Designer dog breeds may sound glamorous, but a “designer dog” — or hybrid dog — just means a dog whose parents are purebreds from two different breeds. To ensure you have true designer dog breeds, it’s essential to know what percentages the dogs are from each of their purebred parents. If a breeder doesn’t know the percentage, then the dog isn’t considered a designer dog, but a mixed-breed dog.
If purchasing a designer dog is important to you, do your homework and work with a reputable breeder to ensure you’re getting the type of dog you desire. While designer dogs can be expensive, they make fabulous pets.
Before choosing the designer dog that’s right for your family, here’s a rundown on 15 of the most popular choices, along with a few pros and cons of each:
- Labradoodle
This dog is a cross between a Labrador retriever and a poodle, resulting in a well-mannered dog that’s a light shedder and full of energy.
- Pomapoo
A cross between a toy poodle and a Pomeranian, the Pomapoo is a small dog known for being affectionate and intelligent, but they might be a little too delicate to be played with by children.
- Schnoodle
A highly friendly dog, a Schnoodle is a mix of a miniature Schnauzer and a poodle. Schnoodles need regular grooming and are barkers, but they get along well with other dogs.
- Terripoo
A Terripoo is a hybrid that mixes an Australian terrier and a poodle. Terripoos tend to be quiet dogs that are good with people, but they need regular grooming.
- Puggle
A Puggle is a combination of a pug and a beagle. These hybrids are active, friendly dogs that can be a bit difficult to train.
- Chorkie
A cross between a Chihuahua and a Yorkshire terrier, a Chorkie is a friendly, low-shedding pet that can be noisy and hard to train.
- Pugapoo
This dog is a cross between a pug and a poodle. It’s friendly, quiet and a low shedder. Pugapoos can be a bit difficult to train.
- Sheepadoodle
A hybrid of an Old English sheepdog and a poodle, a Sheepadoodle is a friendly dog that gets along well with people and other pets. They are fairly easy to train, but they aren’t as energetic as some other kinds of dogs.
- Mal-Shi
A cross between a Maltese and a Shih Tzu, this friendly dog gets along well with people but can be quite noisy and needs very regular grooming.
- Chiweenie
A Chiweenie is a cross between a Chihuahua and a dachshund. Chiweenies are energetic and good with people, but they can be frequent barkers.
- Pomsky
A hybrid of a Pomeranian and a husky, a Pomsky is a smart dog with a lot of energy. It also tends to howl.
- Frenchie Pug
A Frenchie pug is a cross between a pug and a French bulldog. These dogs are quiet and low shedders, but they aren’t as friendly as other dogs and don’t always get along with other pets.
- Doxiepoo
This is a hybrid of a dachshund and a poodle. Doxiepoos are friendly and don’t need constant grooming, but they can be noisy and fairly difficult to train.
- Cockapoo
A Cockapoo is a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle. These are very friendly dogs that get along well with people and other pets. They need regular grooming and can shed quite a bit.
- Borador
A Borador is a hybrid of a border collie and a Labrador retriever. Boradors are friendly, trainable and low-shedding. They are also very active.
And check out these 10 Great Dog Breeds for Families.
Sara Ipatenco is a former elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom and freelance writer. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in child development and elementary education, and has been published in “Teaching Tolerance” and “Family Fun” magazines.
