I think it all depends on the breeders. Some are obviously in it for the money, whereas others do care about the designer breed. If possible try to visit the breeder’s facilities and talk to other customers. Do your due diligence and you will have a better chance of getting a good price, and a healthy dog.

My issue with “designer dogs” is the fact that people are just taking well-established breeds and combining them to see what they get out of it. I have no issue with new breeds being developed if there is no current breed of dog that can satisfy the requirement of the task. Labradoodles/Goldendoodles originally started out with great intentions- to create a hypoallergenic family dog that could also serve as a therapy dog due to the normally well-balanced nature of Labradors/Golden Retrievers, the Poodle’s high intelligent and hypoallergenic coat, and the adaptability, trainability, and versatility of all the breeds. And if the breeding of these dogs to create a new “breed”was carefully monitored, unfavorable dogs desexed in order to more finely hone in on the desired traits (as was done originally with dog breeding), testing for various genetic conditions occurred ROUTINELY, other breeds of dog were considered to be mixed into the pool to further progress this “breed”, and you could prove to me that there really was no alternative to creating a new breed of dog, I would fully support this. It is what has been happening for generations to create all of the recognized dog breeds we had today.

However, while this may be the case for some breeders, it certainly isn’t the case for all and has opened the floodgates for backyard breeders, puppy mills, and the creation of other new “breeds”, which is unregulated and is resulting in an overabundance of dogs who’s purpose could be fulfilled by an already established breed or perhaps by an “unwanted” shelter dog. Instead, people have ready access to a variety of crossbred dogs, often sold for outrageous prices, all while hearing horrible rumors about how they shouldn’t adopt from shelters because the dogs are “unstable” and “they won’t find what they’re looking for” and other such lies.

I am all for innovation and progression, we wouldn’t have anything we have today without it (and this goes beyond just dog breeds!), but designer dogs are not innovative or progressive. They are literally just a combination of dogs people think will mix well, or produce cute puppies, or just intact dogs people have access to that they breed together. And it’s a shame it is this way because I’m certain there are breeders out there who are working hard to create new breeds of dogs that serve a purpose, and people that raise sled dogs, hunting dogs, working dogs, etc., that know the traits they want, are responsible with breeding, and are creating wonderful stock that suits the exact purpose they were intended for, but they are overshadowed by puppy mills and backyard breeders. But unless you are one of those people, don’t breed your dogs. And if you’re looking to get a dog, go to a shelter, go to a responsible breeder if you want a purebred puppy (or a breed-specific shelter, you’d be surprised by what you can find!). And if you want a dog for a specific purpose and just can’t find a breed that meets that, don’t immediately turn to a designer dog. Search the shelters, petfinder.com is a wonderful resource, chances are you will find exactly what you’re looking for if you go in with the right attitude. And if you don’t want to go the shelter route, at least talk to reputable breeders to see if there is someone out there who is innovative, progressive, and responsible and is breeding high-quality crossbred dogs that may suit your needs.

Do your research. Realize that the “perfect dog” isn’t going to descend from the heavens and land on your lap. Be open-minded. Don’t turn away from shelters. Don’t be “ashamed” to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder if you can’t find the right shelter dog (and this is coming from a “don’t shop, adopt” activist! I realize that sometimes people want a purebred dog that has been health-checked, socialize, and who’s lineage can be traced back generations, and that’s okay!).

On another note, pity the pet store puppies. A lot of them have it worse than shelter dogs. It’s a horrible line to walk- not wanting to support backyard breeders and not wanting these innocent puppies to suffer. I can’t give any advice on this topic because I honestly don’t know what the right answer is here. It’s easy to advocate “don’t buy from pet stores, you’re supporting irresponsible breeding” and while I 100% believe that, I can’t go around preaching it because what happens to those puppies that are already there? They need rescuing just as much as any shelter dog, but yet buying them supports putting more puppies into their condition. Pet stores should just not be able to sell puppies that aren’t from reputable breeders, plain and simple, but until that happens, I just don’t know what to do with the puppies already in their care and it breaks my heart to see their sad little faces with their huge pricetags that serve only to support putting more puppies in their place once they’re sold.

there are not a lot of reputable Pomsky breeders that I am seeing on the net.

Yeah, that will be the case for the less mature breeds, because fewer breeders are involved. The temperament and ‘look’ will also evolve a lot more in the early stages.

Another possibility is to adopt an adult dog that is of our target breeds. In this way, the temperament of the dog will already be established.

Shiba:

Thank you for taking a moment to respond. I only learned about that breed once I began doing research on the Pomsky. My understanding of the breed is that they can be a little skittish/have socialization issues and also that you can’t let them off a leash. I do plan on informing my readers about the Alaskan Klee and other alternatives. Because, frankly…there are not a lot of reputable Pomsky breeders that I am seeing on the net.

If I were interested in buying a designer or mixed breed dog, I would look up Club registered breeders for each of the breeds, and talk to them to see if they have any friends who are experimenting with cross breeding. The Husky breeders I have met know a lot about their breed, know a lot about dog breeding, and enjoy talking about their passion. They also keep in touch with other responsible breeders, and keep track of good stud dogs. 😀

Btw. if you are looking for a smaller Husky, the Alaskan Klee Kai may be a possible candidate.

I think petfinder is another great resource. I spent many hours on the site, going through pictures and descriptions, when I was looking for a second dog.

Your article says do not buy from pet stores or online stores. What do you mean by an online store and if not from these two sources, where should someone by a dog from?

I am putting together information about the Pomsky designer breed but am concerned about leading readers to unscrupulous breeders.