Designer Breeds

Everyone has seen them. It happens in all types of animals not just dogs, but what are you really getting when you dish out all that money?

A mutt that's all a designer breed is. People take two different breeds, cross them, then give them a (in my opinion) stupid, lame, and uncreative name. Then they jack up the price to five times more then the actual worth and call them designer. Here is the problem.

You can't pick and choose genetics. When you take a low shedding dog (trust me all animals shed no matter what the breed, if they didn't if you pulled their fur out it wouldn't grow back) [like a poodle] and breed it to a dog they say has a great temperament but sheds a ton (i.e. a Retriever). Then say its a non shedding very friendly dog. The only problem is, both parents are donating their genes you also get the worst traits from both the parents as well. I have a friend who bought a "designer" dog. The Golden Doodle, was supposed to be a laid back non shedding friendly dog. It was a poodle with a loosely curled coat that shed like crazy. Not at all what they were told it would be like. When you start crossing breeds you have no idea what you're going to get.

A designer dog cannot be considered purebred. To start with to legally be able to call an animal purebred the breed has to be registered with the animal pedigree act. It has to be able to breed true, meaning that if you breed a golden doodle to a golden doodle you get a golden doodle, not a poodle, or a lab but the exact copy of the parents. Also a purebred animal should have a 3 generation pedigree of only that breed that has bred true. So anyone claiming purebred shi-poos or golden doodles or jack-a-poos are big fat liars.

In my opinion a purebred animal IS a designer breed. Someone is working hard to keep that breed alive and as close to the standard of perfection as possible. They work hard to produce good showy animals and they deserve credit for it, not the people who ruin the breed by trying to add something unnecessary in.

There is a breed out there for everyone, and if you don't want a purebred (for stereotyped reasons I'll post about later) Then don't be fooled by someone trying to make a quick buck off of their "mutts" go to a shelter and adopt one who wasn't bred on purpose, and please for the love of animals if you want a cross bred don't ask what breed it is, it only makes you look like a hypocrite.

New layout

Yeah it's changed (again) the last was just temporary until I finished this one, which I'm really proud of how it turned out. I used a total of six different pictures all taken by me. They've all been cut and stitched together.

On the other news front The babies are all doing great. In Epiphany's kits Ghost Rider (Chestnut) and Elvis Ain't Dead (black) are looking great. Miss Ren has a couple of noisy buggers, but they sure are cute.

4 days till the Royal I'm super excited.

I'm in the process of switching foods to Floradale, and compared to the stuff I'm feeding now (starts with a P, ends with an A) it's amazing, it smells fresh it looks fresh and the rabbits are picking it out and not eating the other stuff.

What's the deal with Legs?

Everyone has seen them rabbits with "insert number here" Legs. Now the first reaction most people have is "Shouldn't they have 4?" A Leg is a little certificate stating that the rabbit won it's class (of at least 5 rabbits, shown by at least different people). Now you have the wow what an amazing rabbit comment.

Now lets see. The rabbit won it's class, meaning at that show is was better then the ones being shown against it, it doesn't mean the rabbit itself is that great, it just means it was better then the other ones brought to the show that day.

Nearly 7 years ago now I had a little tri-colour Mini Rex doe, not the greatest rabbit in the world and now looking back I have to say to myself what was I thinking?! That rabbit I brought out to a small now extinct, ARBA show she was one of 9 Mini Rex that showed up that day. She ended up winning BOSB and recieved a leg. She was an awful Mini Rex, she was just a little better then the other rabbits that happened to show up.

So a rabbit that has a leg is always good? You got it, no way.

More recently I bought a Jersey Wooly buck, he has 3 legs, he is a nice rabbit, his son on the other hand has a total of 0 legs, and has beat him in every show they have ever competed against each other in. Now why is that? Well when he is at an ARBA show there aren't enough exhibitors, or rabbits, or he is either molting and not able to go. Meanwhile at DR&CBA shows (which are basically the same as ARBA shows same people showing, basically same standard) this rabbit has gone on to win Best Fancy Etc over his father.

So don't let the glory of a rabbit winning legs fool you. When buying a rabbit make sure you know what you're looking for don't buy a rabbit just because it has a leg or two. It seems just because a rabbit has a leg under it's belt it's a good excuse to jack up the price.

This doesn't mean the rabbit is awful either if a rabbit has a billion legs there is probably a good reason for it :)

Well, hi there, I'm excited, not because I've overdosed on sugary goodness that was Halloween, but because SunnyHeight's Epiphany kindled two babies a black and a chestnut 3 days early, ON Halloween. I foresee some Halloween themed names in the future of these two. I'm really looking forward to how they turn out, Lunatic has yet to disapoint me with his outstanding quality produced in his litters (As well as his personality)

Or right the next show I will be attending is the Royal Agricultural Winter fair, my all time favourite show of the year. I have only entered a couple rabbits (My two Argente Bruns, Lunatic and Mrs Lovett) I did do Tristyn's entries but I can't remember for the life of me what she entered, mostly likely her Otter buck and doe, two black does, and lilac doe, but that's just me guessing.

So I hope to see everyone there. Have a Happy November :)