Why are poodle mixes so popular? (pitbulls, labs, retrievers, breeders)

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by kayanne

I've never understood the level of vitriol some people have against mixed breeds. Everyone I've known with some kind of doodle has been very happy with their pet.

However, I do think it's important to keep the wonderful "pure breeds" that we now have (I put "pure breeds" in quotes because they all have the same evolutionary ancestor.) I have had two purebred Maltese in my adult life, and I think they are wonderful. They meet some specific needs we had, but they are hard to find and quite expensive. I have read that the number of Maltese breeders has significantly declined. I wonder if that is true for other breeds as well. I wouldn't want all the dog breeds to become one giant melting pot of mixed mutts.

Trendy mixed breeds often "encourage" backyard breeding by people who don't understand the traits they're breeding for - just to capitalize on the trend. This is, of course, the same concern of pure line backyard breed dogs, with the exception that the people buying them are typically not as tuned into bad breeding practices. I'm sure there are exceptions, however.

[GiveMeCoffee]

Originally Posted by Northrick

What is unreputable about taking two breeds with desirable but different traits and breeding them to get a mutt with the desirable traits? It's not like they are passing them off as purebred. We knew what we were getting.


Or, are "reputable" breeders really worried about lost business?

I'm not a breeder. Both my cat and dog were adopted from a rescue. I don't think I could buy a dog, but different strokes for different folks.

The issue is that reputable AKC breeders have to go through a process. Since doodles are not a recognized breed, "doodle" these "backyard breeders" are skipping the health care portion and are just trying to make money on puppies. Obviously this is not the case with everyone, but after volunteering with rescues, it's more common than many would think.

[shadowne]

Whenever we list a poodle it is usually very quickly adopted, mini to standard. Even if it is a little older like eight or nine. Of course, once people started going back to work we have had quite a few owner surrenders of Labradoodles, golden doodles etc. To clarify, these are not dogs that we adopted out and were returned but just people that didn’t realize or plan properly during the pandemic.

[Metlakatla]

Just some thoughts — the majority of rescue dogs come from puppy mills and backyard breeders, not reputable breeders. Although there's nothing wrong with adopting a dog that

If it weren't for reputable breeders, cherished breeds such as the American Eskimo Dog would die out.

My local shelter is full of pit bulls, cattle dogs, and Chihuahuas, and none of those are suitable for my household.

I think that the "adopt don't shop" crowd typically lives in areas where shelters are full of all sorts of dogs, but that isn't the case in regions where spay and neutering are ingrained in the culture. I know people in my town who've been on waiting lists for months to adopt from the local shelter. Also, many people seem to run into issues with rescue organizations such as their homes not being deemed suitable because of no fenced yard, etc., or feeling that the rescue volunteers were just too intrusive.

[Meowen]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Just some thoughts — the majority of rescue dogs come from puppy mills and backyard breeders, not reputable breeders. Although there's nothing wrong with adopting a dog that

If it weren't for reputable breeders, cherished breeds such as the American Eskimo Dog would die out.

My local shelter is full of pit bulls, cattle dogs, and Chihuahuas, and none of those are suitable for my household.

I think that the "adopt don't shop" crowd typically lives in areas where shelters are full of all sorts of dogs, but that isn't the case in regions where spay and neutering are ingrained in the culture. I know people in my town who've been on waiting lists for months to adopt from the local shelter. Also, many people seem to run into issues with rescue organizations such as their homes not being deemed suitable because of no fenced yard, etc., or feeling that the rescue volunteers were just too intrusive.

Its unfortunate that sometimes rescue orgs seem to be more concerned that you have x amount of fenced in square footage than actually getting the dog a good, loving home with perhaps a smaller yard. Another reason people buy from back yard breeders when they want a specific type of dog

[BCC_1]

Originally Posted by 1200RT

Trendy mixed breeds often "encourage" backyard breeding by people who don't understand the traits they're breeding for - just to capitalize on the trend. This is, of course, the same concern of pure line backyard breed dogs, with the exception that the people buying them are typically not as tuned into bad breeding practices. I'm sure there are exceptions, however.

