Mixed Dog Breeds

Today, dog breeds recognized by kennel clubs abide by very strict standards. These standards are so strict, yet so subtle, that they’re invisible for most people. In fact, if you go to a dog breeder and ask him or her to let you see his or her show quality puppies and pet quality puppies (both of whom are purebreds) you won’t be able to tell the difference at all.

Purebred dogs can be very expensive, even those that are pet quality. This is because it’s expensive to raise them, but also because when you buy a purebred dog, you have a guarantee about how the dog will be like when it grows up, both in physical appearance, and in personality and behavior.

However, some dog breeders don’t think that the breeding process is finished, and they try to create new breeds by crossing purebred dogs from different breeds. These mixed dog breeds are created with the intention of obtaining the best characteristics of the parents.

These mixed dog breeds are not always successful. Because some genes are recessive, and others are predominant, the result isn’t always the one the breeder wanted and the pups might end up with one or more bad traits from either or both parents. Moreover, first generation mixed dog breeds can vary greatly from litter to litter, even with the same type of parents. It’s also not uncommon to have puppies of the same litter with different characteristics in form, size, color, and hair.

Because of this, it takes many generations to create true mixed dog breeds that will consistently give the same characteristics, even second, third or fourth generation puppies will occasionally give a nasty surprise by showing a trait that managed to stay recessive up until that moment.

Nonetheless, some mixed dog breeds have showed consistency and have become popular. Perhaps the most famous of these mixed dog breeds involves the mixing of Poodles.

Mixed dog breeds that involve poodles are popular because they result in individuals with a coat that sheds very little and that produce very little dander, as well as strong hypoallergenic properties, which they get from their Poodle parent. In addition, they get at least one good trait from the other parent’s breed. For example, the Cockapoo shows the loving and social tendency of the Cocker Spaniel.

Nevertheless, despite the benefits or lineage of mixed dog breeds, big kennel clubs refuse to acknowledge them. This is not surprising, given how strict they are in their rules and selections.