Designer Dog Breeds (Hybrid Dogs)

Have you ever heard of the words, imo-inu, wee-chon or cuckapoo? No, this is not an article on weird names on the menu of a Chinese restaurant. These are actually the names of 'designer dog breeds'! Well, they are not really designed by Ralph Lauren (although they seem to be equally popular), so you can curb that excited squeal. Designer dogs or more precisely hybrid dogs are the first generation crosses of pure breed dogs or any of the backcrosses. Now the obvious question is, are not all dogs hybrid, even a common domestic dog?

The difference between a hybrid dog and the more fashionably coined term crossbreed dog is accidental breeding in hybrid dogs, with an unknown ancestry as opposed to deliberate breeding of two pure breeds. Crossbreeding is done to encourage some genetic traits while trying to subdue others. Most of the times hereditary diseases like heart defects and juvenile cataracts in purebred dogs are completely eliminated in the crossbred puppies. This is termed as hybrid vigor. For example a poodle is a highly sought after breed for crossbreeding due to the shedding gene in these dogs which appears to be quite dominant in the puppies. In case of a hybrid dog, since the parents are unknown the demeanor and the behavior of these dogs remain a mystery.

However the picture is not all that rosy for the designer dog breeds. Firstly these dogs are big-ticket. Dishing out $1200 dollars for a labradoodle that is available for less than $100 at the nearest pet shelters may not seem a bright thing to do. Also the crossbreeding may not work out as intended, leading to the dogs inheriting the undesirable traits of the parents. Many breeders in their urge to make money glorify these breed mixes without taking into consideration the health of the dogs. Checking the hereditary compatibility and the health of the pure breed dogs is essential for the health of the crossbred dogs.

Designer dog breeds became popular a decade ago when an Australian dog breeder crossed a labrador with a poodle. This started a fad which caught the fancy of the rich and the famous who wanted to own these novel and extremely cute dogs. The result was a myth that designer dogs have it all. Although crossbreeds might be healthier and look unique, the advantages may be diluted with successive breeding between two crossbreeds.

Some of the common designer dog breeds are:

• Labradoodle: A popular crossbreed, it seems to have inherited the spirit of the labrador along with the intelligence and the hypoallergenic coat of the poodle.
• Cockapoo: A cross of a cocker spaniel with a poodle, the cuckapoo is extremely popular for its outgoing personality and cute looks.
• Schnoodle: An attempt to have a non-shedding intelligent companion is this cross between a schnauzer and poodle.
• Puggle: A cross of the beagle with the pug, these lap dogs are generally high energy dogs with a relatively low maintenance. They are however not as healthy as their parents, having inherited their genetic diorders.
• Poochin: A relatively new breed, this is a cross between the poodle and the Japanese chin. These social animals with their long coat require very little exercise.

These breed of dogs are not registered by any major breed registry. However if the lineage is well-documented and preserved they may be considered by kennel clubs. It is important that while choosing a designer dog, a breeder should be consulted and the information relating to the parents of the crossbred dog along with how it was raised should be obtained.

The controversy and the hype in the media that seems to surround these dogs might be justified. However a dog at the local shelter may prove to be equally loving as a designer dog. Every year thousands of dogs are euthanized for the lack of homes. So instead of running the race for the perfect pet, let's just save a life and adopt a dog.