Why are people so in love with the idea of having one of the many poodle mixes? And why are people so willing to spend $2,000 - $8,000 on a mutt?

Often people end up loving their chosen dog. But the traits they end up loving can be traced to the Poodle traits or the cross breed’s traits. The problem with the doodle crosses is that there is no standard or conformation that breeders are working toward. And most breeders are doing little to account for genetic issues in their dogs. You are often taking a gamble with a doodle… a little less of a gamble than picking up an unknown mix from the Humane Society or other adoption center but it is still a much more expensive gamble. Often times you will win the gamble (Poodles are great dogs) but often times you will lose.

Hypo-allergenic hype? Most of the doodle crosses do not end up as hypo-allergenic. If that is your goal get a purebred that has generations of proof and a breed standard to guarantee it. Even the person responsible for the earliest generations of the Labradoodle (really the first of this trend that kicked off the hysteria) has said he has regrets and couldn’t get the goal accomplished.

I don’t have anything against crossing breeds. It is how our favorite purebreds were developed over generations. But this is different because of the rate of “development”, the lack of purpose for the breeding, and the participation of far too many people who don’t have a breed goal in mind.

Honestly, the doodles do tend to be good dogs because people are starting with good breeds… or the sneaky neighbor’s dog was a good breed. But you are much better off researching breeds to find the traits that match your lifestyle and getting a purebred. Doing that will, strangely, even save you money in many cases. Rescuing is also a great option. There are so many awesome dogs available who need good families.