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Designer Dogs - New At Neiman Marcus

Did you know Ralph Lauren now makes a dog? Have you checked your Cockapoo for a DKNY stamp on its' butt? Designer dogs are all the rage in these days of "must have what Paris has".

The actual usage of the term "designer dog" means, of course, that the dog has been bred by design to encourage certain traits (and discourage others).

This is a tricky business, unless you are breeding for sheer "cuteness", flip a coin as to whether or not you will get the genetic outcome that you seek.

Breeders across America started cross breeding in the 1980's when it became apparent that the shedding (or non-shedding) gene in poodles appeared to be quite dominant and easily transferred to puppies almost regardless of the other "parent". The usual pet allergy is an allergy to the dander, not necessarily to the pet hair. Dander is the combination of dead skin cells, skin oils, dirt, dust, and anything else that "sloughs" off of a dog's coat.

All Dogs Shed.

All dogs shed hair if they have hair. That being said, some breeds do not shed dander in the form of oils and allergens. Poodles have been long known as THE "non-shedding" breed, others include: the Bichon Frise, the Schnauzer, the Soft-coated Wheaton Terrier. These are also the most popular for cross-breeding. When checking into a designer dog breed (or any puppy), look for a reputable breeder. This is crucial for making sure you are getting what you want; it is easy to pass off a poorly bred puppy as a designer dog, do you know the difference between an over/poorly bred Poodle and a Cockapoo? Be sure to LOOK at both dame and sire in person. Puppies should have the attributes of BOTH parents, or may look exactly like one. It is still highly recommended that purebred to purebred returns the best results: Pure Cocker x Pure Poodle, Pure Schnauzer x Pure Poodle.

A Few Popular Designer Dog Breeds

Along came a Cocker Spaniel with all of the problems this breed encounters, and hooked up with a Poodle. The Cockapoo was born! Adorable little dogs of 15-25lbs depending on the weight of the parents. If a well bred Cocker mates with a well bred poodle, the results are often: far fewer ear infections, far less shedding, and a sturdier dog that can rough house with the kids.

A feisty Schnauzer met a demure Poodle and a Schnoodle was born. If you have difficulty with the breed name, it may be easier to call these little dogs "bounce". For that is exactly what they do. Great little guys weighing in around 10-15lbs, will be the biggest "small" dog you ever own! Full of spunk and vigor, they fear nothing, yet run to your lap when things get out of control. Again, very little or no shedding is expected from this breed.

One of the latest designer dog breeds is the Teddy Bear. This is the cross of the Shih Tsu and the Bichon Frise. What a gorgeous puppy this produces, again with very low shedding. A sign should be hung above these pups reading, "My owner must LOVE to comb me!" Still considered to be non-shedding, these pups will lose hair, they are not a double-coated breed and therefore will not "blow" a coat twice a year.

Other popular small designer dog breeds include: LhasaPoo, BichonPoo, YorkiePoo, ShihPoo, MaltePoo, Puggle (Pug x Beagle), Cockaleer (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Cocker Spaniel), Cavachon (Cavelier KCS x Bichon), LhasaTese (Lhasa Apso x Maltese), WheatonPoo.

Large breed designer dogs include: Labradoodle (Lab x Standard Poodle), Golden doodle (Golden Retriever x Standard Poodle).

Learn more about this author, Christine Cameron.
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