Via Fark comes this MSNBC story about the latest crazes in pets: Designer dogs:
Mixed-breed dogs, once the domain of U.S. animal shelters, are being sought by an increasing number of Americans looking for special pooches. Intentionally bred and cutely named, today's special-order mixes have newfound status — and a purebred price tag."When there were a bunch of them around and a lot of them were in the shelter, you'd call them mutts," said Stephen Zawistowski, science adviser at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about the popular mixes that used to accidentally appear.
Sought-after mixes, some of which can fetch up to $4,000, are the labradoodle, a cross between the Labrador and the poodle; the schnoodle, a schnauzer-poodle mix; the goldendoodle, a golden retriever-poodle mix; the cockapoo, a cocker spaniel-poodle match; and the yorkipoo, a cross between a Yorkshire terrier and a poodle...
...The bagel, a mix between a basset hound and a beagle, is typically found in shelters.
"Right now, there is a stronger interest in crosses than in registered breeds," said breeder Jennifer Connell of Breezy Hill Kennel in Hartsburg, Missouri.
The popularity of "doodle dogs" stems from the combination of the poodle's non-shedding, allergy-friendly coat with the intelligence, temperament and size of Labradors, golden retrievers, schnauzers and Yorkshire terriers.