Apparently there's a new kind of dog that is sweeping the streets of New York with its popularity. Do you know what it is?

They're called "Puggles" and are a cross between Beagles and Pugs. They're small and cute, and quite the cat's meow, from what I understand.

It's interesting to see all the different kinds of cross breeds out there that are gaining in popularity. Obviously my dog Kera, being a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever is another shining example of what some people consider "the best of both worlds" when they decide to do a mixed breeding.

I'd like to think she started the trend in crossing popular breeds, but I know that this isn't the case... (Try not to let that get back to her, OK?).

What used to be called mutts, mixes, or mongrels are now being called Wildly Popular! And why not? Cross breeds often display a unique set of assets from each parent when it comes to personality, health and appearance.

Poodle mixes, for example, such as Labradoodles (Labrador x Poodle), Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle), and Yorkie Poos (Yorkshire Terrier x Poodle), are prized for their intelligence and their shed- and allergy-free coats.

SouthEastern Guide Dogs, Inc (Kera's breeder) feels that Goldadors like Kera have the resiliency of a Lab and the people-orientation of a Golden, without being as clingy as a purebred Golden Retriever might be.

I think a lot of mixed-breeds are popular just for the novelty value. They are cute and they get people talking. Puggles impressed the Press, after all! It's certainly not for their price tag. A cute little puggle puppy can cost $600 or more!

If you are thinking of getting a mixed-breed dog, make sure you find out whether each of its parents were purebred or mixed breeds.

When you breed two mixes, there's a lot more uncertainty about what you're going to come out with. For example, SouthEastern Guide Dogs, Inc. does not let Goldadors breed in order to create more Goldadors.

They're afraid that each Goldador could pass on mainly Labrador genes and the resulting pups would be Labrador-gene dominant. The same thing could happen if both parents passed on mostly Golden Retriever genes. When each parent is a purebred, you know the pups will be half-and-half. When each parent is a mixed-breed, the resulting pups are more likely to predominantly display the characteristics of one of the source breeds.

That's fine if you're simply going for a friendly pup, and in fact, over time many new breeds are developed by this type of mixing.

However, if you're looking for a mixed breed puppy with the expectation that he will have a certain "look" or other specific characteristics, a mix born of pure-bred parents will produce a more predictable result.

If you are a dog lover and need more help choosing the right pup for you, next time around, be sure to check out the Dog Buying Tips article I wrote for just such a circumstance.

In addition, keep your eyes peeled for these fun mixes on the street. It's amazing to see the fun, intelligent variety of dogs in this world!

Until next time,

Emily Cressey

P.S. If your new puppy needs potty training assistance, you owe it to him to check out these potty training tips!

Copyright 2005, Emily Cressey.

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