Just a little noseyness really on my part, but with so much hype in the medea at the moment I though a little poll might give some insight into why poeple get "Designer" dogs...so
If you ave any dealings would you give us all your thoughts?

SO:
What made you choose the type of dog..ie. cockerpoo, labradoodle, welsh mountain dog, etc...
Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders?
Was it the looks?
Was it coat type?
Was it the so called hybrid vigour?
Was it temperament?

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,
Is its temperament what you expected?
Is the coat type what you wanted?
Does it look like you expected?
Is it healthy?
Were the parents health tested?

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?

No bitching or scrapping please just an interesting poll! We may all learn something...who knows.

Aileen

Well, my little dog is a rescue of sorts but as I have seen her cross sold as "labracollies" I will answer lol!

> SO:
> What made you choose the type of dog.. she caught my eye, simple as!
> Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? n/a
> Was it the looks? Yep, that was first - she could easily be my other crossbreed's sister, which is why she caught my eye.
> Was it coat type? Partly - short and straight!
> Was it the so called hybrid vigour? n/a
> Was it temperament? partly again - easy to train parent breeds, supposedly :-P
>
> And
> Did your dog fullfill those qualities,
> Is its temperament what you expected? Good grief no!  I expected a high drive dog and I got that, but I didn't expect a dog that would readily react to a challenge the way she will, or one that's quite so snappishly possessive - or obsessive (but she does take after the collie side VERY strongly)
> Is the coat type what you wanted? Yes - short and easy, although she molts a lot (but I'm used to that).
> Does it look like you expected? Not in the slightest and no-one ever believes what she is - she's 50/50 lab/collie but looks so like a collie in looks, size, build and in behaviour too that it's hard to believe there's lab in there - her tail and ears give it away.
> Is it healthy? Very.
> Were the parents health tested?  Nope - an accident apparently.
>
> And lastly
>
> Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?  Seeing as she's a rescue yes, but I would be a little more aware of the potential behavioural quirks!

Jess is now sadly departed, but was a black and white ESS x BC.  She was the result of a mating of two farm dogs, and is quite a common mix in some rural areas round here.

SO:
What made you choose the type of dog............ Her mum belonged to friend of mine and i had seen the pups from them being a few days oldWas it the qualities portrayed by the breeders?.............n/a
Was it the looks?.......... must admit I do like the look of this particular cross
Was it coat type?........no
Was it the so called hybrid vigour?.............partly, and we thought the 'breed' would fit in with our active outdoor lifestyle
Was it temperament?...........partly

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,...............yes
Is its temperament what you expected?............yes, and more, she was the most clever, loving, intelligent dog I have ever had
Is the coat type what you wanted?...........pretty much as expected
Does it look like you expected?..............yes, ESS size, long ears, BC markings and coat
Is it healthy?...............she was very healthy, only visited the vets for innoculations, lived to be 15 years old.
Were the parents health tested?.........no
And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?..........I wouldn't actively seek out the mix, but if I happened to come accross one and was looking for another dog then I would definately have another.

I personally haven't had any dealings with cross breeds unless you put JRT in there as they aren't a registered breed.
This is a very interesting question and i hope that we get some very honest answers on here.

What are we classing as designer breeds, is it the ones that are selling at extortionte prices?  As we know there really isn't such a thing as a designer breed they are all really just basically crosses of different breeds, passed off to be something unique to gullable people.

Can I join in with just a cross then? :-)

My mother bought a little cross breed to go with her pack, (I still don't know why)

What made you choose the type of dog..ie. cockerpoo, labradoodle, welsh mountain dog, etc...
Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? My mother has had various gundogs, and whilst on her hols saw a farm cottage advertising a Cocker/Westie litter, I think she initially went for a nosy to see what they looked like.
Was it the looks? Unfortunately, she had my neice with her and the two of them went ga ga at a fluffy Cocker
Was it coat type? Yes, they were different to the usual Cocker
Was it the so called hybrid vigour? No
Was it temperament? No

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities, She lost her Cocker look completely and looks like a large Westie with floppy ears
Is its temperament what you expected? No Cocker temp, complete terrier characteristics
Is the coat type what you wanted?Nope wirey coat 
Does it look like you expected? Nope, my mother thought she would get a fluffy Cocker rolleyes, rolleyes
Is it healthy? Going blind
Were the parents health tested? Yes, accidental mating

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?  My mother has never had terriers previously, I think if she could go back she would not have done it, with crosses you just never know what you will get and obviously lesson learnt here with her going blind, but we all love her to bits, she is full of character, but I'm pretty sure none of us (family or mum) would purposely go out to buy this mix, she may as well have just got a Westie, I would expect she would not be going blind if she had got a pedigree and the cross  had not happened in the first place.

