A dog is the ultimate family pet. Cuddly and cute, they are adorable to have around, but they also provide plenty of fun and great company, with their high levels of energy and fondness for playing. Keeping a dog can help kids learn to be responsible for an animal, provide them with a playmate, and also help ensure they get enough outdoor time and exercise.
Of course, there are almost endless different choices when it comes to choosing a dog for your family. They come in a huge range of sizes, and every breed of dog has its own traits, quirks and temperament. Besides, you might have to see what kind of bedding will suit them, whether they’ll need dog boots (like the ones from Walkee Paws) or follow special diets for their well-being. Taking good care of a new dog could take practice.
If you have been researching breeds of dog in order to choose the perfect pet for your family, then you may well have come across information about so called ‘designer’ breeds. But what exactly are these, and would one of these puppies be the right solution for you?
What Are Designer Dogs?
Designer dogs are dogs that have been selectively bred in order to combine the traits of two different pedigree breeds. This, of course, can happen in nature if a dog of one breed mates with another, but in the case of designer dogs, these cross breeds are created on purpose to create a new ‘hybrid’ breed. There are two benefits to this. The first is that it is possible to find a dog that combines the good traits of two different breeds you like easily (rather than the random ‘pot luck’ of cross breeds that have been bred by dogs choosing their partners themselves!), and the second is that it means the dog will have a more diverse genetic lineage than a pure bred animal (pedigree dogs are more prone to health problems due to inbreeding).
Examples of Popular Designer Dog Breeds
Any two breeds can be combined to create a cross, but there are some that have become so popular there is even a name for them! Common examples are the labradoodle (labrador crossed with poodle), cocker poo (cocker spaniel crossed with poodle) and yorkie poo (Yorkshire terrier crossed with poodle). The poodle is often used in these crosses because of its unique hair type (which can be less problematic for people with pet allergies than regular dog fur).
Are They Good Pets?
Designer dogs are as good as any other dogs as pets, as they are simply cross bred dogs whose parents have been chosen intentionally. By choosing a cross that incorporates dogs of the size and temperament you want as a pet, you can go some way towards ensuring your puppy grows up to be the kind of family dog you’d like best. Of course, breeding is just part of what makes a dog the way it is, so there is still a lot that is down to how you train and socialize your puppy.
If you like the idea of a cross breed dog, you can find yorkie poo puppies for sale and lots of other cool designer breeds online.