Take a look around next time you go walk your dog in the park : if you are a dog lover and expert, you’ll certainly notice a few creatures you’ve never seen before. They might be what we call now “designer dogs”. What the heck is a designer dog you ask ?? A designer dog (as the media has labeled them) is a hybrid, a cross between two purebred dogs.
The process started in the 70’s in Australia, when a dog breeder received a request for a low allergy guide dog. He came up with the idea of crossing Labradors and Poodles, known for their hypoallergenic coat (and named them Labradoodles), but the program was abandoned because it produced inconsistent results. But other breeding and research centers took over and started to refine the breed to predetermine coat, color, size, and temperament of the puppies.
The original idea at first was to mix the breeds for the puppy to have the best traits from each parent (and none of the shortcomings). In the case of the Labradoodle, the most popular breed, the mix combines the intelligence, delicate frame, and the low-allergy, and non-shedding traits of the poodle with the exuberance, lovability, and loyalty of the Labrador.
But with all the excitement around these new developing breeds, we’re witnessing a new phenomenon : the appeal of these new “mutts” is often due to their “cuteness” or “uniqueness” (possessed also by many purebreds). Michele Markham, who breeds purebreds and hybrids in Florida, concedes this point. “People want whatever they see is hip and cool on TV. Right now, the big fad is designer dogs. And it’s just a fad.”
Crossing breeds, adding a strange name, and charging outrageous sums for these dogs (Labradoodles can cost up to $2,500) is a recent trend. The list of new owners of designer dog sounds like an Oscar night lineup : Jake Gyllenhaal, Sylvester Stallone and Julianne Moore are all Puggle fans. It's like mixing a Versace bag and a Coach bag together. You get the best of both without any of the problems.
Some argue the mixed breeds aren't breeds at all, but simply overpriced mutts, while others denounce popularizing specially bred dogs when thousands of dogs await in shelters.
"The problem with designer dogs is people might think they're trendy - and that's not a good reason to buy a dog," said Susan Smith, community relations manager for the Franklin County Animal Shelter in Columbus, Ohio. "And before they put down, say $1,200 for a Labradoodle or Puggle, they should look first in a shelter because they can probably find the same type of dog here."
There is also a clear problem with the mixing itself. All breeds cannot be matched together ! Crossing two Puggles produces an odd mixture of largely dissimilar things. Crossing a Pug with a Pekingese, for example, could produce disastrous consequences, because both breeds have eyes that easily pop out of the socket. Surgery is required to fix the injury, often at the cost of the dog’s sight. Breeding the two could yield a dog that literally has its eyes falling out. A Newfoundland and a Saint Bernard could generate a crippled giant - both of these breeds are plagued with hip dysplasia, a genetic disorder that often requires hip replacement before the dog is one year old. Thus, many breeders are now using genetic tests to be sure they produce animals free from diseases. And there is no guarantee on how the puppies will turn out.
In order to make the new “breeds” officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), they must satisfy a number of criteria. There must be at least 300 Labradoodles, for instance, within the U.S. and distributed among at least 20 states. The dogs must have a National Breed Club demonstrating interest, and there must be at least a three generation pedigree - three generations of Labradoodle-to-Labradoodle matings.
There are roughly only 400 pure breeds of dog in the world, and the American Kennel Club, has recognized only 155 of them so far in its 123 year-history.
And there are also about 400 different kinds of designer dogs… It looks like Eskapoo or Goldendoodle won’t be registering any time soon.
5 comments:
emma I am impressed you did a great job it looks really professional!
Yes, it is such an interesting topic for doggy lovers, bio-scientists, genetic specialists, and such as specialists. You wrote it in objective manner.
If I adapted a dog, I might prefer Pure breeds. The pictures are very nice with this article.
Emma ~ very nice! I like your writing style; it is easy to read, yet academic and descriptive. The only suggestion I have is to alternate the side you place your photos. From a design perspective, it's useful to have the photos appear both on the left side of the page and right. Great job!
Your article rocks, Girl!
You've chosen such an interesting topic! Your job is so good, from the planning phase to the writing one!
Post a Comment