Mine was a Greyhound / Saluki cross from 30 + years ago
What made you choose the type of dog..    Bred for hunting abilities
Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? Yes
Was it the looks? Not really
Was it coat type? No
Was it the so called hybrid vigour? Yes
Was it temperament? Yes

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities, Yes
Is its temperament what you expected? Yes
Is the coat type what you wanted? not an issue
Does it look like you expected? Yes
Is it healthy? Yes
Were the parents health tested? No (not something a lot of folk did 30+ years ago)

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?  If I was looking for a dog to fill the same critera Yes

When working he led the field, when at home he was a companion to adults and children alike.

I would just say though that if the breeds crossed are similar anyway then the variables are much less than when widely divergent breeds are put together.  For example two sighthound breeds as in this case or two retrievers or Spaniels breeds

Were the words hybrid vigour in crosses even used 30 years ago? 

I had a crossbreed back in the 80/90s he lived until he was 15 - not a designer cross but they hadn't been invented then ;)  think it would add info to your poll tho

The dog was 1year old when I got him - an Afghan x Smooth Parson Russel type/size terrier, but we found that our later ;)

SO:
What made you choose the type of dog..ie. cockerpoo, labradoodle, welsh mountain dog, etc...
I was looking for a dog with a lovely temperament, and nice looks - my father told me about this dog who was unwanted.
Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? NO - the owners made no claims at all except the wife said he was dirty in the house - he wasn't ;)

Was it the looks?  Yes - he looked and moved like a miniature Afghan

Was it coat type?  Yes! having cared for a Tibetan Terrier i knew I could handle the grooming and that well cared for he would look fantastic!

Was it the so called hybrid vigour? - never even considered this, having lived with a Pembroke Corgi until he was 18 years old! - and never ill in his life!

Was it temperament?  Yes! the dog was known to be good with children and other animals and was a very calm dog.

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,  Yes, his coat blossomed with the right feeding and grooming and he was fantastic with babies, children, all other animals (except sheep which he chased till we got it sorted, there were sheep roaming the town at the time)

Is its temperament what you expected? Absolutely, once we knew about the Afghan in him we understood his ability to forget us when he was moving and and his need to be motivated and then devised ways to attract his attention, it took 2 years but he was one of the best trained dogs I've ever had.

Is the coat type what you wanted?  Yes! Coal Black and very long - like a full Afghan coat.

Does it look like you expected?  Yes, he was 1 year old when we got him so really only the coat changed and got longer/fuller - which was expected

Is it healthy? NO! this was the most expensive dog I've ever kept - despite being 'free to a good home' he was allergic to everything! - he was the reason the vet drove a Porsche!

Were the parents health tested?  I doubt it - back in 1985 when he was born it hadn't really been 'invented' as far as I know!

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?  while I would love to have another dog just like him (and he was nothing like a Tibetan Terrier ;) ) I know it's an impossiblility, he was a one off! - his brothers were smooth haired giants!  I now have dogs with a similar size, shape and temperament - but not the beautiful long coat! (Bedlingtons)

Hope this helps

> I would just say though that if the breeds crossed are similar anyway then the variables are much less than when widely divergent breeds are put together.  For example two sighthound breeds as in this case or two retrievers or Spaniels breeds

Absolutely.  River's parent breeds are pretty different - and goes to show how you can never predict how the offspring will turn out.  She is 50/50 collie/lab - mum was a black lab and dad was a tricolour collie.  River is a 20", 21kg, toast-rack-thin black and tan collie :-P  Her lab side hardly shows at all, either in looks or behaviour.

Had/have 3 xbreeds but answered about 1st, 2nd was pointer/whippet that we knew for about 2 years before he moved in and 3rd is Staff/Pharoah and is daughters (they both live at home but not really 'my' dog)

What made you choose the type of dog..ie. cockerpoo, labradoodle, welsh mountain dog, etc...
Decided a 3yr old 6yr old and GSD pup as 1st dog was not a good idea so got 8 week cocker/lab from rescue.

Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? N/A

Was it the looks?
Partly, 5 pups in litter, 2 gold, 2 Dk brown, 1 black

Was it coat type?

Was it the so called hybrid vigour?
Didn't know what that was then

Was it temperament?
Mix seemed likely to be ok with kids

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,
Yes

Is its temperament what you expected?
She was best of both and perfect around kids, even as young pup.

