Who are you calling a . . . MONGREL
Move over Cockapoos. The latest must-have dogs are a blend of THREE breeds – and they can cost a fortune
THEY may each be a mix of three breeds of dog but you’re barking up the wrong tree if you dare call them a ‘mongrel’. These are no common or garden mixed-breed dogs. These are actually ‘tri-breed’ dogs. Thanks to their cute little faces and non-shedding coats, owners will often splash out several hundred pounds to own one.
The most popular of the type? That will be the Cavapoochon (a mix of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Poodle and Bichon Frise).
Critics of so-called ‘designer dog breeding’ say that mixing three breeds is at best a marketing gimmick and, at worst, cruel. But other animal experts disagree.
‘As long as all three breeds involved are more or less the same size and healthy, I’m in favour of triple breed dogs,’ says vet Lesley De Villiers who runs an animal sanctuary in Britain. ‘This is especially important in the pregnant bitch. You can imagine the problems in labour if a little dog was mated with a large dog.
‘In my experience, most cross breeds have the advantage of having the best genes passed on from the individual pure breeds they were bred with.’
Here, five owners of triple-breed dogs say why they think three is a magic number.
SHE IS THE BEST OF EVERYTHING TO US
TEACHING assistant Kim Davis, 22, lives with fiancé Nico, 24, a tyre technician, with children Iris, five and Maisy, six months. She has a Jackawatzoo called Willow. Kim says: WHEN we were searching for a small dog, we saw lots of Jack Russells crossed with Chihuahuas which were very cute, but personally I really hate the eyeballs on a Chihuahua. I know it sounds superficial, but their eyes stick out of the skull too much and because the breed is getting smaller, this feature is becoming more dominant.
‘Three years ago, I saw an ad for puppies from a father who was Chihuahua crossed with a Jack Russell and mother who was a Shitzu. We went to see the litter and I loved them. Willow was the prettiest and had the soft coat of a Chihuahua and Jack Russell-y ears. We bought her for €1,100 and she’s fabulous with the children. We also have a dalmatian called Bella and they’re best buddies. Bella may be much bigger but we all know who is boss — Willow has so much sass.
‘When people ask what breed she is and we say she is a mix of three breeds people laugh and say: “She’s a mongrel then?” That’s annoying because when you spend as much as this on a dog, you don’t want it to be considered a mongrel. Some people ask why I didn’t get a pure breed. But Willow is the best of everything to us.
‘If anything, I think pure breeds have worse health problems.
WE JOKE HE MUST BE THE MILKMAN’S
STACEY CRAVEN, 32, is a customer service rep. She lives with partner Richard Thomas, 43, a superviser with son Keiron, 15 and their Malshipoo Ringo. Stacey says: RINGO was a gift to me from my partner for my 30th birthday and he’s turned my world upside down — in a good way. I wanted a dog that didn’t moult. My brother has a Labrador and they moult everywhere and I hate that.
‘So when I saw Ringo’s face on a website — as the last of a litter of Malshipoos, I immediately thought: ‘You’re the one. I want to bring you home.’ I wanted a crossbreed as I knew pure breeds have so many health problems.
A mix of the Maltese, Shitzu and Poodle seemed like a lovely combination. I went to visit the breeder and met Ringo’s parents. The mum was a Maltese crossed with a Shitzu and dad was a Poodle. Both were champagne coloured, so I’ve no idea where Ringo’s black colouring comes from. We joke that he’s the milkman’s.
Ever since we brought him home as an 11-week-old puppy, he’s been part of the family. He’s always wanting cuddles, lies on my bed and snores like an old man. Even my mum — who can’t stand dogs — is in love with him.
He cost €285 which isn’t bad when you see some people paying thousands for other breeds like
Pugs. He’s not expensive to keep. He’s got a skin allergy and we’ve been told he can only eat venison but we give him chicken and rice too. He eats better than we do!
‘He has a haircut every six weeks for €30 and is beautifully velvety when he’s been shampooed. People constantly ask to stroke him.
