What Do You Guys Think of All Those Cross Breed Dogs Like Labradoodles?

Mixing a breed does not make it live longer, by any means. Yes, purebred dogs have problems, but the breeders are working to fix those problems. A reputable breeder only breeds to BETTER the breed, not produce puppies and fatten their wallet. By getting a dog from a reputable breeder, you'll know more of what to expect with your dog- the parents will have been tested to make sure they do not pass down hip/elbow dysplasia, they are not carriers of PRA, etc. PRA typically doesn't show up until the dog is around 6-7 years old- and the dog slowly goes blind... there is no fix for it, no surgery- you have a blind dog. Now if you took "Dog A" and bred it to "Dog B" that lived down the street just to mix a breed and "make the genes stronger" you could end up with a dog who has hip dysplasia at 2 years old, heart problems, and blind. Now please keep in mind that I'm not a breeder, have never bred a litter and I never will breed a litter. I have worked for a breeder for over 13 years and know many other breeders through the dog shows I've attended (I don't show either, I just like the shows)- the biggest factor in breeding is knowledge. You have to breed a male and female that best compliment each others traits- if you breed 2 dogs with a bad coat- you'll likely have a bunch of puppies with bad coats. But if you breed one with a not so good coat to a dog with a great coat, most likely you'll have some puppies with great coats as well- and you spay/neuter the ones without the great coat and show/breed the best one of the litter. I'm just using coat as an example in this, the traits can be anything actually. With all that I've said on this post, I do think I should mention that the best dog I ever owned in my life was a mixed breed- I found him on the streets and he was the best friend I ever had. I've told his story in some of my other posts, so I wont go through it all again, but I had to put Homer to sleep when he was only 10 years old due to massive hip dysplasia. He had it for several years and I kept his pain under control for a long time with medication, but my vet didn't feel he was a good cantidate for hip surgeries, so I put him to sleep when the pain medication was no longer working. If you've ever seen a dog in pain just laying there and there wasn't anything more you could do to make the pain go away- you would also be an advocate for health testing. Homer has been gone for 4 years, and I will never be over losing him. Him and I were so close, my family has been instructed that his ashes are to be buried with me when I die- so we can always be together.

The point is to breed OUT the health problems by only breeding dogs who do not carry the genes for it. Let's say a certain breed is "known" for having hip problems but you really adore the breed. The best thing to do is find a breeder who has a well established line and who tests their dogs prior to breeding. If they test the dogs and only breed the ones who pass the testing- you are much less likely to buy a puppy with hip problems than if you'd just bought a puppy from someone who decided to breed their pet. A good breeder not only knows their dogs health well, but also the health of the ancestors. As for the showing- they do that to compare their dogs to the others. A breed standard is set by each breed club (which consists of breeders of that breed). They decide what is "perfect" for that breed- in size, coat, temperament, etc. Then they submit their "breed standard" to their primary club (AKC, CKC, etc) and once approved, that is the guide that the judges use while judging shows. It's not how an Akita looks compared to a Chihuahua- it's how the Akita and Chihuahua best match up to the breed standard. For instance, the Miniature Schnauzer's breed standard states that they should be 12-14 inches tall at the withers (shoulders). If you have a dog that is 16 inches tall (or 10 inches), it does not match up to the breed standard and would not win against a dog who matches up better. The goal with breeding properly is to make the "perfect dog"- not only in looks, but health and temperament as well. At this time, health testing isn't required by the kennel clubs, however reputable breeders will not breed a dog who is a carrier of major health issues. I'm personally more of an advocate for rescue dogs, however if someone wants to get a purebred dog and have "papers" I'd much rather have them go to a reputable breeder than to a pet store or buy from someone who doesn't have an established, health tested line. Reputable breeders will even have a health guarentee stating that their dogs are free from the common breed issues- because they're confident that they have done their best to weed out that problem.

I saw one that was by no means a designer dog. It (I am sure) was just an accidental mating (i hope) it was a German Shepherd/Corgi and oh my gosh was the funniest thing to look at.. If someone took just a head shot picture of this dog you would say to the person what a pretty german shepherd.. But if you saw the whole picture.. you would Laugh your butt off. It had a corgi (although a bit bigger) body short little legs, and the perfect Germand Shepherd head -It really looked like someone was just playing with photoshop but I worked in the kennel where it was brought in and We all had a good laugh. (and the dog did not have a good temperment.- which was probably a result of being laughed at.. lol)