Truth About 'designer Dogs'

[lankeela]

At last someone has written a common sense article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564373/The-hidden-suffering-dogs-bred-cute-Adorable-looks-Cuddly-names-like-Labradoodle-But-trend-cross-breed-dogs-raises-disturbing-questions.html

[2sp_]

To be honest I think the problems lie mainly with the puppy farms. They are only interested in producing large quantities of puppies without checking for any health defects in the parents first.

Puppies are then reared in less than perfect conditions leading to problems such as fleas, lice, poor socialisation, worms, parasites, etc.

Of course this applies to pure breeds as well as cross breeds.

[heathfield]

All these fashionable fancy names for cross-breeds. They were called 'mongrels' in my day!

[jules77]

Excellent article, I was just about to post the link on myself.

[Clanad]

May I interject with an alternate view?

Look, just as is found (according to the articel) in the U.K., here in the U.S. "puppy mills" are numerous and abhorent. Several counties over from where I live, officials raided and shut down just such a mill with over 75 dogs living there (I use the term living only broadly). About 25 of the dogs were immediately put down due to their health. The others were adopted very quickly by concerned dog lovers.

But... that's to be differentiated from "Designer Dogs". A well managed, clean and healthy dog breeding facility can produce a wonderful array of dogs. The key is assuring that all such interbred dogs are from purebred or registered parents with the attendant background history. I know of at least 2 such places. If the puppies are true F1 (first generation from purebred parents) they are likely to be even healthier than the stand-alone purebreds.

Case in point... even well managed German Shepherd breeding farms continue to produce GSH subject to hip dysplasia and Golden Retrievers have an abundance of ailments, including a tendency to certain cancers and liver malfuntions. These (and others) have been bred for decades or more and still the problems exist.

True F1 crossbreeds are often from parental breeds that do not share weaknesses, therefore producing puppies that are hardy and resistant.

Lastly, the article describes a dog as being infected with Giardia[i... when in truth such infestation is known as [i]Giardiasis[i]... pedantry run amok, I know, but it does lend itself to being unsure of the authors knowledge of the subject...

Full disclosure... Mrs. C has a little white and apricot [i]Zuchon]... a cross between a Shih Tszu and Bichon Frise (example seen here: I've neever been fond of small dogs but the one we have just can't but help steal your heart (don't tell Mrs. C I said so... it'd ruin my standing). Her name's Cookie (the dog not Mrs. C).

[jules77]

The problem is, very few, if any, breeders of the designer breeds carry out any health testing, so all hereditary diseases are passed on. And why would we need to have a miniature non drooling St Bernard - the latest of the 200 or so designer breeds.

Giardia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giardia