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Last
Updated: Sep 5th, 2007 - 20:26:40 |
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| Cockapoo |
My latest fascination is the trend of mixing breeds and creating what are basically expensive mutts. The earliest manifestation of this trend that I can remember was the Cockapoo, which was a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. I understand that in creating these new breeds, people are trying, in most cases, to create the perfect family pet. But I want to know why potential pet owners are paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for dogs that are merely the result of any two dogs sneaking off together for an unauthorized encounter. I can't help thinking, if you want a mixed breed, go to a shelter.
Yet here we are, surrounded by any number of poodle mixes like Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Whoodles and Yorkipoos to name a few, and other new breeds like Pomchis, Puggles and Buggs.
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| Puggle |
I can't help thinking that if Dr. Seuss had been a dog aficionado, these breeds would have played starring rolls in some of his stories!
I'm sure there are breeders who try to combine the best temperaments of two breeds to get the perfect sweet, smart and all around wonderful dog. But does it occur to anyone that after years and years of trying to perfect certain dog breeds, that now the trend seems to be heading back to the time when all dogs were mixed breeds? My biggest problems with all of this are the resulting backyard breeder and the pet stores that sell the offspring. A puppy mill is a puppy mill and the likelihood that any of these mixes represent the best example of a dog in terms of health or temperament is slim to none.
My other concern is that when the people decide to come up with these new "designer breeds" they seem to be thinking strictly about appearance and temperament but they don't concern themselves with the health problems that might result. It is a known fact that in the process of creating purebred dogs, mankind has very nicely ensured that some breeds develop risks for certain health problems. It all just seems so strange to me.
The good news is that we can all create our own breeds and to heck with what the AKC or UKC or any other club recognizes. That being the case, I am the proud owner of two dogs of very indeterminate origin and I really need to think about what I want to do about it. My dogs are both rescues from Puerto Rico and since they are very fast, I have been known to tell people that they are Puerto Rican racing dogs. But I can do so much more with this.
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| Boppet and Poppet |
The shelter's best guess on my male was that he's a cross between a Boxer and a Whippet so I can either tell people that I have a Boppet or a Whixer. They've estimated my female to be a cross between a Pointer and a Whippet so I can either call her a Poppet or a Whinter. Now that I'm putting it down on paper, I think that I am going to go with Boppet and Poppet. I would love to know if any of my readers have either a Boppet or Poppet and maybe we can compare notes.
I must confess though that I too have fallen into the spell of one trendy breed in particular. If anyone out there has a Puggle that they just can't handle anymore please let me know.
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