Hello....

Well, there is a new breed in town, its called a BUG, what is a bug... don't ask, but let me just say it is another member of the cock-a-poo, family.

Please, why? These breeds are a clear example of what is wrong with the integrity of the dog world today. These breeds result from puppymill mistakes, and have taken a grip on the world because they are well marketed on the internet and in pet-stores, all safe havens for people who make money at the expence of our wonderful dogs.

If you are looking for a puppy - please, don't support cute mistakes that promote breeding for cash. Be responible.

Actually 'bugs' refer to either a Boston terrier / pug cross, or a beagle/pug cross, depends on who you ask. Not really a cock-a-poo family.
But the intentional breeding of them...i dont agree with either.

Yes, yes -

You miss the point, when I say "same family" - I mean the 'lets cross any breed and make expensive mutts" family.

I hate to sound rude - I know you "poo-people" love your bugs. However, if you really understood how your money is used to promote terrible puppy abuse, you would think twice. Love your poo-a-bug or the shnoodle, they are now alive and that makes them special - BUT DON'T BUT ANOTHER ONE>>>>

i have never agreed with the intentionally mixing of breeds. but, unfortunately, as long as there is a money making involved , people will continue to do it. advertise it as a "toy" or "designer" and add the word "breed", some schmuck will pay the usually ungodly price, thinking they are getting a real bargain ! sad......

I don't think anyone is a "schmuck", I feel that the public is unaware that this popular mix-breed stuff is not good.
I think every vet, trainer and groomer who sees these doings should have a good heart to heart with their clients so that they do not make the same mistake twice. The real problem is when people fall in love with the "this and that breeds" and then they go onto to breed more. !!! And create BUGS what next... SPIDERS and SLUGS... yippy ;)

there are many many people out there that know full well what they are buying. they just dont care. they know that they can get the same mixes at shelters, but the prestige of telling others that they have a "designer" breed and they paid big bucks for it is too big of a thrill for them. they are schmucks. period.

I am sorry you feel that way. I don't think people are all that bad... in fact, I think they are kinda cool.

Puppywishes........We are all very aware of the intentional mixing of 2 breeds. You are being rather rude on here. Dusty merly stated her opinion.........

Rude. Rude! I am rude - I am not the one calling anyone names, like "schmuck". I am not being rude at all. Rather, I am simply pointing out that name calling may not be the kindest way to use the internet. I realize she was just speaking her mind.... as was I.

I hope that we can now get back on track. I did not mean to be rude.

I agree with you - but the point I keep trying to make to people is that you can do one of the following :

1.) Buy your Labradoodle puppy (lab/Standard Poodle mix) from a breeder who is almost certainly breeding entirely because they think they can make enough money to buy a new washing machine, or send their kids through college, or pay for their new boat - whatever - for $800-1000. The parents have no health testing done for breed specific defects - and both Poodles and Labs have hip displaysia and elbow problems in common so the pups could just as easily have these problems as mixes as they would as a pure bred pup. The breeder doesn't really understand what makes a Lab a good quality Lab or a Poodle a good quality Poodle so they are almost certainly breeding mediocre quality dogs - at best. They probably don't totally understand how temperament inherits and don't really care if their Lab is extremely hyper or if their Poodle has allergies either. The pups may or may not be raised in the home, but they probably aren't well vaccinated or wormed or have had proper vet care as the breeder is generally more concerned with making as much money as possible and it cuts into profits. You also are going to get a 6 month or 1 year health guarantee, if you get a guarantee, so if the pup shows up with Hip or Elbow problems and requires a $2000 plus surgery at 18 months of age, you are SOL.

