Cross Breeds- Breeding?

[Longcoat]

BUT people wanting a family pet should NOT have to pay almosy $1,000 for it...

Why don't a family wanting a pet deserve a quality, healthy pup bred by a reputable breeder?

I paid less than $1000 for both my pedigree dogs, I would easily pay double that if it meant I was getting the best pet I could to suit my family.

Plenty of families happily dosh $1000 or way more for a cute crossbred from a pet store, puppy farmer or BYBer.

Despite meeting many lovely crossbreeds and owning one myself I won't take the gamble that comes with buying a crossbred pup. I know what I want in a dog, what suits me, and buying a purebred from a reputable breeder gives me the best chance there is at getting a dog to suit my and my family's lifestyle.

I am sorry Huski, that quote isn't mine

[huski]

BUT people wanting a family pet should NOT have to pay almosy $1,000 for it...

Why don't a family wanting a pet deserve a quality, healthy pup bred by a reputable breeder?

I paid less than $1000 for both my pedigree dogs, I would easily pay double that if it meant I was getting the best pet I could to suit my family.

Plenty of families happily dosh $1000 or way more for a cute crossbred from a pet store, puppy farmer or BYBer.

Despite meeting many lovely crossbreeds and owning one myself I won't take the gamble that comes with buying a crossbred pup. I know what I want in a dog, what suits me, and buying a purebred from a reputable breeder gives me the best chance there is at getting a dog to suit my and my family's lifestyle.

I am sorry Huski, that quote isn't mine

Sorry Longcoat I must have replied to your post quoting Nanas Will go back and edit now.

[Crisovar]

Purebreeds cost a fortune....esp from areas where no breeder is available..

Rubbish. I bought my gorgeous girl from an interstate breeder, she has a lovely pedigree, parents are both titled (dad is a Gr Ch), lots of relatives with performance and conformation titles both here and overseas. Including her plane ticket, she cost me LESS than $650. That is around half the price of some of the labrador x poodles I've seen advertised. She was not "going cheap" because the breeder couldn't get rid of the pups....I chose her from a photo the day after she was born (I was particular about colour, markings and gender) and the entire litter of 9 puppies was sold by the time they were a month old.

The breeder I bought her from has been fabulous, each and every time I have a query, she responds within hours, sometimes minutes. She adores the photos I send her of my lovely girl and it's so nice to have someone appreciate her like I do.

A few weeks abo I looked at some of the DOL puppy listings. Some of the breeders have the prices in their ads. Maltese puppies for $1000. Tibetan Terrier pups for $600-$800. Poodles (little ones, can't recall if they were toy or miniature) $950. These breeds have similar "looks" to the Maltipoopenschnoodledoodles being pumped out by puppy farmers and sold at astronomical prices through pet stores and over the internet.

BUT people wanting a family pet should NOT have to pay almosy $1,000 for it...

But they pay it for cross bred mutts. So why wouldn't they pay it for purebred puppies with a pedigree from a registered and ethical breeder?

YOu kidding,,I got my pure pit free,,,,,as BSL came in,,,

I got my AmStaff free,,,as they thought she had parvo...

I also got a "pure" rotty,,,,,that stood more than the max for standards.....seen alot on here too,

IF you wanna talk PUREBREEDS......then stop crossing...

Who here has a pure registered rotty??

Standing more than 52cm at the shoulders???

That is NOT pure it got that way through crossing.....be real breeders....

You cross breed to make things better,,,you just think you do it better than everyone else...........

You can selectively breed for taller dogs, smaller dogs etc you do not have to crossbreed to do it, where are the Rotty breeders that are crossbreeding? could you enlighten us please.

Good Breeders do do it better than everyone else, that is a given.

[Gayle.]

Where did pure dogs come from - cross breeding at the very start for most of them..

Selective breeding is how most of them came about, NOT cross breeding. This is a misconception most people have. Purebreds did not start out being different breeds that were crossed with each other to make different purebreds. They started out as purebreds who were selectively bred to set desirable traits which were then carried on down the generations.

I vaguely recall that the Labradoodle was bread by the Guide Dogs to investigate the possibility of breeding a low allergenic, but still capable seeing eye dog.

If that was a possibility, would that be a good reason to investigate cross breeds?

The reason the labradoodle program was abandoned by Wally Conron and the guide dog association is because after 5 generations they could not get the dogs to breed true. They could not guarantee the coat type, the size, the look, the temperament, the intelligence, the biddability etc....even after the 5th generation. They were not getting the non-allergenic coat they were after, not on every pup they bred, and they abandoned the program as a waste of time and resources. Unfortunately they unleashed a monster on the pet-loving public in the form of desginer cross bred mongrels with stupid names.

