of the dog and have less chance of finding out that with most breeders."

Puppies in rescues are quite often born there.

Depends on your definition of puppy.

A puppy born in rescue, or bought into rescue at 1/2/3>12 weeks old, or as in MuttDogs case dumped in a sports bag at approximately 4 weeks, can be socialised just as well as a puppy bought from a breeder at 8/9/10 weeks. Probably more so because a Rescue goes out of its way to do so and generally has an Army of volunteers to help. Whereas a breeder doesn't.

Older dogs get trained whilst in Rescue too.

last then bad breeders will latch on to poodles, do you honestly not see this?

True Tabulah we tried that route actually - they are very sought after.

The people who whinge about the names are proper saddos.

Calling a dog a labradoodle is quicker than saying -

"Oh he's a crossbreed"
"Oh what is he a cross of?"
"He is a cross of a labrador and a standard poodle but Mumsnet told me to call him a mongrel".

"What breed is he?"
"He's a labradoodle".

Simple.

Fair enough lastGirlOnTheLeft judge all you like. Which brings me back to my original OP.

Puppies are born in rescue every day.
I have an eight week old pup here now. I know her history,, she came from a family home, and I will do everything I can to socialise her and get her ready for a new home where she is wanted.
She is a very beautiful, quite desirable crossbreed but she was unwanted. Someone will be very lucky to rescue her, and she will be a much better bet for a family than the pup of a backyard breeder who was in it for the money.

Lastgirlontheleft My labradoodle has just eaten a large piece of sirloin steak. If she could talk I hope she's put you straight that she isn't subject to any 'hidden suffering.'

Oh well. Look at that. Many Tears Animal Rescue currently has 6 puppies of less than 12 weeks old requiring homes.

4 poodle crosses
1 cocker Spaniel
1 shitzu cross

(And another 354 older dogs, 68 of which are under a year)

Breeding is a purposeful activity which should be aimed primarily at the good of the breed, and secondarily at the good of its individual members. A breed benefits when new dogs have a lesser likelihood of having health problems and a greater likelihood of fulfilling a need that that gives them a good chance of finding a suitable home. Dogs can fulfill a variety of needs, e.g. pets, working animals, athletes, etc.

The problem with bad breeders of all kinds of dogs is that they are motivations are skewered for a variety of reasons, e.g. they may be in it for the money, they may think that puppies are cute, they may be seeking personal glory in the showing or dog sports worlds, etc. When a breeder's motivations are skewed they may take shortcuts like skipping health screening, matching dogs for their own purposes and not the good of the breed, breeding more animals than the market can support etc.

My problem with cross breed breeders is that the majority are not breeding for the good of their breeds. This is because of a number of reasons, not all of which need apply to all cross breeders and some of which may also explain why some pure breed breeders are bad breeders:

• they do not do health screening
• they do not make purposeful breed choices. I can understand someone having an idea that crossing breed X with breed Y would result in a better breed Z. To test this out they would have to spend their lives breeding and refining these lines. At best after a lifetime of breeding they would have one, distinct new breed not three billion poos and assorted others.
• they did not start with decent stock. Good pure breed breeders have close control of their breeding dogs so the ones that have been used in the cross lines are the rejects to begin with.
• given the proliferation of crosses, pretty much anything with anything, no one is giving any thought to the development of the breed. When each mating is part of a breed programme both parents and their offspring are evaluated against predetermined criteria to figure out what worked and what didn't so as to make the next litter even better. These crosses have developed far too quickly with no time to identify and assess any emerging characteristics. That means they are not breeds, there is no sense in which these are a particular type of dog which may or may not meet breed expectations (- very laid back border collie would surprise as there is such a thing as a typical border collie, none of this makes any sense given the huge number and endless combinations of the cross breeds).
• finally the inflated prices and the ease with which breeders switch from one poo to another to a husky cross next, is rather damning evidence on the breeder's motivation. Good breeders are devoted to their breed. They know everything there is to know about their breed and wouldn't swap to other breeds for each mating.

Good summary booboostwo. It really cannot be repeated often enough.

I just wanted a lovely family dog, which we have. I'm not that bothered about breeding characteristics. I'll leave that to the KC registered GSD who want dogs with deformed back legs and bulldog breeders whose dogs can barely breath thanks to the manner in which they've been bred.

I kow that boob I really do. We were down for a lab with an impressive background, turned out mum was scared of kids and half the puppies died. I know a lot of people with poodle crosses and they are in good hands. We should all be campaigning for a dog license rather that taking cheap pops at poodle cross owners. A lot of people know what they are looking for and still go this route. I don't agree with pug x jrt crosses etc, but some make sense.

boo I'm not sure there is the desire to create new breeds though is there? They are still cross breeds, with fancy names.

I completely agree with pirate's point. "Pure" bred dogs are hardly the healthiest, are they? That was one of the reasons I didn't want a KC registered breed. The Kennel Club do so much harm IMHO.

And there are some excellent breeders out there. Who do care what dogs they breed from.

As someone said, some of us just want a lovely family dog