HE IS SUCH A LITTLE CELEBRITY
JANE ALEXANDER, 58, is a travel writer. She lives with Dante, the Cavalier Jack Spaniel. Jane says: I NEVER intended to get a tri-breed dog. My son James, then 11, was staying with friends who went to look at a litter of puppies from a breeder. The litter was originally intended to be a threeway Spaniel mix with the intended father a Cocker Spaniel. But the Jack Russell Terrier got there first!
However, the mix was so successful that she went on to breed more litters from the same parents.
James fell in love with a pup. When he told me it was a Springer Spaniel crossed with a Jack Russell it sounded like a high octane combination, so I shook my head. James badgered me to see the pups and, of course, they were adorable.
They had the tri-colour splodges of a Jack Russell mixed with the freckles of a Springer.
Their noses were sharp but there was a softness around the eyes and ears that showed their Cavalier heritage.
Then the breeder said the mother of the litter was a Springer crossed with a Cavalier King Charles so the pups were actually a three-way cross. James pleaded and I caved in and handed over €80 — cheap because they were not the intended three-spaniel mix.
Thank heavens I did as Dante is a total joy. He has the energy and enthusiasm of the Springer, the intelligence and sense of fun of the Jack Russell and the soft sweet nature of the Cavalier — without any of the downsides. He gets so much attention when we’re out, he’s like a celebrity.
PEOPLE STOP TO ASK ABOUT HER
HELEN JACKSON, 39, is a supply teacher. She has a daughter Amelia, ten, and a cavapoochon called Bella. Helen says: WHEN I first decided I wanted a dog, I searched rescue kennels and charities but they all insisted their dogs couldn’t go to homes with children.
I wanted a dog who wasn’t too big and who’d be good with my daughter and easy to look after. People had mentioned that Cavapoos were great dogs because they inherited intelligence from the Poodle and friendliness from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
When I saw a litter advertised, the mum was a Cavachon — bred from a Cavalier and a Bichon Frise — and the dad was a Poodle.
It meant the puppies were a mix of all three — so Cavapoochons. I fell in love with Bella straight away. I wanted a female and she was the only black girl in the litter.
She cost just under €1,000 and she’s lovely. She’s brilliant with Amelia. She loves cuddles and is such a lovely addition to the family. She sleeps on my bed and sometimes I wake up and she’s on my head so it looks like I’ve woken wearing a black curly wig.
The only problem I’ve found is that she loves flatbed trucks and if one drives by, she likes to chase it!
I’m thinking of breeding from her. But there are so many critics when it comes to mixed breeding.
When I posted on a local Facebook forum asking for a stud dog which was a mixture of two of Bella’s breeds to breed with her to have more Cavapoochons, there were so many hateful messages.
I didn’t respond. But people have the wrong idea.
SHE LOVES TO COME RUNNING WITH ME
COMPANY director Emma Aldridge 39, is married to Edward and has two children, Charlie, nine and Joshua, seven. She lives with their Bojapoo, Pepper. Emma says: I’VE got a black Labrador called Purdey who’s highly intelligent and lovely natured, but her fur sheds and gets everywhere.
When I heard that a friend of a friend was breeding smaller dogs which didn’t shed hair — a mix of Border Terrier and Jack Russell crossed with a Toy Poodle, I was intrigued. I’d never heard of this breed before — a Bojapoo.
I went to meet the mother who was a lovely sweet-natured Border Terrier, Jack Russell cross. I even got to meet the grandmother too (Jack Russell) — so I knew the quality of the family. I saw pictures of the stud who was a Toy Poodle. That was it, I spotted Pepper and bought her for €850.
We got her 18 months ago and she’s so gentle. She has the best traits from each breed — the quirky character of the Border Terrier, the wilder Jack Russell side and the Toy Poodle’s gentleness and curly hair, rather than fur. She’s very friendly, but knows how to deter the Amazon delivery man with her yapping — poor guy.
She loves to be loved and delights in following me and my sons around the house.
When the vet recently described her as ‘mixed breed’ I was so offended! Some people worry that crossbreeds may have health problems, but Pepper is fit and healthy.
In fact, my vet was saying that dogs such as my Labrador are becoming so inbred these days that it’s the pure breeds that are having the health problems.
Pepper and Purdey get on really well. I run a lot and thought Pepper might have problems keeping up but she loves it.