Maltipoos

[StarWisher]

Hi Everyone! I was wondering if anyone knew of a reputable breeder of first generaltion Maltipoos. I am looking to adopt one this September/October. This site is so knowledgeable about everything else that I was hoping for some puppy advice .

Thanks so much!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Please take this in the helpful spirit in which it is meant - I''m not attacking you or anything like that, but I do know what I''m talking about - my mother and I bred and showed dogs for years and I currently spend many hours each week training and socializing dogs at my local animal shelter.

There is NO SUCH THING as a reputable breeder of first-generation, or any other kind of maltipoos, or any other "designer dog" "breed." The reason for this is that reputable breeders breed to better their particular breed, i.e. they breed only the very best specimens for show or working, and then only after a qualified set of professionals have evaluated the dog for its potential (i.e. at dog shows or events) AND after doing genetic testing to ensure that the dog won''t pass on any diseases to its offspring. Therefore, reputable breeders will NEVER breed their dogs to dogs of another breed. This selectiveness is why we have dog breeds to begin with - the name breed comes from breeding true, which means that if you mate two well-bred labradors or two well-bred poodles together, you will always get (with very rare exceptions), labradors or poodles that look and act like labradors and poodles. As soon as you throw other breeds in, forget about any kind of guarantee.

What this means is that so-called "designer dogs" result from breeding of sub-optimal single breed dogs that are not good representatives of their breed. This, combined with the fact that it is a genetic crapshoot how much of each breed''s characteristics the offspring get, means that no two "maltipoos" or any other mix will be like one another, and no one can guarantee that they will even be healthy, much less anything about their temperaments, looks, etc...

Furthermore, breeding of designer mixes is pretty morally reprehensible - in this country we put to sleep over 7 MILLION pets each year in shelters, many of them the same mixes that are sold for thousands of $$ as "designer dogs." I can''t tell you how many goldendoodles and labradoodles I''ve seen come through ours and other local area shelters. And having worked extensively with both rescued and bought versions of this so-called "breed" I can tell you there is absolutely no difference - since each animal is a random mix of its parents'' genetics, its completely individual and unpredictable. Anyone who knows anything about dogs (or science for that matter) will tell you the same thing.

So, the point of all this is, that there is no wuch thing as a reputable breeder of maltipoos, and there really isn''t a compelling reason to get one anyway, since yours likely will not look or act like those you''ve seen/read about, since it will have its own unique genetic mix. If you would be willing to share what it is about the maltipoo you like, and what your requirements are in a dog, I''m confident that a good breed fit can be found for you - I''d be more than happy to help you seek out resources for either a purebred or a rescue dog, and I''m sure many of the others here would as well.

Please, think very carefully about what you are proposing, and please try to read and consider what I''ve written here with an open mind. Its not your fault if you have misconceptions and misinformation - they are rampant on this subject, on the internet and elsewhere. I will try to find some good articles on the subject (my computer wiped my bookmarks so it might take some time to track down the ones I used to have) so that you know this is not just my opinion.

Best of luck, and I hope this information is helpful.

 

[AmberGretchen]

OK, I found one good article on this for you and anyone else considering "designer" dogs, here. Please please please take the time to read and consider the points made here, even if you don''t believe me.

 

[angeline]

Good post Amber. I hadn''t thought about what you wrote before but it makes a lot of sense. I always wondered why the labradoodles I have known acted quite differently to each other in temperament.

 

[Babyblue033]

Date: 6/21/2008 1:06:12 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
There is NO SUCH THING as a reputable breeder of first-generation, or any other kind of maltipoos, or any other ''designer dog'' ''breed.''

Using the word "reputable" in the same sentence as maltipoos (or other designer dogs) would be a complete oxymoron

 

[ursulawrite]

My local shelter just adopted out a Maltipoo. There''s a fair smattering of them on Petfinder, too--see!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 6/21/2008 6:47:22 PM
Author: angeline
Good post Amber. I hadn''t thought about what you wrote before but it makes a lot of sense. I always wondered why the labradoodles I have known acted quite differently to each other in temperament.

Thanks Angeline - I''m glad it clarified that for you a little bit. You should check out the article I linked if you get a chance - the author does a more succinct job of explaining it than I do (I think).

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 6/21/2008 7:15:19 PM
Author: Babyblue033

Date: 6/21/2008 1:06:12 PM

Author: AmberGretchen

There is NO SUCH THING as a reputable breeder of first-generation, or any other kind of maltipoos, or any other ''designer dog'' ''breed.''

Using the word ''reputable'' in the same sentence as maltipoos (or other designer dogs) would be a complete oxymoron

Completely agree Babyblue - that''s basically the point of what I posted

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 6/21/2008 10:52:11 PM
Author: ursulawrite
My local shelter just adopted out a Maltipoo. There''s a fair smattering of them on Petfinder, too--see!

Good point ursula - there are a TON of these mixes on Petfinder and in shelters, and that''s a great route to go if you are set on a particular mix.

 

[Heidi137]

I''m not big on designer mixed-breeds either. I absolutely adore poodles and wouldn''t want mine mixed with anything. You should be very cautious in adopting a designer breed from a shelter or petfinder since most of them will have "issues". When I clicked on some of the ones posted, all had problems: one was "working" on housebreaking, another had a very serious liver disorder, another had to an only dog and only adopted by a female, etc. Most people wouldn''t turn in a designer dog they had money invested in if there weren''t problems with the dog. I''d either get a pure bred or a non-designer mixed breed. Our mix Daisy came from the pound a few months ago and she is the best dog ever. She''s about 35 pounds and might be part collie but who knows. She has no issues at all and absolutely loves everyone.

 

[EricaR]

I just want to say "ditto" to everyone above. A malti-poo is nothing other than a mixed breed, a mutt. They may be cute, but chances are they aren''t health tested, aren''t temperament tested, and you have no idea what you are getting.