# What are your veiws on cross breeding?



## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

I just had a quick look on the net as I wanted to see what a german shepherd and a australian shepherd would look like, Couldn't find much about it. And a picture that I did see looked more like a pure bred shepherd. Would you ever cross breed?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

no.

75% of dogs in shelters are still crosses or mixed-breed dogs.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

I have a "cross breed" she's a mutt really, Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix, and she's a pain in my rear. She's really really annoying due to her really bad anxiety. My pure bred is awesome, he's a great dog, don't get me wrong Molly (the mix) is a great dog her anxiety just makes her really hard to live with sometimes.

IMO cross breeds are just mutts, and you can find a ton of them in shelters across the country. So to answer your question, no when I can go to my local shelter and rescues and find a great mixed dog.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Growing up we always had mutts-they were stray dogs that we took in. They were some of the best dogs. However, no I do NOT believe they should be bred. Heck, 1/2 the pure bred GSD I don't think should even be bred.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Nope - no cross bred dogs...no "designer breeds"....and yes, as above - so many purebred or as often advertised "purebread/purebreed AKC" dogs should not be bred either.

Lee


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

Come on guys! Think of how beautiful an American Bulldog, Border Terrier, and Greyhound mix would be. 

Heck no I would never "cross breed". I would adopt a "designer dog" from a shelter.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Gosh that would turn out as one excited, energetic hypo dog!!


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Gosh that would turn out as one excited, energetic hypo dog!!


don't forget stubborn.


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## ed1911 (Jan 19, 2011)

Really, just to see what it will look like?


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

ed1911 said:


> Really, just to see what it will look like?


 
Yes, I love the Gsd and the Australian shepherd, I was just curious!


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZYs67WRB4g/TYTL9bwMIUI/AAAAAAAAOb4/Ta5QvXo0xaI/s1600/2.jpg

We could strive for something like this.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

jaggirl47 said:


> http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZYs67WRB4g/TYTL9bwMIUI/AAAAAAAAOb4/Ta5QvXo0xaI/s1600/2.jpg
> 
> We could strive for something like this.


 
Ha ha ha ha What was that it looked like a witch dog!!


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

That was 2008's world's ugliest dog winner. lol


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## ed1911 (Jan 19, 2011)

Life, by John.: Moore Pets.
It looks like a mut


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

jaggirl47 said:


> http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZYs67WRB4g/TYTL9bwMIUI/AAAAAAAAOb4/Ta5QvXo0xaI/s1600/2.jpg
> 
> We could strive for something like this.


 
Lion dog and panda dog! Strange!!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

If I had a job that needed to be done, and the two dogs that did it best were different breeds, maybe. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of people crossing Mals and GSDs for military/police work. Or maybe if I owned a large sheep or cattle ranch and my very best herding dogs were different breeds, I might breed the dogs, keep some pups to work my own ranch and then give/sell the others to rancher friends. 

But never for pets or looks.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

So who can find the most ugliest looking dog picture?


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

Doobious Photo of the Day #42


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

If people didn't cross breed we wouldn't have GSD's. 

If I had a reason to believe I could develop a dog with specific qualities that were lacking in other breeds, yes, I would cross breed. If I was a breeder that is.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

jaggirl47 said:


> Doobious Photo of the Day #42


 
Ugly looking dog Ha ha you beat me to it..


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Ugly looking dog Ha ha you beat me to it..


Did you see the one with the stick in his mouth? That is Sam. Multiple times voted ugliest dog in the world. lol


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

jaggirl47 said:


> Did you see the one with the stick in his mouth? That is Sam. Multiple times voted ugliest dog in the world. lol


 
Yup its what nightmares are made of


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Whiteshepherds said:


> If people didn't cross breed we wouldn't have GSD's.
> 
> If I had a reason to believe I could develop a dog with specific qualities that were lacking in other breeds, yes, I would cross breed. If I was a breeder that is.


