Designer Dogs

Designer dogs are dogs that are a mix of two purebreds. In contrast to mutts, who are a mix of unknown breeds, designer dogs are an intentional cross breeding. Some claim that cross-bred dogs are healthier, since they help to avoid the inbreeding problems of pure-bred dogs. Another advantage of designer dogs is the opportunity for traits of one breed, such as no shedding coats, to be expressed in the cross-bred dogs.

Cross-breeding can result in an uncertainty about the look, size, and temperament of the resulting designer dogs. Some designer dogs are not strictly a result of fifty-fifty genes from each breed. These dogs may be more than one generation down from the original pair. First generation designer dogs are 50% purebred and 50% of a different purebred. An F1b is 25% and 75%. An F2 is the product of two crossbred dogs.

There are many different designer dogs available. Some popular designer dogs are Cockapoos, a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.  A cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Beagle is a Beaglier.  A Pugsund is a mix of a pugand a miniature dachshund. A Yorkipoo is a cross between a Yorkshire and a Poodle.

Designer dogs do come with a higher price tag. The effort needed to do the breeding and the use of costly purebred parents results in more expensive dogs. For those who appreciate the expanded options available as a result of designer dogs, the price is one they are more than willing to pay.