Hybrid Dog Breeds-The Latest Trend

What do you get when you cross a Boston Terrier with a poodle? A Bossi-poo. How about if you cross a Chihuahua and Dachshund? A Chiweenie.

In an era when people have gone animal crazy, the latest trend is to "create" dogs based on picking and choosing positive traits and cross-breeding. Don't like a pug's mug? Cross it with a Beagle and get a Puggle. This new trend in canine tampering has a name...hybrid or designer dogs. And the offspring are produced because potential dog owners want the best of two breeds combined into one dog. They like poodles because they don't shed and tend to be less allergenic, veterinarians say. They like Labradors because of their friendly temperament.

Hence one of the most popular new breeds is a Labradoodle, most of which cost about $1,0000 or more, according to breeders listing them for sale. Poodles are one of the most popular dogs for the gene swap because they shed less. But just because one of the breeds doesn't drop fur doesn't mean the hybrid will carry that desirable gene says one veterinarian. He also stated that on the positive side, the odds of getting what you want from a particular breed are better. And the overall health, depending on the integrity of the breeder, can also improve.

For example, many purebreds have inherent medical problems such as juvenile cataracts and heart defects. If this defective dog is bred with another breed, the condition has the potential to dilute or disappear. That's why many vets say mutts are healthier than purebreds.

How to choose: The best way to determine the disposition of a dog is to study all the breeds and try for any combination of desired characteristics. Here's a risk. If you like one of the breeds in the mix and not the other, don't take a chance hoping the pup will get the genes of the preferred pooch. It could take after the undesirable. Remember, a hybrid dog, according to the Dog Breed Information Center, is not a breed. It's a hybrid.

One of the most sought-after is the Labradoodle, and the golden doodles (a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle) are also gaining the public's love, and breeders say they have trouble meeting the demand.

Other hybrid breeds:
Bullmatian: Bulldog/Dalmatian mix.
Dorkie: Yorkie/Terrier mix.
Foodle: Poodle/Toy Fox Terrier mix.
Jug: Jack Russell Terrier/Pug mix.
Schnocker: Miniature Schnauzer/Cocker Spaniel mix.