I have been grooming dogs for twenty years and nothing has surprised me more than the general populations’ acceptance of mass production of mix breed puppies for profit.
We Americans euthanize millions of dogs of all ages every year. We also spend millions of TAX PAYER dollars taking care of unwanted dogs and puppies in our dog pound and shelters.

It’s funny. I used to get mad at people that would breed their “under breed standard” dogs. You know what I mean, those pure bred dogs that look nothing like the breed?? The 50 pound pugs, a poodle or bishon with straight hair, and the ever popular nasty dogs that bite!! If your female Springer has a tendency to bite people, do not breed her!!  Those people just wanted to turn a buck, to hell with good breeding and breed standards.

Enter the “Designer Dogs” To think that people honestly think they are buying a new breed is insanity! I have customers telling me “The breeder said that our “lasashitenpoo” will be AKC register able soon” is sinful. If you run across any one trying to sell you a mix breed by stating that it will soon be a breed that can be in the show ring, run.

Maybe I can sell you a bridge.

Here is a little doggie history; in the 1960’s, a poodle and a cocker spaniel had puppies. Someone nick- named the mix breed puppies “cockapoo’s”. To this day they still cannot be registered with the American Kennel Club Association because they are a mix of two breeds.
Strictly speaking the cockapoo, even having been around for 40 years cannot be called a pure bred dog because they do not “breed true”.  In other words they inherit the characteristics of either or both of the parents. Even if you breed a cocker / poodle mix to another cocker/ poodle mix you may or may not get puppies that look like the parents.

Another sneaky selling point that is not entirely true is this “hypo allergenic” dogs. Just because someone stuck a “poo” or an “oodle “at the end of a mix breeds’ name does not make it hypoallergenic. And look out for those that go as far as starting a kennel club for their particular mix breed that does nothing to make the puppy’s breed more legitimate.

There are also people that will change the dog’s heritage to fit your wants and needs. If your heart is set on a Maltese mix, you can be handed a number of small white mix breeds and be told that the puppy has Maltese in it, but they do not.  The vet can do a cheap blood test and actually tell you what kind of mix breed you have, than you can make up your own funny name. My friend Val wants to mix a Newfoundland and a poodle and sell them as “Noodles”!

Don’t get me wrong, some of my best friends are mix breeds. Mutts make great pets. Truthfully a reputable breeder would not sell their puppies to a pet shop. Pet shops buy mix breed puppies from all over the country for about $50 to $100 and sell them to you for a thousand. If you have a G- note to spend, go to the animal shelter, the humane society or the pound and save a life. (And your money) We as a country should not be supporting an industry that is filling our dog pounds. They are fun to groom though….

Related posts:

1. I Want A Puppy For Christmas!
2. From Death’s Door To A Velvet Couch….A True story
3. Get Your Pet’s Photo Taken With Santa And Help Pets In Need
4. The Race is On To Find Homes For Over 200 Greyhounds Due To Track Closures.
5. The Cat From Maine