Last Updated on February 21, 2014 : :

Cross Breeds – Don’t be fooled by a fancy name.

The ISCGB neither supports nor recognises the crossing of a Spinone with any other breed.

There has been a great deal of publicity in the media recently about “Designer Dogs” where 2 dogs of different breeds are crossed and produce puppies.  These puppies are often given catchy names (like Labradoodle) that lead people to think they are a new and special type of dog.  Some breeders will market them as such by using words such as “rare” and “breed” that lead buyers to think they are getting something special and exclusive.  Other words used are “pedigree” and “registered” to reinforce the impression that they are pedigree dogs, that are Kennel Club registered.  Indeed both parents may well be KC registered and can have pedigrees going back many generations but the puppies are little more than mongrels who happen to have posh parents.

Today’s society creates a demand for new fashions and “must have” items.  The breeders of these dogs are jumping on this band wagon by commanding high prices and for the most part are just in it for the money.  They think of it as a business that provides them with an income.  Their profit margins will be higher because they don’t have the same costs that the breeder of a true registered pedigree will have.  They will probably own both the sire and the dam so have no stud fees to pay.  Because the puppies can’t be registered there are no costs there and also no restrictions on the number of litters a dam can have, how many times she is bred from or how frequently she will be used for breeding.  They will not be subject to any health schemes like hip or elbow scoring, eye testing or any genetic tests for inherited diseases.

Sadly our own lovely breed has been used in this way in recent years.  Whilst a few matings may be genuine accidents, many are done intentionally to feed the growing demand for these types of dogs.  Our world today is a much more disposable one, we are constantly bombarded with advertising and marketing campaigns to buy the new, latest model of computer, camera, hifi or flatscreen, widescreen, other type of screen TV.  We are persuaded to upgrade our phones every 12 months even though the old ones work perfectly well.  Nowadays you don’t buy something with the intention of keeping it forever but a Spinone is not like that.  You can’t recycle it or trade it in for the next model.  You have it for 10-12 years.  How many items in your home do you keep for that long?

The cross breed is being marketed in the same way as the latest “must have” model.  But unlike a phone, that cute puppy is forever. 

So why do people fall for a cross breed?  What is it that makes them so attractive?

Read our other articles to find out for yourself.

Price – but are they really cheaper than a pedigree?

Health – are they more healthy than a pedigree?

Rare and Exclusive – what does this really mean?

Do you really get the best features of both the breeds?

Hypo-allergenic – can you be sure that the one you get will not shed hair?

Read some articles from people who have owned cross breeds