Midweek Crossbreed: Meet the Designer Dog

Last week, we found out what a mixed-bred dog is and why it could be a better choice than a purebred dog.

Not mentioned in the previous post, however, is some of the downsides of getting a mixed-bred dog.While they are not big problems, you should always know what you are getting yourself into when you buy a dog.

One of the downsides of a mixed-bred dog is that you have no idea which parent it will take after. While mixed-breeds come a wider variety of colors, patterns, and sizes, predicting them can be quite hard. For example, a Poodle mix Great Dane really has a 50/50% chance of getting looks and temperament from either parent. A puppy that was supposed to grow to only 45 pounds may exceed 95 pounds! And suddenly, the non-shedding coat you hoped for starts to leave hairs everywhere!

Also, mixed-breed dogs are not allowed to compete in most conformation shows. Conformation results are based on comparing your dog to the breed standards. Because mixed-bred dogs vary so much from dog to dog, results are not always accurate. There are a few mixed-bred Conformation competitions, but none that are professional.

So. What's a person supposed to do? You want a dog, not really a purebred, but you want to know what you're getting. Well, have I got an answer for you!

And the name is the Designer Dog! What's a Designer Dog? Well, it's definitely not a poodle carrying a Fendi bag! 


Designer Dogs are just mixed-breed dogs in reality, the only difference is that they were carefully planned. Breeders take two breeds with traits that they like and crossbreed them, in hopes of the puppies getting the same traits. It takes many, many generations until each and every puppy has the traits they want, but there you go! A Designer Dog!

The Pros of a Designer Dog are like those of a mixed-bred dog, but you get to know exactly what you're getting, because the designer dog was carefully bred to have certain traits. However, Designer Dogs are still not recognized by professional Conformation shows. There are city-run shows especially for crossbreeds, but that means your puppy won't be able to compete in the Best of Breed.

But for normal dog owners, that's not a big problem is it? For those not in search of a future Dog Show champion, Designer Dogs are just a great way to get a mixed-bred but know what you're getting.

The biggest con of a Designer Dog, however, is that buying one will not help save a life. For every Designer Dog bought (and boy are they expensive!), a mixed-bred in a shelter looses a chance of a second home. So if predictability is what you're really looking for, look for an adult dog in shelters. With adult mixed-bred dogs, you're looking at what you're getting.

Adoptable dogs can be found using "PetFinder" at http://www.petfinder.com/index.html  or visiting your local shelter.