Lotti Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 i have to say that i dont really see the difference between breeding pedigree pups or breeding crossbreeds-to me,both are unneccesary. It still boils down to the 'designer dog' ie choosing the 'right'dog for you. My attitude is that i love animals and hate to see them abandoned,neglected or abused.I dont care whether they look pretty,run quickly,can catch rats or sniff out certain things etc,etc. Why deliberately mate 2 dogs and produce a litter of expensive 'designer' animals when there are already sooo many who need a home? Im sorry-i just dont get it???? (please dont take this personally anyone-its not intended to offend) Also - how would Mr and Mrs Strix have got on on their 4 hour walks up the sides of mountains with a british bulldog cross that they found in a rescue and didn't care whether it looked pretty, could run fast, sniff out certain things etc. etc.? They chose a beagle because they wanted a dog that could accompany them on their days out safely. There is a very good reason for choosing the 'right' dog for you. I dread to think how my neighbour who gets dragged down the road every day by her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would have got on with a dalmatian cross lab that she found in a rescue and didn't care whether it looked pretty, could run fast.... etc etc. It just wouldn't have been a suitable dog for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnomi Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Also - how would Mr and Mrs Strix have got on on their 4 hour walks up the sides of mountains with a british bulldog cross that they found in a rescue and didn't care whether it looked pretty, could run fast, sniff out certain things etc. etc.? They chose a beagle because they wanted a dog that could accompany them on their days out safely. There is a very good reason for choosing the 'right' dog for you. I dread to think how my neighbour who gets dragged down the road every day by her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would have got on with a dalmatian cross lab that she found in a rescue and didn't care whether it looked pretty, could run fast.... etc etc. It just wouldn't have been a suitable dog for her. I do understand the part about having the right dog for your needs,but couldnt that be gleamed(to a degree) from the people who have been caring for the dog in the kennels,or from the foster parents,or by spending time getting to know the dog and assessing the dogs bloodline (usually fairly apparent by looking at him/her) Im (clearly) no dog expert so will find it hard to make a knowledgeable arguement-its merely my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotti Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 I do understand the part about having the right dog for your needs,but couldnt that be gleamed(to a degree) from the people who have been caring for the dog in the kennels,or from the foster parents,or by spending time getting to know the dog and assessing the dogs bloodline (usually fairly apparent by looking at him/her) Im (clearly) no dog expert so will find it hard to make a knowledgeable arguement-its merely my opinion Hi, you're entitled to your opinion of course However - in my opinion and based on certain evidence there are often far too many dogs in rescues to know the full temperament, excercise requirement and grooming requirements of every dog. Unfortunately there's simply not enough fosters either. I know of a few people who have been to rescues for dogs and ended up returning the dog as it was the wrong dog for them. However most people I know who have bought pedigrees or known crosses have kept them even if they show the worst of that breed's traits because they knew what they were letting themselves in for when they got them. To a certain extent, the staff at a rescue can assess you and assess the dogs to see which is the best for you, but when I chose dalmatians, of course it was partly based on their looks, there was a certain attraction that got me reading about them, but I loved their character, I knew the challenge I would have to train them, their exercise needs etc. etc. Also - by breeding well bred pedigrees from healthy parents, you can buy one knowing you'll likely be able to do certain things with them - like I do agility with Takara, not because I want to compete, because I want to partake in something fun for me and the dog and it increases our bond. There are many rescue dogs and crosses that do agility but many people choose certain breeds for it. Likewise I show her in conformation shows because we both enjoy it, it's a day out for the show, and regular training, socialisation and bonding at our classes. Yes, it can be snobby but if you're in it for the right reasons, you enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotti Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 Just for the record - I also have a rescue dog so am certainly not against rescues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnomi Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Hi, you're entitled to your opinion of course However - in my opinion and based on certain evidence there are often far too many dogs in rescues to know the full temperament, excercise requirement and grooming requirements of every dog. Unfortunately there's simply not enough fosters either. I know of a few people who have been to rescues for dogs and ended up returning the dog as it was the wrong dog for them. However most people I know who have bought pedigrees or known crosses have kept them even if they show the worst of that breed's traits because they knew what they were letting themselves in for when they got them. To a certain extent, the staff at a rescue can assess you and assess the dogs to see which is the best for you, but when I chose dalmatians, of course it was partly based on their looks, there was a certain attraction that got me reading about them, but I loved their character, I knew the challenge I would have to train them, their exercise needs etc. etc. Also - by breeding well bred pedigrees from healthy parents, you can buy one knowing you'll likely be able to do certain