Lots of people want purebred dogs because they are more predictable in temperament and appearance.  But nowadays, in the middle of a recession, getting a purebred is not as feasible as it used to be.  For most people, after housing, food, and installment payments, there is little money left for anything else – especially expensive purebred dogs.

Now we have “designer dogs” or “crossbreeds,” just like we are “cash-poor” when we are broke, buy a “resale” instead of a used car, and bury our dead in “memorial parks” instead of cemeteries.  We have “air-brushed” civilization to make it more cosmetically attractive.

My husband and I have both mixed breeds and purebreds – seven in all – and are more inclined to rescue a dog than go out and buy one.  Interestingly, our full-bred poodle, Hungarian Puli, and Rat Terrier were all rescues.  We’ve never gone out and purchased a full-bred anything!

So in keeping with the designer-dog trend, I have upgraded our mutts:

Lady, our Parsons Terrier/Poodle, is now a Partoodle.

Bandi, our Border-Collie/Pomeranian mix, has become a Pommerollie.

Pietee, our Sheltie/Papillion, has become a Sheltiepap .

And Penny, our Yorkie/Chijuajua, is now a Chiwonkie.

Even the White House considered designer dogs before Bo, a full-bred Portugese Water Dog, was chosen to be the First Dog.  Everyone wanted Dalmations after the movie, “101 Dalmations,” and there was a spike in Old English Sheepdogs after “The Shaggy DA.” 

Now you can get an Aussiedoodle, a Beagapoo, a Schneagle, Boxerdoodle, a Cairnoodle, a Saint Berdoodle or a schnoodle!  In fact, there are entire websites devoted to mixed breeds.

Here are a few:

Some breeders specify that a mixed-breed, hybrid dog, or designer dog is actually a cross between two purebred dogs.  According to the “Dog Breed Info Center” at www.dogbreedinfo.com:

“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. Meaning each puppy that is born looks and has the same temperament and characteristics as one another. In most cases a standard is written and breeders must follow this written standard. Only dogs which make the written standard are to be bred.”

So I guess that two mutts still make a mutt, and a designer or hybrid dog is between a purebred and a mutt.

Confused? 

Now we have smart phones, smart cars, smart bombs, and now, smart dogs!  Will the “smart human” be next? 

Only time will tell.