Edited January 22, 2010 by GayleK

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I don't agree with the deliberate crossbreeding of dogs. I despise back yard breeders experimenting with cross breeding for the base reason of making money from stupid people who don't know any better and think they are getting a purebred "Moodle" or a dog with great value as it is a "designer" breed.

A friend rang me last week and told me that she'd been looking after someone's Basenji/Maltese cross, purchased from a petshop. Dog came on heat whilst in her care and she spoke to the owners about why they should desex and guess what? No, they said, we want to breed from her and make some money. Made me feel physically sick. My friend said the dog was very weird looking - as you'd expect from such a cross.

I love all my dogs very much, all 5 are crossbreeds and all 5 were rescued from the pound. Then I have 2 fosters, both crossbreeds, both bred from, one continuously over her 8 or so years according to my vet and the state of her.

I don't agree with labradoodles, spoodles and so on, as cute as they may be. Whenever crossbreeding, you can rehome puppies with get predominant characteristics from a breed that may not suit the buyer but it won't show up until later.

[fifi]

I'm a purist with my breed, but not elitist when it comes to owning many, many rescues mutts over the years.

Apart from the on farm working & hunting lines that are already established in some areas, I see no reason to X-breed just for the heck of it.

there will always be oops litters in the pound, and thousands of rescue dogs needing homes.

I really can't think of a niche' that an existing breed could not fulfill.

fifi

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I've just looked up info about the Alaunt (large hunting mastiff type dog) - one question - why would you try and recreate this particular breed - I cannot understand it. Doesn't sound like there is a place or great need for that type of dog, we already have enough troubles in society without reintroducing another potential one.

[Gayle.]

I've just looked up info about the Alaunt (large hunting mastiff type dog) - one question - why would you try and recreate this particular breed - I cannot understand it. Doesn't sound like there is a place or great need for that type of dog, we already have enough troubles in society without reintroducing another potential one.

I expect some peple would do it....not because there's an unfulfilled need for the breed in this country, I doubt some of them would even give that any consideration or spend time researching the subject.

They'd do it because they can. Because it would give them a massive ego boost to "recreate" a breed. And being a large hunting mastiff type, it would no doubt have large litters of puppies which no one would want because the vast majority of the population don't want large hunting mastiff type dogs as pets. And the fate of those unwanted puppies (which the "breeders" know will be unwanted when they breed them) is another taboo subject on DOL.

[raz]

Purebreeds cost a fortune

Obviously you havent seen the price of puppy farmed 'designer' mongrels. Papered Purebreds are half the price.

[spiff]

I love bitsa's,there the only dog's I've ever had in my house, I really do like all dogs. I am amazed what I'm reading, it all sounds a bit snobbish and I haven't heard anyone talk like that since I was in South Africa in the early eighty's.That's just my opinion and probably my last, oh yea jess live die. If your going to belittle your cousins intelligents it would be a good idea to use the spell check ;)

;) :D :(

Good one Bindi, ;) I never made out like I was real bright myself, but at least I realize I'm a bit of an idiot at times and make allowances for myself. Unlike some, Who have no idea of their idiodisability and make no allowance whatsoever, spelling isnt that important to me or grammar, I just don't like people looking down there nose at other people or dogs for that matter, all this talk about putting a stop to x breeds, why dont we nip it in the bud and just desex the owners :)

[fifi]

all this talk about putting a stop to x breeds, why dont we nip it in the bud and just desex the owners :(

;) ;) Works for me ;)

I think anyone who has ever worked at a vets, kennel, rescue, pound, ect.....

will be more than happy to hold them while we snip :D

fifi

[bryan_mannix]

Jed in the last week i have seen a curly coated retriever, lakeland terrier, akita, rottweiler, GSD, pug, beagle, chihuahua, foxhound and Jack Russell at one shelter. Purebred dogs to come into shelters regularly but i would think the split would be about 70/30- more cross breeds though.

Hi Cosmolo

I am not challenging your figures... I am just really surprised you are seeing a 70/30 ratio cross to purebred. Given that purebred dogs represent a small proportion of the total dogs sold for you to be seeing that many in rescue represents a significant percentage of purebreds abandoned! Are particular breeds more common and do you get to know the reasons behind them ending up in rescue? I am surprised.

[Ellie]

Purebreeds cost a fortune....esp from areas where no breeder is available..

I just found an ad on another website for "beautiful standard Groodles". Puppies are priced between $1,000-$1,200.

An additional $250 is required to cover the costs of desexing, vaccination and heartwom. And.....if you want one of "our glorious red groodle pups these usually sell at a premium price (POA)".

No mention of health testing ;)

[Gayle.]

Better spend money on a living animal (especially on one who's nature has been pre determined by its breed! and literally has no chance) instead of some breeders egotistical view of how 'their breed should look', and of course how their dogs are better than others..?