Actually, what Max did was NOT cross breeding. He found the best sheep herding dogs he could find, and bred them together. He set up the SV and started registering dogs. he created a standard for the dogs, and breed tests. He did a LOT of research. He went to many different countries and photographed sheep herding dogs in many places. He did research into wolves, and early dogs, he looked at working dogs as well. He did not just throw two dogs together.

It was not like taking a Labrador Retriever, mixing it with a Poodle and cranking out Labradoodles at $1800 per puppy. 

If you have a working ranch and need dogs for a specific purpose and what is currently out there does not do it for you, then go ahead and mix up a concoction that can herd cattle and hunt rattle snakes and fight bears. Document everything and cull, cull, cull, and maybe you will make something functional. 

But 99.999% of the time (yeah I pulled that number out of thin air) it will make no sense and will not result in anything any more utilitarian than what is currently available. 

We cannot seem to even keep the breeds we have where they ought to be, but we can think about making more breeds?


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

[quoteIt was not like taking a Labrador Retriever, mixing it with a Poodle and cranking out Labradoodles at $1800 per puppy. 

][/quote]

The sad thing about doing this is people take two very trainable, intelligent breeds and create a spaztic creature.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I think the Dogo Argentino is a good example of this. They needed a dog to hut hogs in the thick underbrush in South America. So the Dogo was developed. NOT a family pet, but a good hog dog.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

In general I do not agree with cross-breeding. However given how narrow/small the gene pool is in some breeds, it almost seems like some "new blood" would be a good thing, beneficial to the breed if done very carefully.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I read somewhere that you can inject a different breed of dog and then breed back to the breed in an attempt to eliminate some genetic problems. Because I do not know the success and the ramifications of doing that, I would withhold any judgement on that. But that is not breeding to produce a cross-bred dog. That is breeding with the intent of adding in a strain of dog to eliminate a problem and then breed back outward to try to maintain the original breed characteristics.


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

Chicagocanine said:


> In general I do not agree with cross-breeding. However given how narrow/small the gene pool is in some breeds, it almost seems like some "new blood" would be a good thing, beneficial to the breed if done very carefully.


Are you saying that peke-a-poo's, labradoodles, puggles, and bull-s**ts are not carefully selected?


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

My King is a mix one of the best dogs I've ever had but I would never cross breed or pay for a "designer dog" 
A friend of mine has dobermans and we used to joke that we could make designer "Dollies" if we mixed them with my collies. A dog that would herd all the bad guys up before taking them out.


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Or, if Timmy fell in the well...the Dollie wouldn't let him out.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

My only thought on cross breeding is "WHY?"


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

I personally don't agree with cross breeding, I was reading an article the other day on out-crossing (specifically in the Dalmatian to help alleviate the urinary issues) and I think if done very, very carefully may be beneficial.. but the x/y/z-poos and doodles? I think not.

For the OP, my housemate has a GSD/aussie mix..


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

I am against cross breeding UNLESS its for reasons such as for military, police, and farm work, or to try improve the breed as some others have mentioned.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

The problem with cross breeding is that you don't have ANY idea what your end result will be. The look and size and variance and personality traits of cross-bred litters vary enormously! 

Look at Rocco and Rosa on this board - they have one littermate that could pass for a pure-bred GSD, Rocco looks like a long-haired GSD Mix, and Rosa looks like a real-live Muppet with no real hint as to what she could be if you hadn't seen her siblings. 

Someone I know fostered a pregnant GSD bitch, and the sire was a pure-bred Rottweiler. It was an "oops" litter, but the sire was known for a fact. The bitch had 12 pups, and NONE looked alike. One actually, I was told, looked exactly like my Keeta. I've seen mutt littermates where one looked like a mastiff, the other like a beagle . . . cross breeding is just too open in what the dogs will produce, unless someone, as mentioned, sets out with a long-term plan and knows how to manipulate breeding choices to (hopefully) get what they were aiming for, if they get there at all.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

why miss up 2 nice breeds???



CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> I just had a quick look on the net as I wanted to see what a german shepherd and a australian shepherd would look like, Couldn't find much about it. And a picture that I did see looked more like a pure bred shepherd. Would you ever cross breed?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Dutch Shepherds come to my mind when I think of cross breeding. And that "breed" is very inconsistant in the temperament, structure...some are fine, but others tend to be over the top!
I had a mutt...a mix of Golden and Border collie, she was the most beautiful, sweet and healthiest dog I've ever had. I always thought if I had an oops mix that was a good one to have a mistake with!
I also knew a gorgeous Husky/Collie mix "Rommel" when I was a teenager, he was another that I just absolutely loved! I would have had a clone of him any day...but you never know what you'll get and mixing breeds just adds to overpopulation.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

VomBlack said:


> For the OP, my housemate has a GSD/aussie mix..



That reminds me of a dog a friend of mine had... We don't know what mix he was because he was a rescue. I always thought maybe GSD/Golden. He was a great dog, tons of personality.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

No, nope, noway, nada, nein ..... :thumbsdown:


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Vom Black, Thanks for sharing your friends Aussie Gsd mix, The dog is gorgeous! What sort of temprament has it got? I too agree you shouldn't cross breed two different dogs! Like Castlemaid said basically at the end of the day your not really going to know what your going to get! But I agree that for military,police,farmers etc, could maybe do it if it was done very carefully!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

No I wouldn't intentionally breed mutts.

I enjoy mutts, they can be great dogs, but I prefer purebreds just because I have a better idea of what their temperment/personality/size.

But I will say that I grew up with a GSD/Husky mix named Kota, she is a fantastic dog, she's 12 years old now and extremely healthy. Great dog and she's gorgeous too. :wub:

I would love to have a dog like her but I'll stick with GSDs.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Ive never had a cross breed, so I was just really curious about tempraments etc.. My family have always had pure breds, Are mutt dogs really as mad as people make out? You know the saying "mad mutt" Is this fact or fiction?


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Castlemaid said:


> The problem with cross breeding is that you don't have ANY idea what your end result will be. The look and size and variance and personality traits of cross-bred litters vary enormously!
> 
> Look at Rocco and Rosa on this board - they have one littermate that could pass for a pure-bred GSD, Rocco looks like a long-haired GSD Mix, and Rosa looks like a real-live Muppet with no real hint as to what she could be if you hadn't seen her siblings.


:rofl: It's true! That was one interesting little litter! 

And yes, they are mad, mad I tell you, mad! A day doesn't go by that my mixes don't attack and try to kill me, come to the door, teeth gleaming from blood of baby animals, and I cannot tell you how many times they've been rabid and have spontaneously recovered because they are too evil for the virus!  

They will even use disguises to accomplish their devilish plans.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

LOL!!! I'd be sooooo fooled by such a clever disguise! I don't think our world stands a chance if all the mutts united and rebeled against human control . . . 

NEVER heard that mutts are mad or dangerous - and I don't think that my spaniel/retriever/afghan hound mix knew he was supposed to be mad and unstable - but perhaps he was a deranged, misunderstood, genius type of mad - what with being a therapy dog that liked riding in the elevator and playing the piano and such. (Pure EVIL, I tell ya!).


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Ha ha ha!! Love the specs! Think I may stay well clear of them then!! Lol.. Nah If I ever rescued a dog and I saw one in dire need then It would probably tug at my heart strings if I just walked by!!


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Ive never had a cross breed, so I was just really curious about tempraments etc.. My family have always had pure breds, Are mutt dogs really as mad as people make out? You know the saying "mad mutt" Is this fact or fiction?


I dont' think they're mad, in fact I think they can be the best dogs around, but why create more on purpose when pound and rescues are full with many being put to sleep each day. 
Lets face it a golden doodle is not a designer breed at a dog pound it's just another mix breed.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> I just had a quick look on the net as I wanted to see what a german shepherd and a australian shepherd would look like,


The problem with cross breeding is that sometimes the crosses make NO sense.

