Designer Dog Breeds

Do you own a Cockapoo? If you do, your pet is one of the designer dog breeds.

photo courtesy of p.rioux

Not a breed, per say, but a popular mixed breed with two distinctive breed combinations.

One half of the designer dog breeds are poodles, whereas the other half is usually from the sporting dog breeds, terrier dog breeds or toy dog breeds.

A few of the popular mixed breed dogs are listed below.

Sporting Dogs

You'll find many sporting breeds mixed with other breeds from all over the AKC groups. These are the most popular sporting mixes.

Lab and Golden Retriever,

Lab and German Shepherd,

Lab and Dachshund,

Lab and Chihuahua.

Don't ask me how on those last two!

These are high energy dogs, and will use their hunting abilities to their fullest.

If you plan on one of these for your pet, don't go to a backyard breeder. Chances are this coupling was an accident.

Check out the local animal shelter or breed rescue for a sporting mix.

Hounds

Basset and Beagle,

Bloodhound and Coonhound.

You can usually tell a hound/mix in a dog by the long body, legs and floppy ears.

They are usually bred to other hounds to create the mixed breed. These dogs are great with kids and other animals and love to be outside.

They are also "talkative" baying or yowling whenever excited.

Terriers

Most terrier mixes make good pets. These little guys usually have a wiry coat and a big dog personality.

They can be scrappy and territorial but generally a good pick for a pet.

I don't recommend any Pit Bull type of mix. A lot of people own them and in many states in the U.S. they are on the "dangerous dogs list."

People have been known to breed them for fighting purposes, which is illegal. Also, these dogs make up the majority of shelter dogs all over the country.

Poodle Mix

These are the most popular. A few favorites are:

Labradoodle - Labrador Retriever and Poodle,

Cockapoo - Cocker Spaniel and Poodle,

Yorkiepoo - Yorkshire Terrier and Toy Poodle,

Lhasapoo - Lhasa Apso and Toy Poodle,

Peekapoo - Pekingese and Toy Poodle,

Shitzapoo - Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle.

You'll find a great pet in any of these mixed breeds. Most are small guys who are great lap dogs and good companions.

There are breeders who specifically breed these designer dogs because they are so popular. Especially, the Poodle mixes.

As stated previously, if you are interested in any of these types of dogs, contact your local animal shelter or breed rescue for information on how to go about adopting one or more of these dogs.

Avoid backyard breeders who do not have the experience of the professionals.