*Has our desire for "Designer Dogs" inadvertently helped to support

a cruel business of mass production of cute Puppies?  Find out below.*

And what exactly is a Designer Dog, or what does the term "Designer" mean? 

We expect "Designer" articles to be amongst the best you can buy.  Authentic, top of the range, elite and stylish. They have been carefully designed by someone who put in a lot of thought and effort, and used materials from the very best available. You would not expect inferior workmanship.   Wouldn't you feel cheated if your designer article did not turn out to be what was advertised?   And you would certainly not expect to find Designer products that were half one brand and half another.   

What are you hoping to find in a Designer Dog?   I hope, a top quality breed of dog that has been carefully designed for a specific purpose - either to hunt, shepherd, retrieve, guard, or in the Cavalier's case to be a companion dog par excellence.  Pedigree dogs are the result of many years of careful, selective breeding of dogs that are able perform the task that they have been designed for.  Many years of careful planning, endeavouring to use the very best stock available and painstakingly hard work that has been passed down to this current generation.  Breeders who are now the custodians of these Designer bred dogs. 

But what about the puppies advertised as "Designer Dogs,"  and found in abundance in pet shops and local newspapers?   These puppies are the result of crosses between several breeds of dogs that are known to produce cute, saleable puppies.  Puppies that look very appealing in pet shop windows, but come with no guarantees.  No guarantees about type, temperament or health.  Caveat Emptor....Let the buyer beware,  because neither the pet shop assistants nor the breeder - if they could be contacted - have any idea of what these sweet looking puppies will turn out like. Will they have good temperaments, or be nervous or snappy?  Are they free from physical defects, or will they require extensive Veterinary treatment for some inherited disorder, as they mature?  Only a very small percentage of the many poodle crosses that are promised to be allergy and shed free, actually are.  

 What about the Hybrid Vigor  often referred to on the media?  This describes offspring that is healthier than it's parents.  It is important to note that not all the offspring from crossbreeds are automatically healthy!    "...it is sometimes believed that all crossbred plants or animals are better than their parents; this is not necessarily true. Rather, when a hybrid is seen to be superior to its parents, this is known as hybrid vigor.  It may also happen that a hybrid inherits such different traits from their parents that make them unfit for survival."   Ref. Wikiipedia.  

Please don't be fooled by clever advertising....if these Pet Shop Designer Puppies have been designed for anything - it is for sales appeal when young.  These puppies are produced in bulk from animal  factories called Puppy Farms, very much like cheap replica products produced in bulk and found in cut-price stores all over the country. They look like the real thing....but sadly, are not.  If you really want a true, quality "Designer Dog"  then get a Pedigree dog.  Because  a Pedigree Dog is a Designer dog.  See.  http://www.dogsnsw.org.au/why-choose-purebreeds

  Pet Shop Designer Dogs,  AKA crossbred puppies, can end up with serious health problems inherited from either or both parents.   The puppies sold in pet shops do not come from ethical registered breeders, as it is against Kennel Club regulations for registered breeders to sell to pet shops.  These puppies have orginated from either commercial Puppy Farms also known as Puppy Factories;  or from unregistered backyard breeders who  are often ignorant of the inherant health problems of their dogs.  Puppy Farms/Factories are places set up solely to make a profit and often operate without any thought of the overall health of their animals, though their clever advertising would make you think that they do.  These Businesses do not have the longterm wellbeing of their puppies at heart, neither do they screen their breeding stock for inherited disorders. 

Breeding stock [the mothers and fathers of these puppies] spend their short lives,  often kept in deplorable conditions, producing litter after litter - until they are worn out.  And when of no further use are disposed of.  Workers from a Victorian Puppy Farm, told the court how they witnessed the manager kill dogs he had no further use for, by hitting them on the head with a hammer or dashing them against a hard wall.  This is the sad reality of Puppy Farming.

Darryn Hinch has now joined other celebrities like Oprah Winfrey in publicly condemning the practise of Puppy Farming and sale of Puppies and kittens in Pet shops which help keep this practise going.   http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/17/3015062.htm   

Purchasing a puppy from a Pet Shop will only ensure that these Puppy Farms continue to make a profit.  See this link on Where Pet Shop Puppies come from:  http://www.wheredopuppiescomefrom.com.au/   The RSPCA have to destroy far too many unwanted dogs, that were once bought on impulse as appealing puppies seen in the pet shop window.    Instead, please contact a Reputable, Registered Breeder to inquire about a puppy.  They will be able to match you up with one that is just right for you.  A dog should be for life - a loved member of your family.  Not just a cute present, to be cast aside when everyone is bored with it.  A healthy Cavalier should live for 10-15 years.  When you take a puppy home, you are getting a new family member who will be with you for the next ten years or so. Are you looking for a sweet natured, affectionate dog to love....and to love you?   It is no coincidence that many of the popular crossbreeds, are Cavalier crosses, because a Cavalier is the best little dog you will ever own.     

When you contact a  reputable, Registered Cavalier Breeder looking for a new puppy, you may feel as if you are being given "the third degree."   This is because a caring breeder will want to make sure that their puppies go to the best homes.  And because each puppy has a different temperament, they will want to match you up with the right one for you.  Great care and thought has gone into each carefully planned litter, and they want to be responsible about who they home their puppies with.  You can be assured that it is because these breeders are responsible, and care about their dogs, that they want to ensure their puppies will be looked after properly - and that you are prepared to take responsibility for this dog, not just for a few weeks or months, or until the children tire of it, but for the length of its life.  A caring, responsible breeder will follow up with you from time to time, to make sure you are managing ok with your new family member, and will want to help if you are having problems.  This breeder will also probably offer to take the puppy back should there be any problems in the future, or should you be unable to keep it for some reason, or your circumstances change. 

Reputable breeders of Pedigree Dogs have their breeding stock checked for inherited and other health disorders.  They are usually checked and given a Certificate by a Veterinary Specialist if they have  clear hearts, eyes, hips and patellas.   Some breeders also get MRI scanning & DNA profiling done to exclude other disorders, or to check if dogs are carriers of certain conditions.  DNA profiling is not yet available in Australia for Cavaliers.  However, as you will see, Reputable breeders are doing all they can to minimise, and eventually eradicate serious health problems from our lovely breeds.  Buying a puppy from such a breeder will give you a much better chance of ending up with a healthy, happy dog.  Check out this link to the American Cavalier Club Charitable Trust.  Concerned breeders are currently donating substantial amounts of money into the research of inheritable conditions in Cavaliers and other breeds.    http://www.ackcsc.org/health/charitable-trust-website.html

 Still undecided as to what type of Dog would best suit you?

 try  http://www.petnet.com.au/selectapet.asp

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