Designer Dogs Fetch Top Dollar

Becy Stoppa's piece on designer dogs is very thought provoking - She reports on both the surprising popularity ( and cost!) of hybrid dogs and the  argument between purebreed / designer breed advocates about the better genetic "health" of the designer dogs...

The popularity of expensive hybrids is on the rise.By BECKY STOPPAAnchorage Daily NewsPublished: July 26, 2006AMWASILLA

 Mary Randall's Yorkshire terrier, Trigg, had a thing for Baby Girl, the flirty toy poodle next door."He'd been trying to get to her for a while," she said. But she and the poodle's owner, Danielle Smith, were determined to keep the two apart.One day this spring, though, when no one was looking, Trigg and Baby Girl stole a moment. The result: five of the cutest little Yorkie-poos you've ever seen.Yorkie-poos are just one of a growing number of designer dogs, or mixed-breed dogs, that have gained popularity in recent years.

The American Canine Hybrid Club lists about 350 mixed, or hybrid, breeds and registers some 500 hybrid litters a month -- 10 times more than it registered just five years ago, according to Garry Garner, club president."It surprises me every time I've counted them," Garner said.These hybrids, with names like Labradoodle (Labrador retriever and poodle), Schnorkie (schnauzer and Yorkshire terrier) and Chiweenie (Chihuahua and dachshund), often fetch more money than their purebred peers, he said.The puggle, a pug-beagle mix that currently tops the popularity list among designer dogs, for instance, goes for as much as $1,500 -- hundreds more than either purebred pugs or purebred beagles, Garner said.  Read More

adn.com | alaska : Designer dogs fetch top dollar, hearts of owners

technorati tags:puggle, hybrid, breed