Designer Dog FAQ’s

Q: What’s the difference between designer breeds and purebreds?

A: Designer dogs are usually bred from 2 and sometimes 3 or more different breeds first generation purebreds with no longterm breeding program or goal and with no standard for the adult characteristics of the dogs. Purebred dogs have long histories of registration and documented pedigrees with legitimate registries such as the American Kennel Club (AKC).  Purebred dogs have proveable parentage with DNA testing. Purebred puppies from responsible breeders grow into adult dogs with predictable size, character and appearance. The same can not be said for “Designer Dogs”. They could be descriptively called, "surprise" dogs because each in a litter can be very different from it's siblings.

Q: When I bought my Wheatie-Poo, I was told that she was purebred because her mother is a purebred Wheaten Terrier and her father was a Miniature Poodle with papers. Now my friend is telling me that my dog is not a purebred. Who’s right?

A: Sorry to say that your friend is correct. When any purebred dog is bred to another dog of a different breed even if that 2nd dog is also a pure bred, the resulting puppies are mixed breeds and not purebred.

Q: The breeder of Malti-poos I spoke with says they don’t shed, is that true?

A: All dogs shed. The type of haircoat an individual breed possesses make them more or less hypoallergenic to the humans in the household. Breeds with tightly curled hairs such as Poodles and Bichon Frise are less likely to shed hairs into the environment; they do however require frequent professional grooming. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict whether or not an individual “designer” puppy will inherit the tightly curled coat of the Poodle ancestry or the straight silky coat of the Maltese. Most will end up with a loose curl that sheds and easily matts and will require as much or more attention to their haircoats as their purebred cousins.

Q: Is it true that designer dogs are healthier than purebred dogs?

A: No. Many of the breeders of Designer Dogs represent their mixed breed puppies as healthier than purebreds and attribute this to so-called hybrid vigor. Hybrid vigor is a myth of the worst kind and is based on the premise that the offspring will inherit only the “good genes” and none of the bad. Many of the purebreds used to create “Designer Breeds” are subject to the same health issues. Problems such as luxating patellas, cataracts , PRA  and allergies that are not eliminated by breeding one breed predisposed to those problems with another.

The best defense against inherited disease is extensive health testing of the sire and dam and the removal from a breeding program of affected individuals or those proven to pass on disease to their offspring. Health testing (often referred to as “clearances”) is something that responsible breeders of purebreds do as a matter of course. Breeders of “Designer Dogs” rarely do health testing, using the “hybrid vigor”  myth defense.

Q: I got papers for my Puggle when I bought her. My neighbor competes in Rally Obedience with her Cairn Terrier. Can I register my Puggle and compete with her?

A: You will not be able to register your Puggle with any legitimate registry. Many new registries have been popping up on the net that will take your money and give you a pretty piece of paper that is only worth the cost of printing on it.    You may compete in some performance events with UKC, but will be required to spay your pet first.

Q: I bought a Cock-a-chon (Cocker Spaniel x Bichon Frise) a year ago. I thought I would have a small dog, but he’s already 40 pounds at a year old. What gives??

A: You’re correct that well bred Cockers and Bichon Frises are not large dogs. The reason that your dog is larger than what you expected is that likely the parents of the dog were not in standard for their respective breeds. Breeders of “Designer Dogs” rarely have any respect or concern for the accepted standards of the purebred dogs they use to produce their designer puppies. They will often use dogs that a responsible breeder would not consider good examples of the breed. To see what the standards are for each breed, go to our link page and click on AKC then look up the breed(s) you are intrested in. There are also links to breed parent clubs for more information. 

Q: My Labradoodle breeder told me that my puppy wouldn’t ever need to go to the groomer, but now she’s matted and smells bad. I took her to the groomer and was told she’d have to be shaved down. What should I do?

A: It’s unfortunately common for breeders of “Designer Dogs” to use the “no grooming necessary” as a selling point for their puppies. Your dog obviously needs the help of the groomer. De-matting the dog at this stage would be unkind and unfair. Best if she’s shaved down and you start a maintenance program to keep her in good condition in a style you can work with and the dog is comfortable in. Your dog will likely need to see a professional groomer every 4 to 6 weeks contrary to what the breeder told you.

Q: I was checking the website of a Schnoodle breeder who said that the AKC will be recognizing the breed very soon. If I get my puppy now, will I be able to show it at AKC shows?

A: You can direct this inquiry to the AKC for a definitive answer, but I  will hazard an opinion and tell you that it’s unlikely that the AKC will ever recognize any of the “Designer Breeds”. Breeders of mixed breeds, especially the more common Schnoodle and Cockapoo have been claiming to be minutes away from AKC recognition for more than 20 years. The AKC requires the formation of a parent club, the development of a breed standard and the keeping of stud books for many generations and a consistency of breed type to even begin to consider breed recognition.

Q: I’m looking at “Designer Dogs” because I don’t want something common. What are my options?

A: Really, what’s more common than a mixed breed dog? In the final analysis, that’s all these “Designer Dogs” are.  They aren't "new" either! My mother and grandmother had different names for them like "Heinze 57" , "mutt", "mongrel" and "stray".

If you want something different and special, go to an AKC Dog Show! You’ll see breeds you never knew existed. There’s  a purebred for everyone. You have made a good start by Doing your initial homework here and define your wants and needs. Remember that there’s more to the dog than what you see on the outside.  Same as to coin an old phrase, you can't judge a book by it's cover!

Herding dogs will try to keep your kids and their friends in the yard, sporting breeds are active and will pick up everything and a Shih-Tzu Companion breed will adore being by your side or on your lap will adore your lap.  Do you want a dog to hunt with you, fetch or retreive for you, take walks or jog with you .Or maybe you would like to take classes  for basic obedience and then decide to try out for AKC's Canine Good Citizen award and be able to take your well behavied dog out in public with pride.

If you still want the "unusual" then shop first at your local shelter. They already have a collection of relinquished "one of a kind" waiting to be adopted into a loving responsible home. The prices will be less than at a "designer breeder" and the spay/neutering will be done for you. You can be proud to tell your friends that you are a good samaritian who rescued a dog from an unknown fate at a shelter and didn't contribute to the growing problem of irresponsible breeders who will breed an entire litter for a single sale and dump the rest of the litter into our shelters or along the road side.

See: Selecting a purebred dog Breeder