Breed recommendation/discussion threads always end up as arguments between those of us who have been around long enough, worked in animal care, have a genuine passion for breeding and/or just love dogs, and those who want some form of designer doodles.
So, this is my attempt to create a thread where we can actually have a reasonable discussion on these dogs and we can point prospective buyers to a reasoned debate thread without hijacking their existing thread. Probably naive of me! But hey.
From my perspective, I find designer breeding to be dangerous, disingenuous and unethical. I have no issue with designer doodles when it is done properly. But I do take issue with people who buy them without realising the significant risks they are running and without doing their research;
Hypoallergenic: No dog is truly hypoallergenic. Doodle crosses go wrong in this instance as often as they go right. This means puppies are dumped often because of allergy issues.
Personality: Particular breeds have particular traits (springers are typically high energy, golden retrievers are very affectionate and loyal, Grey Hounds have high prey drives, GSDs have protective instincts etc etc). There are exceptions to the rule. But typically, these traits cannot be easily removed. Breeding doodle crosses does not mean you will end up with the best of both and you should always consider worst case scenario - what if you end up with the energy of both breeds and the extreme SA that, for example, cockers and poodles are prone to?
Health: Breeding two pedigree dogs from different breeds does not equate to a healthier dog. All breeds are predisposed to genetic and physical conditions. Just because health tests have been done does not mean the puppies will be healthy. That is why we work off EBV - which is only done with dogs within a breed. Labrador’s and Poodles both are prone to hip dysplasia, but you won’t find an EBV on a puppy and just because the parents are clear does not mean there will not be historical issues - which is why the KC is useful. Poodles and the breeds they are crossed with have a variety of (serious and expensive) health conditions - and some are inherent in both dogs, including PRA.
Farming: Very often (but not always) doodle designer breeders are unethical. They are often fronts for puppy farming and dump the bitches when they can no longer be bred from. They set themselves up as proper breeders, but they are not and typically people who buy from them are won over by a snappy website and confirmation of health tests. Buyers don’t ask the important questions; what happens to the bitch when she can’t be bred from, how many litters a year, how many litters in a lifetime, how many other dogs do you have, why do you breed. The breeders often do not properly vet their owners; they are, IME, more likely to sell to inappropriate families (spelling disaster for dog and owner alike) than a proper breeder.
I love cockerpoos - I’m currently fostering two puppies and their cocker spaniel mother (dumped whilst nursing), so maybe I am a bit bias. As a mongrel mix they are lovely; but they are a mongrel and they come with their own physical and personal a characteristics that are inherent in the breeds they are from, just as a GSD or a Flat Coat does, and I think too many people fail to realise that and are taken in by the disinformation about their personalities, their cute looks, health and hypoallergenic coats.
Of course the KC is not the be all and end all - and I have as many issues with it as the next person - but buying designer mongrel in the hope of getting a particular characteristic is naive and foolhardy. I’d welcome views from others - and reasoned debate, not simply naysaying and saying your own dog is perfect, because that’s your dog not the ‘breed’ as a whole - on why they worry about designer doodles or why they don’t.