Cross Breeds

Why would anyone want to breed mixed breed dogs?

What's with people wanting to breed mixed breeds and give them goofy names? You can get the same at a shelter, right?

Public Comments

1. Yes, you can. They're trying to make "designer dogs"---taking two cute dogs to make an even cuter mutt.
2. Some people don't think beyond "My dog is so cute, and so is yours. I bet they'd make cute puppies!" They don't consider that there are 50 dogs at the shelter right now, who's owners thought the same thing.
3. Usually greed - "Wow, I saw Cockapoo puppies being sold on puppyfinder today for $250. If I bred my dog with my friend's dog they'd have loads of cute puppies and we could make, like, hundreds of dollars". Sometimes it's simply because they believe that all dogs have the 'right' to become parents if they 'want' to.
4. For $$$$$$$$$$ only! I'll never understand them either. And yes you can get same at a shelter!!
5. Yes, same dogs at the shelter. Only the ones at the shelter have seen a vet, are usually spayed or neutered, up to date on shots, and have been microchipped. They have been checked for temperament problems and health problems. You are getting the same dog, only they are checked out and have had some care and have been screened. You are far more likely to get a decent dog from the shelter.. Plus they are cheaper ... I dont' know why people breed mutts on purpose. I guess they like money and saw some sad market they could fill. Like the idea of tricking people into spending big money on something people see as rare or special? Otherwise, none of it makes sense to me.
6. Because there are people out there who seriously think that there is a such thing as a "purebred" labradoodle and will pay top-dollar for it. As long as there is revenue there is going to be a supply unfortunately. Yes you absolutely can but sadly some people think these dogs are "rejected" because of being mean when in reality it can be things as silly as "it doesnt match my home deco" or "it wont get house trained (because we leave it alone for 8+ hours and obviously it must come house trained we thought all puppies came that way)"
7. It's the latest trend for one reason or another. Who follows it? Buisnessmen! Or otherwise known as backyard breeders or puppy millers, these people are ONLY interested in money. They are oblivious to the fact that honest dog breeding is anything but profitable. So when the new fashion picks up, they don't stop to ask questions. It's a discusting process. On the ignorant dog-buyer's side, it is their fault for falling into the dirty trap and not reading up the slightest bit. But then again, maniputable consumers have always been mighty important in the world of business. And yes, you can get the exact same dogs in shelters.
8. Well, if a breeder is careful and selective about their mixed breeds, then they can guarantee what you are getting. If you go to a pound, you'll likely have no idea what the health or breeding history of your mutt will be, increasing the chances that you end up with a sick dog or something you really didn't want. For example, that little puppy that looks like a basset hound might actually be mixed with a rottweiler and could easily end up being the biggest, fattest piece of crap dog you ever had. It happens. That is not to say you shouldn't get a dog at the pound, it is actually a nice thing to do, but some people want to know exactly what they are getting.
9. Honestly, the only reason I'd want to (and I don't actively want to, I'm just thinking along the lines of your question) would be if I had two dogs that were dear to me, purebreeds, and I wanted their offspring in an attempt to get the best qualities from both animals as well as the temperament. I would then have the pups from two dogs I knew, each 1/2 of a purebred that I had, and when the original dogs died, I'd have part of them with me even after. Again, I stretched it with answering. I have always had my dogs fixed, so they couldn't reproduce if they wanted to. I have a purebreed dog now who has had medical problems common to her breed. Mutts, while they can resemble a purebreed, are generally healthier; the mix of breeds apparently makes them less susceptible to the problems that purebreeds can develop. My dog is the most gentle animal I have ever owned, with personality quirks that have endeared her all the more to me. I would love to have a "little version of her", from her, but mixed with a different dog to try and avoid the problems. But that's impossible, but I hope my answer gives a different perspective.
10. I truly think people read the dog ads, see the price of $800 and then figure a litter of puppies just must make you a couple thousand dollars right? Hey what a great idea, gonna pay for a few car insurances and maybe get the kids a computer! What they forget about is the cost of the food for the mom, the vet bills if anything goes wrong, the time it takes to raise a litter, no sleep for a month, and placing ads and interviewing weirdos who want your puppies especially the females because they have the same idea you did! I would rather stick pins in my eyeballs than breed a litter. Our local ads have shnugs (schnauzer, pug) bugs (boston, pug) morkies (maltese, yorkie) and schnoodles (schnauzer, poodle) to name a few, all going for a very good price. They wouldn't do it if they didn't have buyers.
11. Money can drive anybody to do something not right to do. They know they can sell these mutts, so they breed to make money.
12. money money money
13. Yes, there are unethical breeders who sell mutts as "designer dogs" because there are actually people ignorant enough to think that these dogs are different from that yorkie/poodle mix in the pound. With a shelter dog you have the EXACT same chance of health problems, exact same chance of shedding, exact same chance of a bad temperament. People just think the "designer dog" is special because the breeder scams them into thinking so with phony papers and references. The only way to stop this injustice to both people and dogs is to EDUCATE. Do your part! Edit: There's no such thing as "picking the right breeds" for designer mutts. I can guarantee you that every backyard breeder out there is just throwing a poodle with whatever will fit and crossing his fingers to hope that the resulting pups will be cute and fluffy so that it will be easier to scam buyers. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DESIGNER DOG, PERIOD. That "goldendoodle" going for $1000 is the same as that golden/poodle mix in the pound going for $100. As for the hypoallergenic thing - with a mutt, you can't ever tell whether he's going to shed or not. A "labradoodle" has just as much chance of getting the Lab's heavy shedding coat as it does the Poodle's light shedding one. With a mutt, it is anyone's guess what you get. Edit again: I only WISH there were a mix I couldn't find in the pound. Unfortunately there are mixes of every conceivable kind out there. "You can get poodle mixes everywhere, but the ones breeding em are making a market of it, where you might not readily find the mix you want (or think you want) in the pound." Let me put it this way. If every mutt in the shelter was going to a good, loving home, I would have no problem with people breeding mutts. The problem is that millions of shelter dogs are put to sleep every year because they can't find homes. So, the principle itself is flawed. When exact replicas of your puppies are dying every day, why create more? There will always be mutts. Just because you can't find a yorkie/poodle mix in the pound (which is highly unlikely) is no reason to buy one from a breeder. You can't justify breeding mutts, and selling them for hundreds of dollars, at all. I'm not saying that's what you're trying to do, I'm just making a point.
14. In one word, greed. These breeders are not doing the dog population any favors by pumping out this crap, and I have seen some very pitiful results. Although one poster stated that the breeder could guarantee what you are getting, that is absolutely untrue. You can never tell what two different breed dogs are going to produce, which is one of the reasons why none of these designer mutts are recognized as a breed. It takes generations of hard work and research to establish a new breed, and many more years to have the AKC recognize it-just look at the Australian Cattle Dog, that was looked on as a mongrel for so many years. And of course the breeders are NOT paying any attention to health or genetics when they breed-only $$$.