Oo I think I'm confusing 'different' ie the kc registered Norwegian buhund, with new/designer..
Which are we talking about - or all of them?

Oooooh - get you Mr boring vanilla flavour labrador person.
(I am joking in case you are wondering)

People like novelty, hence even in an unusual breed like shar-pei, they want a blue one rather than the far more numerous reds, blacks and fawns. If the breed were predominantly blue they'd want red ones... says me who likes the longcoats by far the best and all things considered would choose a bearcoat wherever possible, though I've had a brushcoat and a horsecoat. Saying that, bearcoats are not sold for treble of what a well bred show quality pup would cost like the other common fault in the breed, which is the 'flowrered' ones - basically a mismark. I've even seen brindles of dubious quality go for a king's ransom.

At the moment, paying over the odds for crossbreeds with silly names seems to be in vogue. "Lets cross a bulldog with a shih-tzu - that will be so funny!" Toilet humour is not the best excuse for breeding dogs, but two of the most common pedigrees used in designer breeds are poodles and shih-tzu. I dooubt that's coincidence.

When it boils down to it, the breeds I have I chosen were because, as well as liking the looks, I knew they would be the ones that would fit with my personality and lifestyle. Apart from the shar-pei that chose me, but I'd already had a chow chow by then and they are very similar temperament wise. And was more important than aesthetics. If I had chosen, I would have gone for an akita at the time my first shar-pei chose me and I think the dog in question knew better than I did what breed would suit me better at that point in time.

Oh dear. I bet that happens quite a lot. I'm asthmatic, but not all dogs that shed seem to cause me equal problems. People need to do more homework than taking somebody's word that a crossbreed will be non shedding (unlikely). I am madly allergic to German shepherds and just being in a house with one is enough to have my eye streaming, snot running out of my nose and throat start to close up. I'm pretty sure that there was a recent scientific study that proved there was no such a thing as a hypoallergenic breed and it was a myth about dogs with hair type fur being safer.

Yet I have the biggest, hairiest dog you can imagine in a Tibetan Mastiff. And shar-pei are considered a breed that is likely to cause allergies. Neither myself or my mum who is worse than me with her asthma and tested positive to dog allergen antibodies have a problem with either. I did have a bit of a flare up when my horsecoat came to live with me after having a brushcoat, but the bearcoats never make me react as their coat is so soft compared to the correct coat textuee. The TM only sheds once a year, has next to no oil in the coat and even the dander level is very low. When I went to pick him up I stayed with the breeder for 3 days and was frequently sat on the floor with my arms round his mum or dad dad and if I was going to react, it would have happened. Thank goodness it didn't or I'd have been gutted... or more likely taken him anyway and got stronger antihistamines and asthma medication.

I would agree in many cases. I am certainly like my elder dog.

I often use a breed analogy for people. I do not think my uncle is too pleased at me calling him a staffy!

I figured it's more that people's lifestyle that has changed over the years and they want dogs that would accommodate that. A sort of evolution of the dog to match the human's social evolution.

I know I still want to see new breeds, mainly because I think it is only natural to keep the lines going in that direction. Some breeds will die out due to lack of popularity (like the white terrier) and new ones should be developed to fill in the void (like the EBT or the current development of the Berger Blanc Suisse.)

I know I had a hard time finding a dog that would fit my lifestyle that I agreed with aesthetically and ethically. I live in a desert and that automatically cuts me off from a lot of dogs that have no heat tolerance (Arctic dogs and dogs with respiratory problems.) I want a laid back dog (no high energy in or out of the house) that is trainable and has a decent recall since I live in the city/suburbs. Finally the dog should ideally be low maintenance fur/grooming wise and in the medium to small size category.

I have found dogs that would tick some of the boxes but not all (as we all know there is no ideal dog). But face it, a lot of the 'working' dogs are high energy that require a sporty family. And a lot of 'show' dogs are so incredibly high maintenance fur wise that its off-putting /and/ they no longer look like their sporty counter parts!! (cocker spaniels are a great example of this). I don't want a show or a sporting dog, I want a companion.

In fact that was the biggest problem I've found during my research. I'd love the 'sporty' or 'working' version of the dog, while the show-type is the personality ideally suited for me - but the show types tend to be bred to such extreme degrees (especially in the fur department) that you feel like you're buying an accessory more than a pet.

I feel that this is where people are getting stuck. The current breeds are pretty old school because they were made by the older generation for that specific lifestyle. Well, we no longer live like it's the 1800s. Yea, sure, Labradoodles and all those oodles are a pain in the rear end, but keep in mind there are still other new breeds being developed in an ethical and correct manner.

I think it started out purely with a desire to be different, and some people always try for that.

I personally dont have that desire, and the need to be different, i also like to know what (within breed range etc), that i am going to get.

I hate the word designer dogs you don't put dogs in windows and put expensive price tags on them


I love many of the new modern breeds that have come out and their are many hundreds of resposnible breeders ive seen getting their dogs vet checked, health tested exctra the same treatment in some cases as their pedigree competitors.

But popularity has all ways helped breeds survive but also helped done a lot of damage to breeds like the damand of the dalmation and the existance of puppy farms to keep up with that damand.

Yess people may becomming bored of traditional but as mentioned many of the traditional breeds have been crossed with something down the lines to help the breed along at some point.

Unfortunatly it is natural for many people to want something different to be able to brag about and get noticed for

As a species we want the bigger, smaller, cuter, scariest, strangest coloured whatever

and if people want it there will always be people trying to sell it

Thankfully with dogs there is also a strong nostalgia - often we are drawn to a dog who looks like one we loved as a child

I think the problem isnt so much the desire for something out of the ordenary
It is the lack of education about it
about the traits of each breed, about good breeders and everything
Sure the dog may look pretty - but people have to realise too that they have to live with the dog and all his personality traits and health faults

hmm of course except for the people who dont and just get rid of it and get another!

I love mongrels. I'd definitely consider another in the future. From a rescue centre/organisation, of course!

they just want to be seen to have something 'different' imo...nowt to do with boredom