[annageckos]

I was just wondering how others feel about designer dog 'breed' names? Like cockapoo, puggle, goldendoodle, bassador, bocker or pomsky among many others.

I'll reply with my opinion a bit later, I would like to hear others first.

 

[wideturn]

I think it's a way for breeders to charge a lot more for what is essentially a mutt. It also probably results in somewhat healthier dogs than most purebreds.

 

[ChessaQ]

I hate it. It's a mixed breed plain and simple. I don't call my JRT/Beagle anything other than that. Same with my beagle/rottie. It's people wanting to breed mutts and call them something fancy so they can charge a lot of money. I cringe so hard when I hear people refer to their dogs by those ridiculous names.

 

[seashoreduck]

I think there are some forms of well recognized cross breeds that have come into existence for legitimate reasons, the top two being the goldendoodle/labradoodle and the puggle. Both the golden retriever/lab and pug, two dogs with amazing temperaments, have been ill-bread for generations to the point where even the best breeders face risks of severe health affects--hip problems in the goldens and breathing problems in pugs. The health of poodles and beagles respectively help these breeds to conquer those issues.

However, I think that many times two breeds are crossed to make a statement or because they simply make a cute mutt. Sometimes, as with the cockapoo, there's zero evidence that the problems are actually bread out as cockapoos can still be subject to rage sindrome and other brain deformities. So it's really hit or miss.

I do think a responsible breeder can experiment with cross breeds, so long as they are doing it to preserve a temperament or trait that has become dwarfed by health issues in the general stock of that dog.

 

[traciek88]

I remember I made a thread about this last year, basically making fun of these names.

I'm not shy about saying I think the names are stupid and eye roll worthy. Speech wise, the names usually sound ridiculous, or something that a 6 year old came up with. The fact so many are poodle crosses and the suffix "poo" is just dripping with schoolyard vulgarity. I truly don't understand out culture's fascination with combining names and words just for the sake of...combining them. Sometimes I think some breeds are crossed just because the "breeder" thinks they'll have a funny name.

I refuse to call Tyrion a "Morkie" and I more or less correct someone who calls him that by emphasizing he's a mutt. I dislike the combination names because it makes people think they're actual breeds and not overpriced mutts with no monetary value, predictable looks, temperament or standard. I generally associate "designer" breeds with mills and backyard breeders. With the exception of SOME "doodle" and Cockapoo breeders, you'll be hard pressed to find any good breeder that creates dogs like this. So you could say I also see rejecting these names as a rejection of mills and bad breeders.

I'm also going to admit I'm kind of a snob when it comes to people who own dogs like this. Again this is usually because they got them from bad sources (unless they mention it's a rescue) so I'm being passive aggressive. I just see no reason for dogs like this to exist. And some of the mixes I've seen? They REALLY shouldn't exist. The dangers of this new "Pomsky" trend worries me with their drastic size differences. And one I saw at the dog park...why in hell would anyone want to, nonetheless think of crossing a Corgi and Yorkie, except for being able to sell "Corkies"? There really are no needs anyone has for a dog that don't already exist in many different breeds. I mean, how many other (or any!) species have hundreds of breeds with such drastic variety? We don't need to create more.

The only time I've heard the silly names used in a positive way is by other rescuers who use it as a marketing tool. Essentially it's the same principle of making a non dog savvy person think they're getting something "better" or more "special" than a mutt, but just used for a good purpose.

 

[Embersmom]

I think the names are dumb, but with my experience (which is not a ton) I watched a "Goldendoodle" for 2 months and my in-laws have a "Morkie" and a "Shmorkie" is that they like to call them their weird names so that people will be like "OOOoooooOOo What is that, they are sooo cute, how unique, where did you ever find one."

When I first started watching the goldendoodle I referred to him as a golden/poodle cross when people would ask me what he was and they would all correct me and say "you mean a goldendoodle" So I pretty much gave up on it and just started calling him a goldendoodle.

The Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie) and Shmorkie (Shih tzu/Maltese/Yorkie) I always just list what their mixes are if I'm out walking them and people ask, but their owners take pride in what they are. Which is 5lbs of barking and house soiling terrors with behavior issues purchased from a pet store for more money than my purebred GSP from a reputable breeder. Sore subject for me, I'm obviously not a fan of their dogs.