What about if your reason for wanting a dog was to pursue a particular sport or hobby though? You can't rock up to the local pound or shelter and request a dog who's the one most likely to be good at obedience trialling/agility/hunting/tracking/flyball etc. Because you can't tell just by looking at them, and you have no family history to help you make your choice.

And an "egotistical view of how a dog should look"? Well, I damn well hope that the people who bred my dogs had an egotistical view because when I decided to buy Australian Shepherds, I want them to look like Australian Shepherds. I don't want my dogs to look like corgi's or pugs, or rotti's or crosses of other breeds, or indeterminate mongrels. I want them to look like what they are supposed to look like. I want them to grow up looking like the pictures in the breed books I selected the breed from.

[Steve]

Jed in the last week i have seen a curly coated retriever, lakeland terrier, akita, rottweiler, GSD, pug, beagle, chihuahua, foxhound and Jack Russell at one shelter. Purebred dogs to come into shelters regularly but i would think the split would be about 70/30- more cross breeds though.

Hi Cosmolo

I am not challenging your figures... I am just really surprised you are seeing a 70/30 ratio cross to purebred. Given that purebred dogs represent a small proportion of the total dogs sold for you to be seeing that many in rescue represents a significant percentage of purebreds abandoned! Are particular breeds more common and do you get to know the reasons behind them ending up in rescue? I am surprised.

I thought the same but purebred doesnt equal bred by a registered breeder.

[Steve]

You cant just decree that the only kind of dogs which will be able to be bred are bred by CC registered breeders.

I dont like people breeding anything other than pedigreed purebreds but as long as its done properly how can you deny the right to breed a dog based on its lack of purity especially when the current politcal push is to stop people breeding purebreds.

[BJean]

I dont even understand the point of this topic ;)

Why is everyone obsessed with what dogs other people own or want to own -

I wouldn't care if I was the last pedigree dog owner in the country

what I do care about is having the right to own those dogs.

I dont think cross breeds DDs threaten pure bred dogs

I see zealotry and animals rightism threatening all dogs

and the worse thing is that most dog owners will welcome further erosion of their rights

as if owning a dog was a guilty indulgence.

Instead of actually thinking, okay where is the cause and effect evidence for this?

Edited January 22, 2010 by lilli

[nabs]

I have had cross breds that in 15years have had NOTHING wrong with them ever....and were given to me with 2 bags of food.

You cannot get a purebred at that price....

Sorry

What a crock of............................ I have rehomed a successful Australian Champion to a wonderful home. YES he too came with PREMIUM dog food. The cost. NADA! Because I knew it was a great home. Guess what? He lived well into double figures as well.

I know other breeders who have re homed wonderful ex show dogs at no cost. Healthy well bred dogs. Don't generalise.

There are plenty of unhealthy crossbreeds who don't live a long life out there as well. Plenty of healthy ones also who are PTS each week in the pound.

[Kirty]

I think there will always be people who want a crossbreed. I don't believe in indiscriminate breeding and I think the welfare of the dogs needs to come first. I think puppy farms should be abolished. If people want to breed Fluffy with Rover, that's fine - as long as Fluffy and Rover are well cared for, all health checks are gone and the puppies will be rehomed responsibly.

[poochmad]

After an interesting discussion in another topic i would like to know what DOLers think-

If breeders of cross breed dogs cared for their dogs, bred from healthy stock and provided information and support for puppy buyers- would this be 'okay'?

What would you need to be happy with cross breeds being bred or do you think they should NOT be bred at all, by anyone?

All perspectives welcome

In my humble opinion...

I think if 'breeders' of cross breeds showed that they checked the dogs for temperament, illness, hereditary issues (and didn't breed from those dogs), offered life time support and guidance, would take the pup back at any stage (if the owner couldn't keep it), then I wouldn't have a problem with them.

I can see the reason why people of the public look at some of the purebred dogs and think, they are lovely, but they could be better improved, and let's be honest, there are a few breeds out there, that have changed dramatically from what they were originally bred for and have suffered over the years for fashion. I know that some of these breeders are trying to change things, but while we have standards/fashions/etc that don't support the well being and health of the breed, then dogs are going to suffer.

I also can see the benefit of purchasing a pure bred dog that has been bred pretty much the same way over many years and you know exactly the shape, temperament, size, faults, etc that can be expected.

However, I do think a lot of these cross breeds are pretty bloody stupid and have been brought about purely for profit. I'm talking about designer dogs - they are just silly and frankly, ridiculously expensive! I remember the old days when crossed dogs were the cost of a vaccination and food for a couple of weeks. Now they are often more expensive then the original purebred!

My sister-in-law years ago bought a maltese cross poodle - because it doesn't shed. I politely pointed out that many breeds don't shed, in fact why didn't she just get a poodle? In reality, she got sucked in my the fluffy cuteness and didn't do her research, as well as jumping on the fashion bandwagon of having a 'designer dog'.