Designer Dogs Dumped!

Keno's Mom · 02-15-2007, 07:32 PM

About time someone prints the truth to the public!

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.p...214-B1-02.html

RonE · 02-15-2007, 07:48 PM

That's a good article and puts the problem in perspective.

The people buying these dogs and dumping them a few weeks or months later aren't the ones spending time on this forum or at the dog parks or in puppy classes. They're the ones looking for cute decorations.

BTW, the 'bug' (Boston Terrier/Pug) in the picture looks just like E.T. (the Extraterrestrial, for you youngsters out there.)

Meghan&Pedro · 02-15-2007, 10:31 PM

Thats great to have this starting to come to light to the general public.

Meghan

babydolwv · 02-15-2007, 10:52 PM

well lets hope that makes a few ppl think before buying a dog!! prob not some of them as they think oh im not like that... then they turn around and do it... i think any dog is a great dog with a bit of training and love

lovemygreys · 02-16-2007, 05:51 AM

No real surprises in that story....people who buy designer dogs generally think they are going to be some "magical perfect dog" that will require zero work and will have zero behavior issues and zero shedding. It only stands to reason that someone who didn't want to put any work/effort into their pet, isn't going to want to put an work/effort into rehoming them...nope, just dump 'em at the shelter and let the taxpayers deal with it.

Same philosophy goes for all the people who buy a lab or golden or JRT or <insert breed here> b/c they look so darn nice and fluffy and cute in the Eddie Bauer catalogs or on TV shows....no one takes into consideration all the time/work/effort that goes into getting those dogs to look that way.

peace36 · 02-16-2007, 07:44 AM

That is sad. I did notice that the article stated that there is a difference between a designer dog and a mutt. Mutt is of unknown ancestery. Designer dog is purposely bred 2 pure bred dogs.

I do wonder if the pounds are more full because of designer dogs. I think the people who got these dogs would have gotten a different dog and ditched it anyway if the designers were not availble.

The article states that the designer labordoodle made a wonderful family pet.

I think like I may have said before the designer dogs or mutts or purebreds are not the problem. The problem is people. They need to keep their dogs!

RobDar · 02-16-2007, 07:55 AM

[quote=RonE;35055]A bored Plott is a force of Nature!1 LOL!! LOL!!! good lord how true that is!!![quote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovemygreys

No real surprises in that story....people who buy designer dogs generally think they are going to be some "magical perfect dog" that will require zero work and will have zero behavior issues and zero shedding. It only stands to reason that someone who didn't want to put any work/effort into their pet, isn't going to want to put an work/effort into rehoming them...nope, just dump 'em at the shelter and let the taxpayers deal with it.

Same philosophy goes for all the people who buy a lab or golden or JRT or <insert breed here> b/c they look so darn nice and fluffy and cute in the Eddie Bauer catalogs or on TV shows....no one takes into consideration all the time/work/effort that goes into getting those dogs to look that way.

BINGO!!!!!!
most people put more time and effort into chosing their new refridgerator than the do their new dog.

Captbob · 02-16-2007, 09:58 AM

Most people don't have a clue as to what getting a new dog as a member of your household, entails. They are lazy about training the dog, having it spayed or neutered, taking it to the vet, walking and exercising the dog, socializing the dog, etc.. etc... It's such a shame that the dog has to suffer because of it's rather stupid master...

carolann · 02-16-2007, 10:04 AM

So that's what a labrodoodle looks like! Interesting.

Getting these dogs is just like parents who get their children live bunnies for Easter. Once the newness wears off no one wants to take care of the animal anymore and they get rid of it however they can. It's only an animal, right. What difference does it make! It's not like they have feelings.

What has always baffled me is why these people want a dog in the first place. They don't spend any time or effort on him. They bring a dog home and when he chews up a piece of furniture because he is bored and no one pays attention, the dog is tied up in the back yard alone and ignored. Even worse, dumped off on some country road left to fend for themselves or starve. Oh well, it's only a dog.

If my Copper was in a burning house, I would run in to save him. No question about it.

Laurelin · 02-16-2007, 10:12 AM

That's a major problem with many designer owners as well as many people hopping on the toy dog fad- they don't think that they will be dogs. When they learn they STILL have to work and the dogs STILL shed and STILL need attention they dump them. It's very sad.

Weebles · 02-16-2007, 10:39 AM

Umm... this is not just a problem with designer dogs. I know lots of people (including myself) who love their designer dogs and think of them as their fur children or parts of their families. I think this same problem occurs with all breeds - that's why there are so many problems with pit bulls and aggressive dogs - people don't take the time to train them and take care of them properly.

