Backyard-Bred Designer Dogs Plague Animal Shelters

Amateurs Breeding Sick Animals With Health & Behavioral Problems

John Slattery Reporting

(CBS) HUNTINGTON, N.Y. Mixed breeds or mutts used
to cost little or nothing. But in recent years,
certain cross-breeds like the so-called Lhasa-poo
from a Lhasa-Apso and a Poodle have become a
popular boutique breed that can cost thousands of
dollars, but the dogs may have medical or behavioral problems.

A Cock-akita is from a Cocker Spaniel and an
Akita. A cross from a Pit Bull and labrador is a
Pitador. Offspring of a Poodle and Schnauzer is a
Schnoodle. A Pug and a Beagle? A Puggle.

Why do dog breeders do it? "I think they thought
if we put two breeds together, we can come up
with the best traits of both. But that's not what
happening," said Maryann Chernovsky, director of
the Little Shelter Animal Adoption Center in Huntington, Long Island.

The staff there has seen a surge in the surrender
of these designer dogs, because of problems like
they recently saw in a puggle. Chernovsky said,
"That dog was born with a deformity on its face."

There's a dirty little secret in some of these
boutique breeds: undesirable traits. Chernovsky
said, "The problems are both behavioral and in many cases also health issues."

A Bichon mix at the shelter is partially blind
and completely deaf. A Labradoodle came in with
hip problems, according to veterinary technician Brooke DeSantis.

"We brought the dog down to our vet. We did
X-rays, and the dog was born without a femur head," DeSantis said.

DeSantis suggested that the problem with many of
these designer dogs is that they are in-bred by
people who don't know what they're doing. "They
backyard bred. They hobby breed, and instead of
getting good genes, they get bad genes," DeSantis said.

Advice on how to choose a mixed breed is to find
out as much as you can about the dog's parents --
their temperament and any medical problems.

While designer dogs like Labradoodles and
Schnoodles are becoming increasingly popular,
they are not registered breeds with the American Kennel Club.

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