We know that lots of our customers enjoy taking their dogs out with them when they go out walking, but after the increase in more specialized crossbreeds in recent years we wondered what was the most unusual type of dog you have met on your travels? Have you seen a Goldendoodle or a Puggle on your walks?

Probably the best known of these combined names animals is the Labradoodle. This was first bred in Australia as part of a breeding programme for the Royal Guide Dog Association. The successful mix of Labrador retriever and standard poodle was a result of an enquiry to help a visually impaired women whose husband had a dog allergy. This combined then became very popular as a family pet, and joining it in the popularity stakes was the Cockapoo, a mix of Cocker Spaniel and Poodle, which had become very successful with deaf people when trained as a hearing dog.

The most popular breeds are still the pedigree ones, but pet insurers have seen a tremendous increase in policies for these new combined breeds, with some seeing 400% increases. It can be seen as a form of reverse snobbery, as crosses can be more expensive and in certain areas of the USA, with the influence of celebrity the “doodle” (involving a poodle in the mix) is the dog of choice. This is also being seen in the UK, with one event in London’s Hampstead area holding a “Cockapoo Doggie Sunday” for charity.

Wally Conron, who bred the first of the Labradoodles  now regrets breeding what he describes as a Frankenstein dog, while others obviously see it as a great advantage as it has made them reassess breeds. Poodles are obviously seen in quite a different way but the standard Poodle Club are not impressed with this trend. They see that with a pedigree dog you know what you are getting, this guarantee is not available with a mixed dog.

However, one of the very first of this type of crossbreed actually infiltrated the Kennel Club back in the 1070s, and the person who achieved this remarkable feat was in fact no other than the Queen. She has bred Dorgies, a cross between a Dachshund and a Corgi for many years, and when she sat for a portrait as patron of the Kennel Club back in 1975 she insisted of having all her dogs in the picture. The secretary of the Club at the time was said to have quipped that “the Dachshund was evolved to chase badgers down holes and Corgis to round up cattle. If anyone loses a herd of cattle down a badger hole, these are just the dogs to get them.

However, in this modern world a clever name can sell anything, even a dog, so watch out for the latest that are appearing and let us know what you see out there, wrapped up in your bodywarmer, whether it’s a Puggle or a Jackuahua, and let’s see how far the naming goes. Anyone fancy a mix of Jack Russell and a Shih tzu?