 

[Rain]

It's a huge sore spot with me. They are not pure bred dogs, they are not healthier then WELL BRED pure bred dogs, and they are usually not bred to any type of standard with an exception of a few of the crosses like that labradoodle.

I have a Chihuahua x Dachshund, I flat out refuse to call him a Chiweenie. He was the result of an opps litter, mother was a pure bred Dach, father was a fence climbing Chihuahua. So far at the age of 3 he has had back trouble, luxating patella, environmental allergies, anal gland issues and does not have a sound temperament (he's fear aggressive). Most of those problems are genetic. He also does not look like most of the pictures you'll see of Chi x Dach. He's a very loving boy though, super smart, and incredibly loyal, while I'd never purposely set out to get another Chi x Dach, I'd not take a fortune in exchange for him.

 

[annageckos]

Everyone has pretty much covered what I think. I really hate the names. It gives the illusion that these are actual breeds to the ill informed and I think that shady 'breeders' use them to cash in. I can't bring myself to say these smooshed together names. It's not that the dog isn't important, but it's a mix. If these people wanted a breed they should have gotten a purebred. I don't call my lab/pointer a pointing lab(which I've heard it called). He is a cross breed. By giving these mixed breeds made up names people think they are getting a dog that will hold true to a certain type. But these crosses can look like either parent, a mix of the two or even nothing like the parent breeds. Now I have heard that they are close to having the Australian Labradoodle breed true, but I don't know the details. As far as breeding healthier dogs, I'm not so sure. I know about hybrid vigor, but if the parents are not healthy then the puppies are likely to have problems too. There are so many people who don't know or don't care crossing these dogs that the gene pools are getting messed up. I think most of these 'breeders' are either BYB or mills. If the breeder was health testing I would support them. But that is few and far between. I do wish people could look beyond these 'cutesy' names and take a look at what they really want from a dog. If they don't care about breed then why not rescue a mix? If there are certain qualities then find a breed that meets those needs, or even an adult mix. I wonder how many of these designer dogs are given up or PTS every year. Whether it be health, temperament or just not fitting in with the family.

I wanted to add, I've heard a pet store employee telling someone that 'this 'insert name here' is so popular that such and such organization has m'ade it a breed. They are registered and everything.' I wanted to scream at him when I heard that.

Sorry if I'm unclear, I have a problem with rambling sometimes.

 

[KayWilson]

Well coming from the proud owner of a borausador....lol couldn't even finish that.

I work at a vet and hear the people the buy these dogs preach about how great a breeder their doodle or bernashep, or (insert other stupid oodle name here) came from. It's funny, the some of the owners of these mutts REALLY buy into the whole "breedist", you know breed elitist, shtick. Dear lord if you happen to name a bernadoodle a Bernese cross in the system or cavapoo as a cavalier cross.

To make a point, I love mutts and will admit those doodles are quite cute; but paying $800 to $2500 for a mutt is ridiculous. How they get people to pay that its unimaginable to me. These oodle breeders are amazing marketers.

 

[traciek88]

I wonder how many of these designer dogs are given up or PTS every year. Whether it be health, temperament or just not fitting in with the family.

I wanted to add, I've heard a pet store employee telling someone that 'this 'insert name here' is so popular that such and such organization has m'ade it a breed. They are registered and everything.' I wanted to scream at him when I heard that.

I've worked in an open admission NYC shelter. A lot of these DO come in. If I had to guess offhand I would say in terms of small breed dogs maybe 60% were purebreds, 10% random mutts and 30% these silly "designers". Hell we got Tyrion at a high kill shelter and there appeared to be a lot of little fuzzy "designers" in that kennel too.

I too have heard ridiculous lies from pet store employees. I once remember hearing someone being sold a "Morkie". They literally said that Yorkies and Maltese were "basically the same thing". !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to leave. I've also seen a miller selling puppies online (she's on the horrible hundreds list), some sort of ridiculous made up breed and saying they're therapy dogs and some of the proceeds goes to a service dog for a child. ...it was some sort of random Cavalier "teddy bear" "panda" mutt or something stupid that probably dies if another dog sneezes on it.

 

[Kyllobernese]

I have Shih Tzu x Maltese and have never called them anything else although some people call them Malshi. I now have a Golden Retriever x Poodle and since she is a blue merle from the bit of Aussie in her, I feel silly calling her a Goldendoodle. If anyone asks I say her mother is a purebred Golden Retriever but her father is a Poodle with a bit of Aussie in him.