Hot Dogs: Hybrid Hounds America’s in Love With
Can we interest you in a Labradoodle? If not, how about a Schnoodle, or maybe even a Puggle? Don’t laugh; the names might seem a little cutesy-poo to you, but the trend is very real, and some dog breeders are making a mint on these hybrid pups. The folks who breed these canine wonders are proud of their results, as you can tell by the prices they charge. Got $1,000 handy? That’s how much the average designer dog will cost you — unless you happen to luck out and find one in the local shelter.
For those of you living in caves, a “designer dog” is a hybrid cross of two pedigree breeds. Most breeders of purebreds don’t care for them, complaining that hybridization is bad for the dogs themselves. What they don’t tell you in that most purebred dogs suffer from a whole raft of debilitating illnesses caused by decades — sometimes centuries — of inbreeding. Pick yourself a hardy hybrid, and you can buy flea control at bargain-basement prices because you’re thrifty — not because your pet care bills are otherwise sky-high.
It’s a toss-up as to whether Puggles or Labradoodles are the more popular designer dogs. What do you get when you cross a Pug and a Beagle? A Puggle, an adorable dog that offers the best of both breeds. Because some handicapped people are allergic to Labrador retrievers, a breeder in Australia crossed them with Poodles in an attempt to produce a hypoallergenic guide dog. The Labradoodle was the result. Then there’s the Schnoodle, an astute Poodle/Scnauzer mix that has owners crowing about its high intelligence and ability to learn.
In addition to the two popular crosses discussed above, dozens of other Poodle hybrids exist, including Maltipoos (Maltese/Poodle), Yorkipoos (Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle) and Goldendoodles (guess). Not only are Poodles attractive, loving dogs, their hair doesn’t cause allergies in people subject to such things. Sounds like a great idea to us — when you own one of these designer doggies, not only are your pet meds inexpensive to keep up with, and you don’t have to worry about your own allergies!
