February 26th, 2007 by Kathleen 

What kind of dog do you prefer? A Labradoodle or a Peek-a-poo? Oh, a Schnoodle. That’s a great choice! Just as long as you didn’t want a Puganeese. They have a tendency to loose their eyeballs. What?!

If that paragraph made sense to you then you have probably heard of the latest “trend”; Designer Dogs. My first reaction upon hearing about these customized breeds was that I couldn’t understand why someone would pay thousands of dollars for a mutt. After all, if it isn’t pure bred it is a mutt, right? But on the upside, I thought, the animal shelters should have record adoptions since mutts have become so popular.

Not that there is anything wrong with mutts. My beloved Pepper is a mutt. Of course I prefer to call him a Border-pyre-lab-oty. If you’ve never heard of that I really am surprised. It is the ultimate farm dog, really. He can herd your cattle, guard your sheep, retrieve the ducks you’ve just shot and even kill and pluck your chickens. He was carefully bred to acquire all of these traits, I assure you.

Ok, ok. Pepper doesn’t kill chickens. They just aren’t that much fun once they stop moving. Plucking them on the other hand…well, never mind. Back to my point. How many shelters have you seen with signs out front saying “Needed: More dogs”. None I’m betting

Yet people pay thousands of dollars for these same dogs because they are “designer” as if they are a Gucci handbag. This picture seemed a little out of focus to me. So I decided to research designer dogs.

Where did Designer Dogs Come From?
I read an interesting article from National Geographic that explained how it all began. The Labradoodle was born out of a need for a service animal that caused fewer allergy problems. That all sounds very noble and legitimate; and they really are very cute, I must say. Then it went on to talk about the man with the dog farm who just bred together whatever had the desire to breed. While I’m sure that the dogs thought this was wonderful, I’m thinking this guy wasn’t a genetics expert.

Apparently this farm is where the first foundation stock for the Labradoodle came from. Now, I really feel that I need to mention at this point that pure bred dogs have taken sometimes hundred of years to be what they are today. Breeding is a complicated endeavor. This dog farm sounds like a genetic nightmare.

Remember my opening paragraph where I said that a Puganeese has a tendency to lose its eyeballs? That probably sounded awful but that is a real possibility if the wrong dogs are bred together. Mixing two dogs with the same negative characteristics is asking for disaster.

I’m sure there are many reputable breeders out there who are very knowledgeable about genetics. I’m also fairly certain that there are a slew of back yard breeders who think it would be cute to mix a Rottie and a Chihuahua with no consideration for the possible outcome. Unless a breeder can show several generations with minimal heath issues how can they know that they have produced a healthy, quality dog? How can you as a buyer know for sure either, for that matter? Would you want to plunk down your hard earned money for a dog that may require costly surgery within a year or worse yet, may die because the breeder has little understanding of genetics?

Now, before I get all the designer breeders in an uproar I want to mention that I have known of some irresponsible breeders of AKC registered dogs. We had a Rottie once who’s breeder didn’t know how to check for hip dysplasia. I felt sorry for the dog and took him anyhow since I am a marshmallow at heart. Later I found out that all her other puppies died of Parvo. Another example was the breeder of Bullmastiffs who had unknowingly acquired a female that had bad hips. She, being a responsible breeder, was going to have her spayed and sold as a pet. Her friend said, “Give her to me, I’ll breed her.” Ugh!

The Bottom Line
I guess the bottom line is: Don’t fall for trends. Find out what type of dog meets the needs of you and your family. If that dog is a pure bred, wonderful; if that dog is a shelter dog, wonderful too. If, on the other hand, you decide on a designer dog please be sure of what that “breed” is all about. Whatever type of dog you choose, understand the possible health issues that may be present in the dog. Also, steer clear of any breeder whose top priority is money and not the best possible dog that they can breed. They are not going to be a responsible, ethical breeder.

Oh, by the way, for those of you who are just dying to get a Border-pyre-lab-oty. I’m sorry but Pepper won’t be bred. Even though he is a beautiful specimen, I’ve already had him fixed. Because that is also the responsible, ethical thing to do. Don’t forget to check out your local animal shelter for your perfect mix. Trust me; they still have plenty to choose from. Even though Pepper is just a mutt he can provide me with just as much happiness as any designer breed. 




This article is a cute read and touches on one of my pet peeves~ The “Designer” Dog. If you want a designer dog visit your local shelter, they have them all day long for much  less than the $1000 price tag on your labradoodle. They need a home and they will love you unconditionally, free of charge.




A dog is a purebred or it is not~ there is no such breed as a “Designer “ breed. A designer breed is a cross bred dog~ a mutt if you will.

If you decide  you HAVE to have a “special” “Designer “ breed-call me-I will be happy to go to the shelter with you and label your new baby with a cute designer name- your”yorkpomchi” see… cute and all  for a minimal adoption fee and annual license!

By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
NATALIE CAUDILL / MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Researchers say that a dog's laugh is a rhythmic pant. 

GOOD DOGS
RESEARCHER Marc Bekoff says there's a long list of observable emotional and ethical behavior of dogs. It will seem familiar to most people who have dogs: 

• Dogs have a sense of fair play. They dislike cheaters. They experience joy in play. They delight in friends. Big dogs handicap themselves in games with little dogs.
  
• Dogs get jealous when a rival gets more or better treats or treatment. They are resentful, unnerved or saddened by unfair behavior. They are made anxious by suspense. They get afraid.
  
