Advice on purchasing a Cross Breed

monicaj

I am after some advice on sourcing a Cross Breed (Mongrel) from a good source
Where do I start looking for a King Charles Cavalier Crossbred with a Minature poodle. I’m not even going to mention the “designer name” it is after all a mongrel. I have found what appears on the surface to be a breeder of these and claims to have all the health check papers on the pure bred Parents, however they are charging upwards of £450.00- and this appears to be the norm. I would expect to pay this sort of money for a Pedigree – Are they charging these amounts because the Parents are purebreds? or because they are sought after?? Any advice would be appreciated
We have been researching having a puppy for months and months and have finally agreed that this breed would suit us perfectly in terms of size, exercise requirements, affectionate, children, looks etc etc. I understand that in crosses there will not be a 50/50 mix, but none of the characteristics of either breed cause any concern. I work from home and despite this being a very long awaited pet for my 7 year old daughter, I know I will end up doing most well probably all of the training and caring, therefore it has to be a breed (or cross) that I am happy to committ to for many many years.
PS – please no bashing us for wanting this cross, we have researched for months and months –we are not after a “designer” dog but love this little Mutt in everysense - would just like to understand why they cost so much?
Thanks
Monica

bugslet

Simple case of supply and demand - these types of crosses are popular so the 'breeders' charge the money they can get away with.

scheming_gypsy

As said, they can charge the prices because they can get away with it. All pedigree dogs are a cross of some sort its just that ridiculous names have become fashionable instead of sensible ones; people don't want to miss out on pedigree money.

and it's not a mongrel! it's a cross breed. (some people will say they're the same thing but to me a cross breed is two know breeds, whereas a mongrel has unknown parentage)

adouglasmhor

Unless it's a longdog or a lurcher, if it's not pedigree it's a mongrel in my view.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

They can charge that because there are people who say they want a CSC X Mini poodle. Like you are doing, for exactly the reasons you give.

You create the demand, they fill it at the price the market will stand.

krlyr

As said, they can get that much for them so they'll advertise them for that much.
The methods in choosing a reputable breeder still apply, I would advise you take a read of this page - http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/good_breeder

I would be asking myself (and the breeder) why they feel this combination is a good mix - what benefit does it have over a purebred CKCS or a Miniature Poodle? How do they plan to proceed with this cross, are they aiming to create a new breed? If so, how? Are the dogs they breed "F1", i.e. a King Charles bred with a mini Poodle, or are they carefully using selective breeding to aim for a dog with specific physical and behavioural traits? Are they working with any other breeders to achieve this goal?
I am sure that there are breeders out there who feel the breeds we have are not quite sufficient, and aim to create a new breed to fill a gap that other breeds do not suit, but I would be cynical about yet another Poodle cross and would want to grill the breeder to see if their intentions are genuine, or just going along with the fad to make money. If you are convinced that they're in it for the right reasons then the next step is to ensure they do all the appropriate healthtests. I know straight off the bat that the CKCS is prone to Syringomyelia, which is quite a nasty, painful condition. Hip dysplasia, patella luxation, epilepsy are just a few mentioned on CKCS websites. On the miniature Poodle side, there's Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Legg-Calve-Perthes, as well as a few that overlap the CKCS - again with the patella luxation and epilepsy. With these conditions happening in both breeds, I would want to be extra sure that the breeder has done any tests available and has a thorough, tracable history of the puppies' ancestors to minimise the chances of these occuring in their lines. Ignoring the monetary side of things, how heartbroken would your daughter be to see her dog go blind or lame, or screaming out in pain due to Syringomyelia (which generally, from what I've read, shows symptoms between 6 months to 3 years, so it's not an "elderly dog" issue)

Would you be tempted to go for one or the other breed, rather than a cross? Another option to consider would be to look out for a crossbreed in rescue - contacting both breedclubs could be worthwhile incase they are contacted regarding crossbreeds needing homes.

Person_one

I don't understand.

How can you be sure this is the dog you want when there's absolutely no way of knowing what its going to be like? It could have any combination of the physical or temperament characteristics of each breed.

krlyr

Person_one wrote: »

I don't understand.

How can you be sure this is the dog you want when there's absolutely no way of knowing what its going to be like? It could have any combination of the physical or temperament characteristics of each breed.

Maybe OP likes the physical attributes and typical behavioural characteristics of both breeds? Though sometimes a combination of the two can be worse than one or the other. e.g. I know of a GSD x Akita who the loyalty of the GSD in the home, but lacks the GSD "velcro" behaviour outside, so the owner's really had to work on getting the dog to accept visitors in the home but also has to keep the dog on a longline out on walks so it doesn't run off!

soccermom

it seems to me that any breed which has been mixed with a poodle is demanding big bucks. My friend has just deliberately bred the type you are describing and she got £650 each and sold them all in a month.

Person_one

krlyr wrote: »

Maybe OP likes the physical attributes and typical behavioural characteristics of both breeds? Though sometimes a combination of the two can be worse than one or the other. e.g. I know of a GSD x Akita who the loyalty of the GSD in the home, but lacks the GSD "velcro" behaviour outside, so the owner's really had to work on getting the dog to accept visitors in the home but also has to keep the dog on a longline out on walks so it doesn't run off!

But...if she likes both breeds why not get either one? A lot of the poodle crosses I see around seem to have completely unmanageable coats for one thing.

I can understand getting a crossbreed if you meet it and fall for it, you know what its like then, but I can't understand deliberately wanting an unknown quantity.

Person_one

soccermom wrote: »

it seems to me that any breed which has been mixed with a poodle is demanding big bucks. My friend has just deliberately bred the type you are describing and she got £650 each and sold them all in a month.

Yet nobody wants poodles.