Cross Breeds

Dont you find it kind of odd, that these multi-cross (mutts) dogs are being sold in petshops for 1000$?

The yorkie-poos, poodlepoms, labb-skies lol what the heck is going on, since when are these dogs any better than one you would find on the street? Instead of paying all this money for some mixed breed dog, i think people should go to the pound, or shelters for dogs, dont you? I mean there is all sorts of dogs in those places, needing homes.

Public Comments

1. i agree. at what point did mutts become "designer dogs"?
2. Completely and utterly agree. Yet, people still get really offended when they say, 'Oh, I have a puggle.' And I reply, 'Oh, you mean a mutt? Good for you going for mix breed!'
3. thats the new fad. People believe they are getting some new "rare" breed. They are also duped into believing that these "hybrid" breeds are healthier, have better temperments, dont shed, and are hypoallergnic. There are people who actually do believe these are purebred dogs!
4. People are stupid and it takes Mischa Barton and a mall to tell them what they should buy. I have no problem paying a lot of money for a dog, but for one from a puppy mill or backyard breeder? WTF?
5. I think it's insane that people think that $1000 will buy them a better mutt than the rest of the mutts out there.. Don't pay purebred prices for a mixed breed dog.
6. as long as there are dumb people willing to pay that for a mixed breed puppy then the pet shops will keep selling them remember P.T Barnum said " There's a sucker born every minute"
7. i agree but that just goes to show that we live in a society where everyone and everything must be seen as special or as one of a kind. how shallow do you have to be
8. Why does it make a difference whether they're purebred or not? When was the last time you saw a puppy in the petshop that was AKC registered? When was the last time you met ANY reputable breeder who would consider selling any dog whether purebred or mutt to a petshop? Petshops can only charge the prices that people buy them for. If there's a demand at $1000, they sell for $1000 so the target should really be the buyers who pay to keep puppymills and backyard breeders open.
9. Whats wrong with that? a dog is a dog to me, so purebred or not, its a dog, love it
10. I agree with you. The prices of these mutts are ridiculous.
11. I just laugh at the fools who are willing to pay for a dog that doesn't even have a pedigree. It's a shame that people are so anxious for a dog they don't even do their homework, they would rather listen to anybody willing to take their money.
12. Just to be honest, non of the dogs in pet stores are worth what they charge, so why should paying $1000 for a mutt be any different than paying that for a non pedigreed, non parent health tested, non registered dog (or registered with shady organization)? It is the exact same thing!! A purebred dog is no better if it does not meet the breed standard, is unregistered and is not health tested. All of these factors are why a reputable breeder charges more, not because the dog is purebred People are fooled into buying dogs from pet stores, but I am unsure how. You never see the parents so you have no clue what you are getting. You are paying for an unregistered dog. All of the services they render (microchipping, etc) is far cheaper at the vet. I can only assume people go to pet stores because they are uniformed or because they offer credit.
13. Absolutely. I can't believe people would be ignorant enough to buy a mutt for $1000, or even $500. Mutts are great dogs, but don't support unethical breeders who try to fool you by calling them "designer dogs" and selling them for thousands of bucks. Go to the pound and pick up a mix for $100.
14. Actually I only find it odd that someone is gullible enough to buy one. Sure wish I could find these people first so that I could sell them some shares in this bridge that I own in downtown Brooklyn.
15. I looked at a Shorky at a petstore, $1099 which included the pup, microchip, spay/neuter and a puppy food package. This dog was obviously kept in a cage too long. The poor pup ran around in circles for 5 minutes. I felt bad for the animal. I have a Schnoodle, I did not get it for the "design" aspect of it. I got him because he was good tempered, smart and incredibly loving. He was also about to become a rescue dog. I did not pay thousands for him
16. It's a strange phenomenon and I often wonder where it started. Personally I adore mutts. I think they are quirky and don't tend to have the genetic problems with some poorly bred pedigrees (I'm not talking about reputable breeders). I paid $500 total for two 2 year old mutts from a rescue group. They were sterilized, vaccinated, wormed etc. I think that when people are interested in "designer dogs" they are interested for a few reasons. One is they think they are "cute" - eg I'm not a big fan of maltese dogs or poodles on their own. Nothing personal, just my taste. But a mix with poodle in it can be just gorgeous with that curly coat. The other reason is that people hope a dog with poodle in it (or another "low allergy" breed) will shed less. Lab x poodle mixes are often used for blind people with dog allergies. Of course there are no guarantees and no dog is 100% allergy free! Where it goes wrong is that back yard breeders exploit these desires and produce way too many dogs. But then there is a market for them - if people are prepared to pay $1000 of course they will charge $1000. And for the people that buy them, often they are impulse buys or they expect standard characteristics from a mixed breed. You get questions here like "What temperament will a maltese x poodle have"? Well, there are no guarantees. It seems a lot of these designer dogs get dumped. Anyay, personally, I do understand the attraction to mutts (and we call our dogs mutts happily) but I wouldn't pay $1000 a piece.
17. I think it's disgusting not odd. Sure they're adorable. what puppy is'nt? But it makes me mad to see the prices on these pups. There's one pet store in this area that sells puppies and kittens all the time so occasionally I go look just to get my puppy fix but it makes me so mad I can't keep my mouth shut. I usually wait until there's a crowd of people and then I comment loudly that they can find the same crosses at the local pound for less than $200.00,already fixed,micro-chipped and has it's shots.Most are already housebroken too. No muss.No fuss. The people who work at the store give me lots of dirty looks but they have'nt said anything yet. You know I can't help but add here tho that I think some pet stores who have puppies for sale are getting alot of negativity for nothing. If the shop does not have puppies and kittens all the time and when they do there are only one or maybe 2 different breeds then most likely they came from a local breeder who simply does'nt have the time to sit at home waiting for the phone to ring about the pups.I'm fully awarew that most inquiries amount to nothing.People have got to work or they have other concerns that keep them busy.When they send pups to the petstores they demand contact information be left for them and no pup is sold without their contact information be given to the new owners.I've also seen agreements they have demanded buyers sign that states they must have the pup fixed by a certain age and if the pup is found to be in an abusive or neglectful situation it must be returned to the seller on demand.The prices on these pups of coarse is higher but the petshop has to get a cut.Especially since they put in the work while the pups are in their care. So when you see a full blooded pup sitting in a petstore people should not just assume it came from a puppy mill and steer clear.