Agree. I don't have anything against mixed dogs. Frankly, I don't understand why people get so bent out of shape about poodle crosses. OTOH, poodles are wonderful dogs, probably the ultimate family pet, imo, and don't need to be crossed.

Here's the problem though – and this applies to any popular breed – a lot of dog buyers think they are buying something out of a factory: "This breed is healthy, active, easy to train and doesn't bark." That is not the the dog you are buying, those are the characteristics of a well bred dog of that breed. So there's the set-up; a large cohort of buyers who don't understand the basics of dog breeding, ie there's a bit more to it than putting two dogs in a room, lighting a few candles and putting on a Barry Manilow album.

Because these buyers believe that they are more or less buying something out of a factory (they had a nice website!; you get the coat of the poodle with the personality of a labrador etc) the big decision, in their eyes, is what size do they want and what colour should they chose. The problem is that certain colours (apricots and browns) are hard to breed into poodles or poodle crosses. But these buyers with their fists of money will pay top dollar for an apricot cavoodle. So breeders do what any rational businessperson does, they take the odd apricot or brown puppy and they breed purely for colour. The mum has an awful life where she is basically having litters until her hips give out. Had she not been the right colour she was probably not even suited to breeding –she's never had her hips checked, and her temperament is probably not great – but buyers want apricot cavoodles and if backyard breeder A doesn't supply it then puppy farmer B sure will.

So why doesn't everyone buy from reputable breeders? Because there aren't enough of them. It's all well and good for a quality breeder to admonish people for buying a puppy from a dubious source, but when someone wants a dog the quality breeder will tell them "Oh yeah, we have a three year waiting list." People aren't going to wait years for a family pet. As long as that remains the case, most dogs will be backyard jobs or sourced from puppy mills.

[CrowGirl]

My dog is a poodle mix, but I adopted him from the Humane Society where I volunteered at the time. I call him a "moodle" - a mutt/poodle mix. Looking at him there is 0% doubt he has a lot of poodle, the DNA says he is 50% miniature poodle, 25% Jack Russell and 25% so mixed they can't meaningfully differentiate. He was a stray, so there's no knowing if he was purposely bred, but I doubt it. He's an absolutely fabulous dog. When we first adopted him he had some mild separation anxiety but he worked through it fairly quickly. He isn't much of a barker except when someone comes to the house or walks directly in front. He sheds, but not nearly as much as most dogs. And best of all, he is the most non-destructive dog I think I have ever met. We still have the very first stuffie toy we bought him when we adopted him six years ago - he hasn't even made a hole in it. We'll be getting rid of it soon just because it's getting threadbare from washing.

I love poodles because of their intelligence and history. Many don't realize they were originally bred as hunting dogs - even the fancy cut they have in dog shows is an exaggerated cut from their hunting days when the hunters left more fur around the joints so the dogs could stay warmer swimming in cold water while retrieving. Back when I was training for a couple of marathons I learned that many professional marathoners run with standard poodles because of their endurance.

So I have a soft spot for them and their mixes. Like so many mixed dogs, they are individuals - some are great, not all are.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

I was bitten by a poodle when I was a kid, so I've always been wary of them. Purebred, black poodle. As a matter of fact I was afraid of all dogs then. And when I had my conversion to dogs (been a dog parent for almost 30 years now), poodles just never made it into the club. So unless someone in the family developed a dog allergy, I don't think I'd ever be in the market for a doodle/moodle.

But mixed breeds can be spectacular. Our First Dog was a White Shepherd/Yellow Lab mix, and she was so beautiful that people thought she was a breed they just couldn't identify. She had the best Lab qualities--loyal, good-tempered--and the best Shepherd qualities--smart and fiercely courageous, and both breeds are family oriented, of course. If they start breeding Shepradors, I'd probably support the idea.

[jcp123]

We got a “sheepadoodle” (no word on what kind of sheepdog), and he’s kind and cute. Also so smart he seems like an idiot. 80lb goofball who is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best family dogs I’ve ever been around. I can understand the appeal.

[dav51lin]

people are morons is why