The Designer Dog Debate

Last evening, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with my good friend Lara and her friend and dog trainer Laura. Lara, Laura, Laura, Lara….confusing yes, but certainly fun. Both L’s are dog nuts like me, with Lara recently increasing her household number of dogs to four, and Laura boasting an impressive ten adults and some temporary puppies. Each of these ladies is a hardcore Frisbee enthusiast, and like any of us who sport a competitive nature, they desire the best and brightest dogs to play and compete with. Lara has an Aussie named Jazz, an Aussie/BC mix rescue named Sting, and a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix (NOT to be mistaken for a cocker spaniel) named Louie. She has done amazing things with each of her dogs and should be very proud of these accomplishments. However, none of her dogs exhibits the level of “drive” that she craves to harness. Drive is that magical word in the competitive dog world that essentially means the dog is willing and able to play hard and perform at the top of the sport. In agility, this trait is often showcased by Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, the Belgian breeds, and a number of other breeds which originated for a specific working purpose. A notable exception would be the Papillon, that for its toy and companion dog origins, exhibits a remarkably high level of drive that in many cases rivals the Border Collie.

In the world of Frisbee, there have never been any restrictions for dogs to be pedigreed in order to participate. While the USDAA has always welcomed mixed breeds, and the AKC has just embraced this policy, competitors seeking to compete in World Class events will be restricted to a dog with a recorded legacy. Although the sport of Frisbee originated with the legendary Ashley Whippet, it has often been dominated by Aussies, Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs and mixes of various shapes and sizes. The inclusion of these mixes has never been restricted nor looked down upon to my awareness, so it is not surprising that people have sought to create the “perfect” Frisbee dog by combining breeds that show the appropriate attributes. Enter the border-staffy, and the aussie-staffy.

Laura owns several of these combinations, including an aussie-staffy named Monster, and a several border-staffies. I was fortunate to meet Recon last night, and watch both dogs demonstrate their Frisbee skills at a local park. The combination of the athletic herding breed with the power and muscle of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier results in a dog that exhibits high levels of “drive” as well as the physical prowess to perform incredible leaps, twisting catches, and powerful bursts of acceleration. This basically spells dream dog for a highly competitive Frisbee player such as Lara. And Laura.

For this reason, Laura is staying with Lara along with two puppies from a recent border-staffy litter. Lara is faced with the task of choosing between little brindle marked Seiko, and the adorably piebald Casio. At only 8 weeks, these pups exhibit tremendous speed, coordination, fearlessness, and endurance. I witnessed them running with the adults, tugging and wrestling with one another, jumping and climbing in and over objects for nearly two hours without showing any signs of slowing down. After being the recipient of a high flying hello from Monster, in which he launched his 40lbs of concentrated muscle mass directly at my midsection, I can see that these puppies will be equally powerful and enthusiastic in their gymnastics. While her chosen puppy may likely prove a handful, Lara is excited at the prospect of finally having a dog that won’t quit and will play as long and as hard as she would like her to.

Not everyone has been supportive of Lara’s decision. Personally, I am torn on the issue of breeding in general, and classically have been adamantly opposed to the breeding of “designer dogs” such as Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and pretty much anything with a ridiculous name made from a combination of other breeds.  There are thousands of dogs in need of rescue every day, so how is it right to purposely create more? On the other hand, I enjoy the world of the purebred dog, and have great respect and appreciation for breeders who seek to improve their particular breed, and strive to make them healthier and more temperamentally sound. After some thought, I realized that it is obviously not the dog that I have an issue with, rather the producer and the consumer.

Essentially, all breeds originated from some combination of other breeds, with the breeder envisioning some ideal combination of traits that would prove useful for some particular purpose. Herding breeds were crafted as a selection of elements resulting in a dog which possessed great focus, intelligence, the desire to work, and the biddable nature to make it trainable and trustworthy with stock. Sporting breeds were designed to seek out prey such as birds, but also to do so in a manner that did not result in actually killing the bird. Traits such as gentleness and a soft mouth were paramount. All of the recognized “pure” breeds we know today are descendant from some combination of other breeds. If border-staffies and labradoodles serve a practical purpose, who is to say that is wrong?

The problem, as I previously mentioned, comes from the nature of those creating, and those seeking out “designer dogs.” I have no issue with breeders of any kind who are diligent in testing their stock for genetic diseases that should not be passed on to future generations. These “hobby breeders” in most cases spend a great deal of money, time, and research to make an ideal match, take great care of both mother and puppies, and even greater care in placing these puppies. Potential homes are carefully screened, and a guarantee is usually made for health. Additionally, these breeders remain a resource to new homes for the life of the puppy, and all good breeders will insist that the dog be returned to them if it cannot be kept for any reason. Irresponsible breeders, be they producers of Golden Retrievers or Goldendoodles, are more interested in profit. They mass produce to fill the needs of consumers, and are unconcerned with the long term effects of these breedings. Many of these dogs come with physical or psychological problems and often, as a result of their “trendy nature” will end up in shelters. People who purchase a dog for thousands of dollars because it is “popular” at the time, are highly likely to get tired of the dog when it actually does happen to shed or is bigger than the breeder claimed. There are all sorts of claims about poodle mixes including their excellent temperament and lack of shedding. However, genetics is full of variables, and there is no guarantee to any of these claims. Sadly, the dog is the one to suffer.

In an ideal world, dogs would only be born into caring, dedicated, loving homes and they would perfectly fit the needs of the household. There would be no dogs in shelters and none euthanized. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world. People can often be selfish, greedy, short-sighted and uneducated.  As a result, there will likely always be some controversy between those in the dog world over breeding vs. rescue, as well as breeding for pedigree vs. breeding for utility.

For now, I will say that I love my purebred Corgi Kaylee who was purchased from a wonderful breeder many years ago, my rescued Corgi Kirby who has all sorts of health and behavioral issues as a result of his puppy mill origins, and my rescued Border Collie Xander, who although quirky at times, is as fit, healthy, and astute as any comparably high priced pedigreed dog. I am also looking for the ideal breeder for my next border collie one day. I will openly admit that the advantage of seeking a carefully bred dog with a predictable structure and temperament is a greater guarantee of success in the sport I love. I have limited resources and space, and cannot adopt countless dogs in the hopes that one will grow up to have the traits I’m seeking. I was extremely fortunate with Xander, and could very well end up with another great rescue in the future, however the lure of the pedigree is hard to ignore.

To Lara, I wish you all the delightful puppy breath, scrapes from sharp puppy teeth, hugs and tail wags, sleepless nights, potty training adventures, and new trick training that a puppy brings. I hope that your chosen puppy turns out to be everything that you’ve ever wanted, but I know from experience that you will love her and care for her no matter what. A puppy is a puppy, and regardless of its background, should be loved and appreciated. I envision no perfect solution to the breeding debate; so I feel we must all do what is right for ourselves, be responsible for the lives we create, and do our best to educate the general public about responsible dog ownership. Perhaps one day we will all figure it out. Until then, love the pups you have, they are never in our lives long enough!