things with them - like I do agility with Takara, not because I want to compete, because I want to partake in something fun for me and the dog and it increases our bond. There are many rescue dogs and crosses that do agility but many people choose certain breeds for it. Likewise I show her in conformation shows because we both enjoy it, it's a day out for the show, and regular training, socialisation and bonding at our classes. Yes, it can be snobby but if you're in it for the right reasons, you enjoy it. Fair enough-thank you.I can now see what you mean and understand the reasons for breeding much better. Think ill stick to rescue dogs anyway though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainrescue Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I had someone phone me the other day saying 'hello i am looking to see if you have any crossbreeds looking for a home?, when I said yes what are you looking for 'he asked for a youngish labradooodle?? Mmmmm - don't get many of those dumped yet - I told him i couldn't offer one of those and that he would have to go out and pay lots of dosh for one -burk. The trouble with a lot of this breeding lark is that to get the 'perfect' unattainable crufts speciality - leaves a lot of wastage on the way. Lots of dogs have taken years and years to get where they are today? I do often think though that mongrels are often healthier than pedigrees's sometimes (not always), because so many breeders inter-breed back into same blood lines (sometimes too close), and its not good for their health most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotti Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 I do often think though that mongrels are often healthier than pedigrees's sometimes (not always), because so many breeders inter-breed back into same blood lines (sometimes too close), and its not good for their health most of the time. This is true and I agree... There are certain breeds such as dalmatians - and many others though I only really know much about 'my breed' I'm sure beagles are another that don't have many health problems. The main problems dalmatians suffer from are congenital deafness - but that's due to their white coat and is something that's being worked out of the breed and some have sensitive skin - other than that, they are pretty healthy dogs as they were discovered rather than bred. They were discovered and just added to for the finishing touches to ensure they could carry out their 'purpose'. Whereas much of the older breeds that were purposely bred had to be inbred in order to create more. Whilst the newer breeds such as Northern Inuits are pretty healthy as they have a much wider gene pool. Even the 'labradoodles' which are now being bred from labradoodle parents have a much wider gene pool due to the amount of poodles and labradors there were to work from ensuring no inbreeding was necessary. I guess when they started off breeding the old breeds that they required - lets face it they were ignorant back then and dogs weren't bred so much as companions but as working animals - there were very few to select from that held the qualities that they wanted. Not to mention the lack of organisation that went into it - like we have pedigree certificates today to see who was bred with who. To be fair, the dogs were not their main concern back then, they had to live, so inbreeding a few dogs didn't really matter, they'd get another if that one couldn't work any longer. Unfortunately it's had a knock on effect for the dog lovers of our time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strix Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I'm all for cross breeding - for a purpose - eg, to achieve a more suitable hunting dog or more suitable companion dog, but bringing dogs to 'bling' status is a huge no-no in my book We all know what's going to happen to the cute 'ickle puppy once it's grown too big to carry about or fit in it's adidas hoody (don't laugh, you CAN get these for dogs ), or if another cute mutant becomes more fashionable I also have issues with dogs being carried about instead of getting excercise, and being fed enough to render them imobile - the people who do this to dogs are also the ones who get bored of them when the dog can no longer play lugging all that weight about PS - if I were going to cross a beagle with something, it'd be a pointer - in the hope of getting a more compact version of the pointer, a good scent and sight hound, and preferably more 'obedience' than is generally available in a beagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckelina Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 My parents own 2 crossbreeds - one from a rescue which as we can figure out is a flat coat retriever cross collie (flat coat face, size, colour, more collie shape and temperament) and the other from an accidental litter of a neighbour who is a straight labrador/springer cross. They are both lovely dogs and I initially thought the springador was a lovely cross - indeed there is quite a movement to have them recognised as a breed - but I have gradually changed my opinion. The variation amongst his own litter is astonishing in size, temperament, confirmation, colouring, suitability for work so that a reliable breed standard is a long way off IMO! I have to say he is a lovely dog, the best of the litter and very suitable for a working dog (totally unbiased opinion) but its a big risk to take for a dog which may be the worst of both worlds! He looks like a smaller, slimmer version of a chocolate lab (although he is strictly more liver) but with the lovely appealing spaniel eyes and friendliness, so has always attracted a lot of attention and comments. it is easy to see why people get swayed by an eye-catching cross which is original and unusual - or so they think. So in short, we were lucky with both our dogs but it is a shot in the dark. Not the way forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally_Fraser Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 The only cross worth having is the old beardie/border mix some farmers have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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