Is the coat type what you wanted?
no real prefference

Does it look like you expected?
We got one of the gold coloured bitches, She turned out very similar look to a Toller but the 2 dk brown had lab ears and less feathers, the black was almost pure Lab looks

Is it healthy?
She lived to 13 3/4, no problems till she was 11 when she had a growth removed from her throat then threw a pyo a month after and was spayed, growth eventually came back and vet had told me 1st time that it would and he would not operate a second time.

Were the parents health tested?
Possibly Mum, she was pedigree Cocker belonging to a vicar, he had mated her 3 different times with no pups then came home from sunday sermon and found her tied with the black lab from up the road :-O

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?
Same situation - probably the same or similar

If you ave any dealings would you give us all your thoughts?

Don't know if my answers will count as I am a trainer at a pet obedience club and being a nosy git always ask these questions when a designer breed is brought to us, so I will add extra comments if this helps.

SO:
What made you choose the type of dog..ie. cockerpoo, labradoodle, welsh mountain dog, etc...
Dog 1) Dalmatian x border collie bitch - Liked the look of the litter, did not see the mother
Dog 2) Dalmatian x border collie dog - Liked the look of the litter, did not see the mother
Dog 3) Labrador x poodle - Saw parents and had seen a friends dog of the same type.
Dog 4) jack russell x paterdale terrier - Did not want a Kennel Club registered dog.
dog 5) labrador x golden retriever - wanted a dog with hybrid vigour but of gundog type.

Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders?
Dogs 1 & 2 Breeder said they would be calm family pets
Dog 3 & 5 Breeder said they would be good family dogs and have hybrid vigour so less likely to be ill.
Dog 4) Breeder was met at a service station on the M1 Owner wanted a dog which had no Kennel Club bred dogs in the pedigree as she was disgusted at the tv programme Pedigree Dogs exposed and wanted a dog which would be healthy.

Was it the looks?
Dogs 1, 2 & 5 liked the looks of the pups

Was it coat type?
Dog 3 wanted a dog which did not shed hair

Was it the so called hybrid vigour?
Dogs 3, 4 & 5 wanted healthy dogs and thought Hybrid Vigour meant the dog would be totally free from problems.

Was it temperament?
All dogs had been bought because the breeder said they would have a good temperament.

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,
Dogs 1, 2 & 4) temperament was not as expected or hoped for. (Dog 4 is not always easy with other dogs, but has an owner who does not really understand her so her training is a struggle at times).
Dog 5) definately not full of hybrid vigour! Parents were not health tested, and dog has a lot of problems with eye sight, PRA & HC Dog is often at the vets for other problems.
Dog 3 no real problems but coat looks some what like a poodle but sheds!

Is its temperament what you expected?
Dog 1) Very dog aggressive from puppy hood
Dog 2) Very aggressive towards people and dogs from puppy hood
Dogs 3,4 & 5) good temperaments

Is the coat type what you wanted?
Only Dog 3 has a problem with coat, it is long haired and has a curl in it, and it sheds. Prone to knots if not groomed daily. Not quite what was expected as did not expect so much grooming.
All the other dogs have short coats, as expected.

Does it look like you expected?
Dogs 3 & 4 not quite what was expected.
Others pretty much as expected.

Is it healthy?
Dogs 5 Definately not!
Others no more or less than any other pedigree or crossbred.

Were the parents health tested?
None of the dogs came from health tested parents

And lastly

Would you do things the same next time or would you reconcider your choices?
Owner of Dog 4 would definately do the same again, even though she says the dog is too much for her to handle. Will not buy a dog bred by a breeder who registers pups at the KC, as all pedigree dog breeders and the Kennel Club delibrately breed for looks and not health or temperament.
Owner of Dog 5 said she would never buy a crossbred again, next dog will be pedigree.
Owners of Dogs 1 & 2 Bitterly disappointed that they cannot take their dogs out in public and let them free for a run for fear of them biting a person or another dog. Have said they will not buy another dog again.
Owner of Dog 3 might consider buying a pedigree next time or take on a rescue if a suitable one came along.

In response to Polly. I personally think its quite worrying that with dog 4 despite all the problems they are getting with this terrier cross and as you have said they don't understand it they would get another one. Also they have been so taken in with the programme and yet despite having problems they don't appear to of learned from their mistake.
Is it the fact that they don't want to admit defeat? I know terriers can be difficult but in having one and not understanding the type then i can't see how they will ever move forward??

I posted this question on another forum and got comments about the 'doodle' crosses and it seems to be a common occurance that the coat sheds like a Lab yet looks like a poodle, they all said they wouldn't have another one.