Keno's Mom · 02-16-2007, 11:02 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's what a labrodoodle looks like! Interesting

That's what that ONE particular labradoodle looks like. Since its a mix, you get all kinds of results - they are not consistant. There are some that look more poodle, some look more lab and some inbetween.

Don't take the picture as the truth of the designer dog.

peace36 · 02-16-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keno's Mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's what a labrodoodle looks like! Interesting

That's what that ONE particular labradoodle looks like. Since its a mix, you get all kinds of results - they are not consistant. There are some that look more poodle, some look more lab and some inbetween.

Don't take the picture as the truth of the designer dog.

Their looks may vairy but I bet they are all still pretty darn cute.

Laurelin · 02-16-2007, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weebles

Umm... this is not just a problem with designer dogs. I know lots of people (including myself) who love their designer dogs and think of them as their fur children or parts of their families. I think this same problem occurs with all breeds - that's why there are so many problems with pit bulls and aggressive dogs - people don't take the time to train them and take care of them properly.

If you read what I said, I said many designer owners. Designers are a fad and small dogs are a fad and with these fads, many people who should not have dogs end up with them. It happens with all breeds, but as always it happens the most with the current trends. Remember 101 dalmatians? Or any other movie or celebrity owned dog that started a fad? People rush out to buy them, they are massed produced and magically these dogs still require work. Designer dogs work the same way. Unfortunately for me and for you the fad is to cross any dog, particularly a small breed, and to hand it out as no work pets. The trend is something small and fluffy- preferably mixed- that you can carry around in a purse.

Kerry · 02-18-2007, 10:39 AM

I still say that a cockapoo isn't a "fad". This mix has been around for over 40 years.
Why is it a negative thing to describe a dog as a "no work" pet or as not having a job? How many people use terriers to chase rats or labs to retrieve ducks? They are household pets. That isn't a fair criticism of designer dogs.

Impulse buying is the problem, not what kind of dog someone chooses. And I agree about the goldens and labs...they look so adorable, but people don't know how big they get, how much they shed, and how much exercise they need.

tully · 02-18-2007, 10:52 AM

Well, I just posted but will post here also. This is bugging me because there are tons of dogs in rescue. All types of breeds and mutts. People who get designer dogs are the same part of the population that get a Lab or a German Shep etc. Don't start using the designer point as your argument against new breeds. Again, I have a goldendoodle, who is now 1, had him since he was 8 weeks and I adore him! He is yes cute, fluffy, also demanding, active, chews etc. Everything that my Lab was as a pup. I love dogs and wanted another one. I wanted something different. I got him from a great breeder who I would recommend to anyone! He is our clown and makes us all laugh. I could not imagine not having him. Soo, I have a problem with this one sided conversation! If you don't know dogs, especially puppies, it doesn't matter what the breed is. There are those that will dump them and those that wont! And, he doesn't shed, that is not why I got him, but he doesn't. The Labdoodle sheds much more and again you have the Lab to contend with. I am not saying every designer dog should be created as I don't know about all of them. I can tell you I would get a goldendoodle again in a minute! I love him!

tully · 02-18-2007, 11:07 AM

This is my adorable goldendoodle!

Curbside Prophet · 02-18-2007, 11:08 AM

It's pretty simple, just as people meticulously customize a cup of coffee to suit their mood...a lowfat, decaf, mocha latte with chocolate sprinkles is particularly good...people want to design their pets to match their lifestyle. Maybe if the Humane Society promoted themselves as the Starbucks of dogs, and sold the dogs for hundreds of dollars people would flock to them. Instead, we have people promoting the breeding of mutts to fulfill a trend...wonderful. No wonder 20+ million dogs are euthanized every year here in the states.

The Designer Dog breed quiz--can you tell which is which?

tully · 02-18-2007, 11:13 AM

Sounds pretty self rightous to me:

Sorry but I really have a problem with this thread. Like I said, there are all kinds of breeds, mutts etc. There will be people that take owning their animals seriously and those that wont. Where do you think all the millions of the breeds we have came from? Let's not be so closed minded. There is chaff and wheat. There will be fall out some will stay and some will go. Not everything is a trend.

peace36 · 02-18-2007, 11:15 AM

There have been mutts for what seems like forever. I do not really think this is a new trend. Some people prefer mixed breeds mutts or designer dogs over a purebred and it is worth it for them to spend the same amount as some one spending it on a pure bred to get what they want.

There all decendents of the Wolf any way so there had to be all sorts of different breeding going on to get all these different pure breeds. I dont hear anyone complaining about that.