2.) OR you could get a Purebred Lab or Purebred Poodle for the same price, from Champion parents which means the dog will probably be an excellent representation of the breed. The parents could be both Conformation Show dogs and Hunting Trial dogs. The breeder has done all the testing they should, so you are confident that the puppy will not have any crippling health problems. And the breeder is offering a great 2-3 year health guarantee and should you puppy have health problems, they will either replace it or give you your money back to put towards the vet costs. The breeder KNOWS their breed inside and out and understands what great temperament is for that breed and aims to provide you with a companion that will be more joy than trouble. The pups are raised as part of the family, so when your new little guy arrives to you it fits right into your family because the breeder knows how to socialize a puppy of that breed. You also get a breeder who is going to stand behind their pup for life and will answer any questions you have as your puppy matures. This breeder is also probably going to be around for the entirety of your pups life because they are striving to be an excellent breeder, understand the work that REALLY goes in to being a breeder and breed for the love of the breed and not for money. The Mixed breed breeder is probably only going to be breeding for 5-6 years - or until mixes no longer become the craze or until they go backrupt from the lawsuits that get thrown at them for producing massive numbers of puppies with defects...

To me, being an educated dog person, I can see why the second breeder would be a much better choice. BUT here is the problem - the people buying the mixes are the same people that don't see a problem going to a PuppyMill that is selling their Lab puppies for $200 with no guarantee, no health testing done, and their just breeding dogs that are the same quality as the mixed breed breeders who are mixing two breeds. REALLY, if someone buying a "designer dog" wanted to get smart for about 3 seconds they would realize, they could pay 1/4 what their paying for their mutt and get a purebred that is the same quality from the same kind of breeder - though I wouldn't make THAT my first choice either...

I just can't see the appeal of a mixed breed dog - and if you like mixes, you may as well get one from the Shelter - you're going to end up with basically the same dog in the long run. Most people who lobby for the wonderful nature of mixes also say they don't like Puppy Mills - but they often end up supporting just that - even if the breeder they got their mix from isn't a puppy mill yet - they are headed in that direction!

And by the way - I have a mixed breed dog - that I got from the Shelter. He's a sweetheart and I adore him - but I wouldn't have paid $1000 for him!

i never said anywhere that i think all people or any people for that matter are bad. what i said was, not everyone that buys a "designer" dog is not informed beforehand. there are some people that do not know the "scoop" and are led to believe that these mixes are something special. i feel sorry for them. but the ones that know the facts about them and still choose to buy them, i hold no sympathy for.
if people would research breeds and breeders BEFORE purchasing any pet, they would be aware of what they are bringing into their home. there would be less animals dumped off at the shelters. where, by the way , some of these designer mixes end for whatever reason. like maybe they grew bigger than promised and they couldnt be crammed into a purse any longer !

Thank you abbylynne:

You hit the nail so on the head.

I meet a great many dogs each and every day and I can realize that people who buy BUGS don't really understand the background of these puppies. They know they are mixed, but they do not really make the connection between these dogs and the mass death that goes on at a puppymill. I said to a client yesterday,

"do you realize that ten puppies have died so that you can have this one?"

She had no clue. People may understand a littlem but I don't feel they really get the depths of the horror. Nor do I believe that the common person would be so heartless if they understood the truth behind these breeds.

It is heartbreaking, really.

If you are thinking of a pug-a-poo breed, please: go here

http://www.nopuppymills.com/

and learn more about this sad topic.

personally if I went to a groomer,vet, trainer and they started to "try" to tell me what I should be doing as far as owning the type of dog I chose to own I would think that is rude! I didn't pay them to lecture me I paid them to cut clean, train, or give shots etc or whatever to my dog.

Fact is if someone wants that type of dog they are going to get it. Telling the person that they are wrong you might think is ok, but it is their choice to purchase that type of dog. People know what they are buying EVERYONE knows not to buy a dog in a pet store it has been on the news, internet EVERYWHERE for example. People still do it even though they know where those dogs come from. What people want they will get no matter what.

What if you started to tell someone hey you owning this bug is wrong and here they got it at a pound. You don't know to judge anyone. Maybe someone really likes the look and does not care if it is a mix. To each their own. I personally would not own one, but if someone on here does I don't find anything wrong with it. If that is what they liked, and again how do you know how they got the dog from a pound or a litter by accident or even a expensive breeder. That is their choice and until you pay their bills you really have no right to tell them what to do with their money.

