Labradoodles, Yorkipoos, Puggles
Designer Mixed Breed Dogs with Fancy Names
Crossbred designer dogs are popular for several reasons.
Hybrid dogs, or designer dogs as they are sometimes called, are the result of a cross between two purebred dogs. Not all of these crossbreeds are half and half. Sometimes these hybrids are bred back to one of the original pure breeds or to another pure breed or to another hybrid.
Although hybrid puppies within the same litter can vary, and temperament, appearance or size can not be predicted with any precision, dogs bearing cute names like Cockapoo, Schnoodle, and Chiweenie have become popular. These mixed breed puppies may inherit characteristics from either breed or a combination from both breeds. Several of the more popular crosses are described below.
The Labradoodle is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. This cross was first introduced in the 1980’s, carefully bred as a solution for a blind woman who needed a guide dog that wouldn’t aggravate her husband’s allergies. Not always low allergenic, their coat can be of almost any color and, while many of these dogs have a soft fleecy coat, they can also have a smooth, wiry, or shaggy coat. Depending on the size of the parents and whether male or female, Labradoodles can range from 25 pounds to almost 80 pounds. Other than the blind lady, no one was interested in this crossbreed until the catchy name, Labradoodle, was coined.
The Yorkipoo is a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Poodle. Yorkipoos range from 7 to 12 inches in height and 5 to 15 pounds in weight. They are considered a non to low shedding dog. Another non shedding hybrid is the Schnoodle, a cross between a Schnauzer and Poodle.
The Puggle is a cross between a Pug and a Beagle and is described by Puggles.com as an energetic hound having a thickset body, a short-haired smooth coat of fawn, tan and black, wrinkled forehead, short legs, curled tail and droopy ears. The Puggle nose is usually longer than that of a Pug and so isn’t prone to the breathing problems that Pugs may have. They seem to vary in size from 15 to 30 pounds and most are sweet tempered and intelligent. Some may inherit the howling trait from the Beagle.
Just as purebred dogs can be registered with services such as the AKC or the UKC and mixed breed dogs can be registered with MBDCA or NAMBR, cross breed dogs have their own registry, the American Canine Hybrid Club. The ACHC recognizes all hybrids produced from purebred ancestry, preferably registered with a recognized registration service.
It seems that no matter what the ancestry of dogs, whether purebred, unknown mix, or purposely mixed carrying a gimmick name, all of them can be found, side by side, in shelters.