• They are embarrassed when they mess up or do something clumsy. They feel remorse or regret when they do something wrong. They seek justice. They remember the bad things done to them, but sometimes choose to forgive.
  
• Dogs have affection and compassion for their animal and human friends and family. They defend loved ones. They grieve their losses. They have hope.

DENVER — For centuries, humans have imagined they are the only animals with morals. But humans are not alone in the moral arena, a new breed of behavior experts says. 

Natural historian Jake Page said some scientists are acknowledging what pet owners have told their canines all along: "Good dog." Dogs are full of natural goodness and have rich emotional lives, said animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder. A dog's code of ethics is on display daily in parks, backyards and family rooms.

"We're not trying to elevate animals," Bekoff said. "We're not trying to reduce humans. We're not saying we're better or worse or the same. We're saying we're not alone in having a nuanced moral system."

Page, author of "Do Dogs Smile?," said biology no longer dismisses dogs and other animals as "furry automatons" driven by instinct and food.

"People like Bekoff have figured out how to measure these things," Page said. "It's a whole new ballgame for studying dog personalities and emotions."

Bekoff, co-author of "Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals," spent thousands of hours observing coyotes, wolves and dogs. He analyzed videotapes frame by frame. The work convinced him these animals possess empathy and compassion, the emotions upon which moral sense is built. While much the same can be said of monkeys, wolves, elephants, dolphins, whales and other social animals, dogs are special cases; they share in human lives, he said.

"Dogs know they are dependent. They learn to read us," Bekoff said. "Dogs develop this great sense of trust. We're tightly linked, and there is something spiritual about that unity."

This intimacy and mutual influence prompted Harvard University to open a Canine Cognition Lab, where researchers attempt to gain insight into the psychology of humans and dogs.

"I'm convinced many animals can distinguish right from wrong," Bekoff said.

He said looking for the roots of morality in animals is a difficult scientific undertaking. It begins with looking for emotions central to morality, such as empathy: understanding of another's situation, feelings and motives. In humans, emotions are centered in specific brain structures and are affected by chemicals called neurotransmitters. Mammals possess the same brain structures, affected by the same chemicals as humans.

"Dogs apparently laugh," Page said. The same brain structures show the same activity in laughing humans and in dogs that are enjoying themselves. A dog's laugh is a rhythmic pant.

Play is necessary for healthy brain development in animals and is seen in many mammalian, and some avian, species, Bekoff said. Play hones cognitive skills and later helps in hunting and mating. And play would not be possible without cooperation and trust.

"Virtue is its own reward," Bekoff said. "Fairer is fitter."

To prevent any misunderstanding, a dog will signal to another dog that the imminent jostling, nipping and chasing are "just play" rather than aggression, he said. The game is initiated with the "play bow." A dog, wolf or coyote will crouch on its forelimbs while keeping its rear upright. Any hard-biting cheats find themselves excluded from games.

"Dogs are thinking animals," Bekoff said. "They seek the outcomes they want. They avoid the ones they don't. They solve problems. They have expectations. They have hopes."

Critics skeptical about some research trends in animal thinking, emotion and morality downplay the evidence as often anecdotal and anthropomorphic, that is attributing human motivation or characteristics to animals.

Bekoff countered that thousands of anecdotes equal data. And anthropomorphism, he said, is a misleading label for what is a shared evolutionary history. Humans and dogs share most of their genes and a great deal of physiology and behavior. Bekoff sees that shared heritage extending into the spiritual realm.

"If we have souls, our animals have souls. If we have free choice, they have it," Bekoff said. "If we can't know this for sure, let's give them the benefit of a doubt."

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

A breed will stand or fall according to its breeders-not its loyal fanciers, not its judges and handlers, not its exhibitors and trainers. For the breeder is the only link between the past and the future; only through him/her can the breed stay alive.

Like the sculptor, the painter, the poet, he/she is driven by creative compulsion. But he/she more than any of the others, is caught up in the race against time. The sculptor works in stone; his mistakes can be changed by the chisel. The breeder works with flesh; his mistake may take generations to correct. The sculptor can put his work away and eventually come back to it; the breeder is a captive of his breed and can never really leave it.

Why then does a breeder stay a breeder? The answer is, that of all the activities in the dog sport, he/she alone has the joy of creation and the and the pride of enduring handiwork.

When proud owners bring back a fine animal for him/her to see years after it was sold by him/her as a puppy; he/she notes with a thrill how it has developed in just the way he/she thought it would. While they are happily telling him/her what a marvelous creature this is, he/she is scarcely listening as he/she stares at the dog; for he/she is not only seeing what they are, but so much more.

With mounting excitement, he/she watches that imperious stance, so familiar, that proudly arched neck and the keen steady gaze right out of the past; he/she does not see just ONE handsome dog standing there before him/her, but all of the wonderful ones which went into the making of this one-dogs which he/she loved and knew so well . . . and now sees living again. This is the fascination of the breeder. This is the treasure of eternal youth!

This article is beautifully written by famed Doberman breeder Peggy Adamson, Damasyn Dobermans, and touches the heart of my belief about breeding and showing dogs, It is truly an art, a love, a passion. Those of us who are “bitten” by the bug and show and breed our dogs are truly hooked! We are possessed with the desire to create that perfect beautiful animal that takes your breath away. But we must be careful that in our quest to do so we preserve the STANDARD of the breed and not fall victim to only creating a winning dog or bitch, but one that fits that Standard.

 
Best,
Jeanne Bertsch