Educating someone is one thing, but to sit their and tell someone what you did is wrong and you killed 10 dogs now because of this one dog is wrong on your part.

Yes I have been reading your posts on this and other threads and I do find you a little rude. Have opinions like I always say fine, but don't try to shove them down someones throat. What you think is wrong is not always wrong for everyone. Someone on here said you can get more bees with honey than vinegar. Having tact is a big plus.

***Edited By: holidayzbliss on 5/7/2006 3:28:55 PM***
Reason: added

holidayzbliss, i agree. if any trainer, groomer or vet started lecturing me what i should or should not buy, i would be offended. especially if i already had the dog. a groomers job is to groom your dog, not hand out advice to what you should or should not do. there is soooo much info out there about designer dogs. telling anyone what to get or what not to get will not do any good. they will get what they want, wether they know where it came from or not.

People know what they are buying EVERYONE knows not to buy a dog in a pet store it has been on the news, internet EVERYWHERE for example. People still do it even though they know where those dogs come from.

believe it or not , no matter how much information is out there, people are still clueless about puppymills. it boggles my mind how someone could NOT know ... but i run into people almost weekly that seriously have no idea about such things.

Sometimes I wonder if they know, but play stupid because they don't care they just want the dog?

“Rare!” “Exotic!” “One of a Kind!” “Luxury on a Leash!” proclaim the ads in the Sunday pet classifieds. “Get the best of both worlds!” “Registered New Breed!” “Special Price - this week only - $599!”

Curious? Who wouldn't be? Almost everyone wants something different, unusual, something new and exciting, something no one else has. What are these unique, exciting dogs with funny names and high price tags?

Meet the Poo's: Yorkie-Poo's, Cock-a-Poo's, Lhasa-Poo's, Beag-A-Poo's, Peke-A-Poo's, Pom-Poo's, Doxie-Poo's and Terri-Poo's, just to name a few. Meet their cousins, the Cocker-Chons and the Bi-Tzu. This large and incredibly diverse family of dogs includes such “breeds” as Cock-a-Shels and Malt-oodles; everything from the imposing Rott-a-Dor down to the diminutive Peke-A-Pom and Yorki-Huahua. What do these dogs with the whimsical breed names have in common? The fact that they're not real breeds at all. They're mongrels — mixed breeds — masquerading as something glamorous, valuable and highly desirable. Yorkie-Poo's are simply Yorkshire Terriers crossed with Poodles. A Bi-Tzu is a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix. Cock-a-Shels result when Cocker Spaniels are bred to Shelties (Shetland Sheepdogs) and Rott-A-Dors occur when a Rottweiler and a Labrador Retriever join forces. New breeds? Hardly. Behind the hype and the clever name is a common mutt.

Have you ever looked at a Basset Hound and a Poodle or a similarly mis-matched combination and wondered what the puppies would look like if the two were mated? Lots of us have. It makes for an entertaining exercise in imagination. But the people deliberately breeding “Peke-A-Poms” (a cross between a Pekingese and a Pomeranian) and other such fanciful mixes have taken the “what if?” game a step further. Rather than playing games with their imagination, they're playing games with living creatures, charging big prices for their results and telling some pretty tall tales to justify it. Here are some of them:

“We're making a new breed. The AKC is going to recognize the Cocker-Poo real soon now.”
The process of creating a new breed and achieving AKC recognition is long and involved, requiring many years and many generations. A “breed” is a genetically similar strain of dogs that resemble each other in appearance and temperament. Bred together, two dogs of the same breed will produce puppies that are also similar in appearance to the parents and will develop in a predictable fashion.

The first step in creating a new breed involves a definite vision of what the breed will look like and the writing of a breed standard to describe it. For example, what characteristics must a Yorkie-Poo have in order for it to be considered a Yorkie-Poo? What is a Cocker-Chon or a Peke-A-Pom supposed to look and act like? To date, no breeders of these “new” breeds have even taken that first step.

i just read that same article.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/poodogs.html

"EVERYONE knows not to buy a dog in a pet store..."

EVERYONE, really... "EVERYONE", and you know what everyone thinks?
Wow!