For examlpe, a GSD is a *tending* dog. Bred to keep large groups of sheep in a single area for long periods of time.

An Aussie is a *herding* dog. Bred more to move sheep around.

So right off the bat you have two conflicting traits.


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

CLARKE-DUNCAN said:


> Vom Black, Thanks for sharing your friends Aussie Gsd mix, The dog is gorgeous! What sort of temprament has it got?


I've known her since she was 6 weeks old, when my dog Harley was still alive they used to play together all the time as her owner is a very good friend of mine who recently decided to move in.  In all honesty though, her temperament leaves something to be desired.. she is "okay" but it may be a lack of socialization and training and not solely her breed mixes that gives her the weird quirks that she has. Not my cup of tea, but she gets along great with Odin and the kitties and that's all that really matters at the end of the day.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

My parents have a Labrador/Great Dane/Rottweiler mix. He's an awesome, awesome dog. Calm, steady, unflappable temperament, great with kids, good in the house, and--oddly enough-- loves to help my dad herd his cattle.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Uhm, some French farmers use pyrean shepherds to move the dogs from hear to there, and a Great Pyranese to guard them. 

But GSDs were a multifunctional herding breed. They will tend sheep, yes and keep the in an area. But they will also move sheep from here to there, keeping them off the road and out of the corn while they are at it. And they will protect the sheep from villians including humans. 

Labeling them tending dogs, makes me think of the Loony Tunes dog that punches in and out, sitting up on the hill overlooking the sheep. 

We had a GSD/hound mix growing up. Her name was Princess. We started her off in the house, but she got sick and baptized every inch of the new carpeting. I do not know if she could not take the scotch guard or what. But she did have worms, anyhow she just could not settle down in the house. We put her outside, and she was awesome. We took her for walks and on to the porch and out in the back yard. But she slept and stayed outside. She watched over our house and the little old retired school teacher's house across the street. 

When the cops stopped a car for dui or speeding at night, they ALWAYS did so in front of our house so that Princess could make the ne'er-do-well feel that much worse for disturbing the peace. 

She had an an aggressive form of stomach cancer at 18 months old, and after the surgery and biopsy, the vet gave her maybe 18 months to live. 

She walked all over town with me at night, chasing cats up trees, and stealing cat food off of people's porches. We would finish our excursions with a stale chocolate donut from Lawsons. 

Yep, she was a crazy bitch alright. 

She tried to attack and old man walking down our street and did bite a Dominos delivery man. But the old man was carrying a large staff, and was poking it at her and trying to hit her with it. The Dominos man came running up onto the porch where my little brother and the dog were sleeping. The dog was startled and reacted. The delivery man was bitten in the torso one time, and there was blood, but it was not major, and he felt that it was more of an accident and did not press it. 

She was quite the criminal though. One day, after getting the roasted chicken out of the oven, my dad was turned to make gravy and she snuck up behind him and reached out her nose and took the end of the the chicken leg and my dad turned just in time, and stormed at her chasing her out of the house. Another time, two dozen chocolate chip cookies went MIA, and she was at hand, but not telling. 

We put her down when she was fourteen. One day she was fine, eating her food, doing her thing, the next she had a bunch of nasty, long siezures, and the vet said it was time.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

So I was just going through some old photographs and forgot to mention that before I met my fiancee he had a mix breed called Prince I think he is some sort of doberman cross shepherd? What do you think? Sadly One night back in 1998 it was really windy and the back gate flew open and Poor Prince got loose, He never did make it back to his master! I never got the honour to meet Prince but what I have heard he was a smashing fella!! Also a picture of my aunts yorkie terrier Lucy, Waiting to go to the groomers Lol!! Both dogs are sadly no longer with us! Think I might put them in the Loving memory pages!


