|
|
||
Designer dogs, mixing different breeds, appeal to folks who want something out of the ordinary. Date published: 2/12/2006
Puggles and doodles and cockapoos, oh my.
Forget the trusty German shepherd and faithful terrier. These days more and more dog owners are looking for something different. They're finding it in designer dogs--hybrids created by mating dogs of different breeds. "Everybody wants the new puggle," said Bonnie Hickey, owner of Pets Plus in Stafford County. "They were featured on one of the TV morning talk shows right before Christmas, and it created a buzz." Mary de Merle and Nathaniel Eskin of Spotsylvania County had never heard of a puggle, a cross between a pug and a beagle. The Lee's Hill residents were looking for a purebred beagle when they walked into Pets Plus. Then they saw Goldie, and fell in love. "She has these big, big soft brown eyes," de Merle said, "and her personality is unbelievable." Puggles are definitely the trendy designer dogs these days, according to Garry Garner of the American Canine Hybrid Club. The club is connected with America's Pet Registry Inc., an organization that registers hybrid puppies born of purebred parents, as well as purebred puppies. "Labradoodles are No. 1 overall," Garner said. "They're requested more than any other breed. But in the last couple of years, puggles have been at the top of the list." Labradoodles are a cross between a a Labrador retriever and a poodle. They were developed in Australia 15 to 20 years ago to provide allergy-free guide dogs. Poodles are involved in many of the crosses because they don't shed and are not apt to cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to dog hair. This was the case for Ann Lyons of Lee's Hill in Spotsylvania County. Her daughter, Sarah, is allergic to dogs, so they had never had one. Then Lyons' sister, Linda Seligmann, who has golden retrievers, told them about the golden retriever-poodle cross called a goldendoodle. "They're the cutest things you have ever seen in your life," Lyons said. And, she said, "They're incredibly social dogs. They want to play all the time." Lyons, who had a poodle as a child, says she can see "jumpy, bouncy poodleness" in their Sandy, as well as the sociability of the golden retriever.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
|
|
|||||||||||||
