Designer Dogs ((Hybrid Dogs)
Designer Dog?? What the heck is a designer dog you ask?? A "designer" dog (as the media has labeled them) is a cross between two purebred dogs.
A purebred dog is one that has been bred over many generations to breed true. . Purebred dogs are beneficial in that, when you buy a purebred dog you know what you are getting. You know how big your puppy will grow and you know basically what type of temperament and care the dog will.
When one breeds purebred dogs great care must be taken to insure the lines to not become too thin. Even with all the best DNA testing available, genetic problems can occur, however with the proper testing these problems can be greatly reduced. To give you a simple analogy, let's say there was a law passed that stated only people with blonde hair and blue eyes with a high IQ could have children, with the end goal, everyone in the
What's the difference between a designer dog and a mutt?
Generally, a mutt is of uncertain ancestry. A designer dog has documented purebred ancestry, and one knows for sure what it is.
So what's up with these hybrid, "designer" dogs? Are they healthier?
Hybrid dogs can still have genetic problems because you are still crossing two first generation dogs, however the percentage of hybrid dogs with genetic problems is much lower than purebred dogs because the gene pool is mixed.
Breeders, like myself, who breed purebred to purebred creating a first generation hybrid create the heterosis effect and hybrid vigor. Vigor means, "Physical or mental strength, energy, or force."
BE AWARE: It is important to be aware; not all of these designer hybrid dogs being bred are 50% purebred to 50% purebred. It is very common for breeders to breed multi-generation crosses. While a simple F1 generation cross is said to produce the most hybrid vigor in the dog and the further down the multi-generation chain, the more vigor is lost in the hybrid; there are some benefits to multi-generation crossing. If you want to greater your chances of certain traits, such as non-shedding, sometimes it is necessary to move further down the generation chain, risking less vigor.
Health Factor (Heterosis Effect)
This goal with the oodles is NOT to create a new breed, but to create a happy and healthy pet.
Purebreds and inbreeds often carry genetic disease. Heterosis is the phenomenon where crossing two inbred lines can produce descendants with superior genetic foundation.
This increased health and vigor does not create a superior breed, but the advantages obtained from it are what produce hybrid vigor.
Heterosis effect results in a healthier, more vigorous dog with a reduced chance of genetic disease. It is well known in all domestic animal breedings, hybrids 50%-50% mixes of two different breeds will raise the chances of having less genetic diseases because all doubling of detrimental effects will stop in the first generation. The genetic term for this is HETEROSIS EFFECT. This effect often gives non-related individuals stronger descendants than inbreeds.
Breeders who breed these hybrid dogs like myself, have the aim to breed healthy and happy dogs without genetic problems. The desired trait when using the Poodle is to get the soft silky non-shedding coat that is good for allergy sufferers.
The purpose of these hybrids is NOT and should never be, to develop a new breed. Once one goes beyond first generation purebred to purebred you loose the heterosis effect, which is the goal for true hybrid breeders. It is only in this first generation, the dogs get the benefit of the greatly demanded HETEROSIS effect, and avoid genetic diseases, which are common among purebreds and inbreeds.