Ok I will give my honest answers to why we have a so called designer crossbreed

SO:
What made you choose the type of dog.. daughter wanted a chihuahua  (paris hilton here we come!!)
Was it the qualities portrayed by the breeders? not really
Was it the looks? yep
Was it coat type? yep
Was it the so called hybrid vigour?no
Was it temperament?no seemed good in both breeds if well brought up

And
Did your dog fullfill those qualities,yep and more
Is its temperament what you expected? better than but that could be my biasis against small dogs coming out (ok ok I slap my wrist I am a changed person now) amy other dogs have been and are a flattie and a gsd
Is the coat type what you wanted? yes, long
Does it look like you expected? better than for me but continues to grow and is larger than my daughter expected. Dad chi was big though for a chi. and god does she eat , she is raw fed like my gsd
Is it healthy? very but only 6mths old vet is very happy
Were the parents health tested?no but had no health problems that the owners admitted to and seemed healthy

Would I have this  cross again. Yes but would take great care with its background. I had researched both dogs before we visted and felt at least it was aviable cross ie not 2 totally different sizes or temperments etc.  I would have a toy breed again probably pom not chi but thats me , I prefer the look of the pom. I stress we did not go out to get a designer breed it was the cost of chihuahuas, I would not allow my daughter to spend that amount of money £1000 + that made us look around at alternative toy dogs and Mia just happened to come along.
I would not avoid a cross again  but tend to prefer a specific breed you know more about what you should be getting

Generally speaking I do not agree with purpose bred designer dogs for fashion purpose.
Now I will retreat

Two weeks ago dog 4's owner came to club with a brochure she had been given by a "professional trainer" who had advised her to buy an electric collar to control the little dog. We were horrified and persuaded her it was definately the wrong thing to do. Who this professional trainer was she did not say, but she said she was at her wits end because the dog would not behave properly. I am suspicious it might have been the bloke she got the dog from.

She is in all fairness to the dog a terrible handler, and regardless of what we try to teach her she will do it once in class then on her next turn she will have reverted back to the mistakes she was making before. If I had a £1 for every time this had happened I'd be a millionairess! Dog 4s owner does not like the fact that the little dog chases the garden birds, and barks when the postman calls. All of course things dogs will do. She tells us she has always owned dogs all her life, she is in her late fifties/early sixties. I actually feel sorry for the little dog getting mixed messages from her the whole time. Her other half has no interest in the dog what so ever.

When a new club member came to join us, the new club member asked us about the programme and what we thought about it. Dog 4's owner immediately told her she was silly to have bought a pedigree pup, as it would not live long and cost a fortune at the vets. She even offered the new owner the phone number of the bloke she got her dog from.

I think some people simply never learn and the dogs they have suffer for it. It is the one thing I hate about being a pet obedience trainer. The little dog loves her though. Like you I cannot see how they can move forward either.

furriefriends i'm not quite sure from your post- did you buy your dog as a 'designer cross' or as a cross that happened to tick your boxes and cross your path at the right time? i assume the latter from your comment of 'so called designer cross' :)

poor dog. also poor you trying to train a certainly difficult student. and poor new dog owner!

if it is your class can you not politely ask this lady to stop giving such hurtful misinformation to the other people there? i can't imagine how upset a first time puppy owner would be in a new class being told their dog was going to die :(

i appreciate that it would not be proffessional to comment on this womans foolishness but i think members treating other members that way is rude and unpleasant, and likely to put this new comer off coming to training.

>Dog 1) Dalmatian x border collie bitch - Liked the look of the litter, did not see the mother
>Dog 2) Dalmatian x border collie dog - Liked the look of the litter, did not see the mother
>Dogs 1 & 2 Breeder said they would be calm family pets

How on earth would a cross between two demanding, very active breeds make 'calm family pets'?????????

We did have a quiet word and say not to worry to the new owner. I think she now realises having come a few times that Dog 4's owner is not exactly an expert.

As to Dogs 1 & 2... That one defeated me too. Really cannot think of two more unlikely breeds to cross either. I assume they were hoping for a collies obedient nature and a dallies looks? Either way these two dogs seriously were odd, and their aggressive behaviour really limited what the owners could do with them. They never saw the mother either, she was shut away, so that should have had alarm bells ringing for a start.

One thing is for certain if you run a pet obedience club for long enough you see all sorts, some are a laugh, others go on to bigger and better things, and then there are the bread and butter people who learn enough to satisfy their idea of a trained dog and the hopeless cases in their many guises.