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

I hit the submit button before I uploaded the photos Duh!!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

I find the idea that breeds shouldn't be mixed because of "conflicting characteristics" to be a bit odd. Lots of dogs of the same breed have conflicting characteristics as well and at times, it is even beneficial to breed such dogs together. Most of the sport mixes are mixes of high drive breeds with conflicting characteristics with the intention of having a smaller, high drive, intense but highly trainable dog. Do some Borderjacks favor Terrier more or less than others? Without a doubt! But the vast majority are quite suitable sports dogs either way. And the ones who are bred are the ones who posses the desirable traits of both breeds. 

The truth is that there are lots of really great, very healthy mixes and purebreds out there. And plenty of purebreds of all breeds and mixes of all sorts who have poor temperaments and/or health. You really can't make a blanket statement that one is always better or always worse than the other. 

This was my mix. He was a good boy, started off life extremely shy but ended up being a really cool dog. No one who met him after he was 3 could ever believe he was shy. He was very trainable, quite athletic and learned all sorts of fun tricks - the neighborhood kids knew him as "the dog that can count". He was relatively healthy until he was nearly 14 but was hypothyroid. He was from the pound and the dog warden's guess of "Maybe a Beagle mix" when he was 8 weeks old was a bit off


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

AgileGsd: He looks sweet, Love his colourings!


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## onyxena (Oct 24, 2007)

I have a 7 year old neutered male mix that looks very similar to the pictured Aussie/GSD mix! I have been wondering what he could be a mix of since we got him from S carolina kill shelter in 05. Colored exactly like a classic BT shep, but about 50lbs, soft ears, fluffier coat, feathering. He is a great boy, very gentle with my daughter, friendly, just smart enough to be trainable, not aggressive. He has a mild heart murmur, so that may be part of why he is not at all hyper, he is fairly low energy. He will play with our 2 GSDs or go for a walk, but he tires a lot faster, which 2 separate vets have attibuted to the murmur. I would have thought a mix of these breeds would be rather high energy! I have thought that may be his mix, now I am pretty sure. Of course, he could still be a complete mutt! 

He is nice enough and a good family dog, but since I got my first pure GSD no comparison!


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Guessing your mix is Blitzen! Awww poor Blitzen!!!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

My friend has me looking on the internet for a Goldendoodle









Every website I go on has them listed between $1,500-$2,500!









I cant believe a MUTT costs that much! I went on a huge rant about how ridiculous it was!


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> My friend has me looking on the internet for a Goldendoodle
> 
> 
> 
> ...


did you tell them you can go to your local shelter and find a "goldendoodle" for a whole heck of a lot less?
for the record I love that blue frustrated smilie


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

DCluver33 said:


> did you tell them you can go to your local shelter and find a "goldendoodle" for a whole heck of a lot less?
> *for the record I love that blue frustrated smilie*


I love it too Steph! :laugh:

She wants to buy a Goldendoodle puppy, not a mutt from the pound! Her words, not mine.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

A lady who lives down the road from us has a Labradoodle its a very energetic bouncy dog!


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> I love it too Steph! :laugh:
> 
> She wants to buy a Goldendoodle puppy, not a mutt from the pound! Her words, not mine.


:headbang: doesn't she know that a Goldendoodle is a mutt?


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

DCluver33 said:


> :headbang: doesn't she know that a Goldendoodle is a mutt?


They maybe mutts but they are quite sweet, how could you not fall in love with a face like that!?


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## Sue Smart (Jul 12, 2002)

Doodles also depend on what size poodle is used. I've looked after Bijoux - beautiful natured dog. The children in the family could dress him up and put him in prams etc. 










I've also met 'Doodles that look more like Giant Schnauzers.


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Im not keen on the liver colours, It looks better in a setter!


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## jetscarbie (Feb 29, 2008)

I had neighbors one time that breeded a dalmation with a basset hound.

They were the ugliest/strangest dogs I have ever seen. They had the body and ears of a basset hound but the spots of a dalmation. The runt had the body of the dalmation and the ears of the bassett.


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