Weddingbee boards

As Corgitales said, mutts are pretty much a crapshoot.  Puggles are NOT a breed, they are a mutt, plain and simple.  The is nothing wrong with mutts, (my own dog is a resuce mutt), just with the people who intentionally breed them.  These are not the ethical breeders you want to get a puppy from.  I don't want to start a huge rant here, but if you are interested, do a google search on what makes a breeder responsible, (or I have TONS of bookmarked sits on the subject I can share with you).

If you like the way this mix looks, (or sometimes looks, since when crossing breeds in the early stages it's very difficult to know what exactly you'll be getting, hehe), PLEASE get yours from a shelter instead of continuing the cycle of breeding irresponsibly.

My good friends have a puggle who is 14 months old. They wanted theirs for the longest time. They said it's important to go to a reputable breeder (NOT a pet store) and one who is breeding 1st generation puggles (eg: pug x beagle, not puggle x puggle).

They love her very much but she has been hard to housebreak and can be very hyper.

Railroad, please be aware that we weren't suggesting she NOT get one, if that's what she wants.  But, responsible breeders don't breed mutts.  Period.  And that's what a "puggle" is.  Period.  ANY breed ANY person is interested in, (or any cross), people should do research on to see if it's the right fit for their family.  After 101 Dalmatians came out, people went crazy breeding/buying/selling them because they were popular.  People didn't realize when they bought those adorable spotted puppies that they grow up to be large, intelligent, ACTIVE dogs.  Many were abandoned in shelters, and/or euthanized because they had unstable temperments from being bred by people out to make a buck intstead of breeders interested in health, temperment, and QUALITY.  Or watch an episode of "It's Me Or the Dog" on Animal Planet.  SO MANY of the problems those people are having with their dogs stem from a person getting a cute puppy and then being totally unprepared for what happens when that pup grows up.  "WHAT?!  The cute little lab mix puppy I adopted has turned into a monster now that he's fully grown, has no training or exercise, and is left alone for most of the day?  No way!  That's crazy!" 

If you want a "puggle", (or "schnoodle", "cockapoo", etc), GREAT!  But we're just saying to PLEASE adopt a homeless one from a shelter instead of giving your money to an unethical breeder.  My dog is a golden retriever/lab mix, as was the dog before him, (they look NOTHING alike, btw!  Hehe!); I think it's a great combination and I have an awesome dog.  Would I adopt another from rescue?  Absolutely!  Would I buy one from someone who bred the mix?  Absolutely not.  Plus, if you give a shelter dog a home, it saves TWO lives: the life of the dog you adopt, and the life of the dog that can now take it's place in the shelter or rescue and have a chance at a forever family.

BTW, for fun, (especially for those who have adopted dogs from a shelter and/or plan to), Google the poem "I Rescued a Human Today"....every time I read it, I am torn between laughter and tears because it reminds me so much of my rescue mutt! :)

Tulip, there are just as many irresponsible breeders out there of purebreds as there are of mixes.  Unfortunately.  A LOT of people who have purebred dogs want to breed "just one litter", (or several), because "Fido is so handsome!" or "Princess would make a great mommy!"...or just to line their pockets with a little extra cash.  There was a litter of purebred deaf great danes on petfinder.com not so long ago.  They were bred by a man who, interestingly enough, was breeding dogs to put himself through vet school.  Sad, isn't it, that someone who SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER, (breeding harelquin danes to another harlequin can produce white or mostly white danes that are usually deaf, and often blind, too), produced a litter of special needs puppies and then dumped them on a rescue when he couldn't find homes for them.

But there are breeders out there who DO breed responsibly.  Proving their dogs are quality dogs worthy of being bred, (such as showing they meet the breed standard in the show ring, for example, or on the shutzhund field), and doing health testing to make sure they are doing their darndest to make sure they puppies they produce are free of health problems known to be common in the breed, (having hips x-rayed and certified by the OFA, especially in breeds where hip dysplasia is common for starters).  And that's just the beginning.

Until there are no more dogs in the shelters and until there are no more stray dogs roaming the streets without a home or family to love them, we need to be sure that we're only "breeding the best of the best and neutering the rest!"  Or at least making sure they aren't producing puppies, but that doesn't rhyme! ;)  Unfortunately, I don't think irresponsible breeders and puppymills will ever go away.  I hope I'm proven wrong.  For my part, I will continue to do what I can to help homeless dogs find their family in any way I can, through education, fostering when I can, donating time and money when I am able, and refusing to support puppy mills, pet stores that sell puppies, and irresponsible breeders.

@ gvsusara - Thanks!  And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who cries reading that poem! ;)

@ tarahartman - If you haven't already, you should definitely read "I Rescued A Human Today"!  You and Pepito earned it!

@Tulip, you're right, I did kind of misunderstand what you meant.  Easy to do on a message board!  Hehe!  A LOT of people feel the way you do.  I personally feel there are a lot of wonderful breeds that I would miss if there weren't people continuing to breed, (selectively!).  And sadly, a lot of people out there will not adopt for a variety of reasons. 

There ARE a lot of things that rescue dogs can do...providing love, playing frisbee, agility, going for walks/jogs, becoming therapy dogs, even service dogs, or actors in movies.  But there are some needs that a shelter dog just cannot meet...dogs who are altered and without papers, for example, cannot be shown.  Dogs without a working background may not meet the needs of someone who wants a dog bred to do a certain task, (border collies bred to herd sheep often differ from those bred to herd cattle).  Will a rescue have the ability to do police work, or shutzhund?  Possibly, but possibly not.  What about Personal Protection Training?  PPT and Schutzhund take incredible skill that the average shelter dog just will not have.  IMO, we need breeders, but those who breed with a purpose in mind, (and breeding because someone sees dollar signs isn't a purpose).  BTW, I personally haven't purchased a dog from a breeder of any kind since my family bought a puppy from a "whoops litter" when I was ten years old.

Oh!  And to the OP, yes, puggles shed.  Any dog with hair will loose it.  Some just have a tendency to get more all over your clothing and carpet than others!  Whether or not you have a barker is partly influenced by the individual dog you have.  In general, Beagles tend to be very um...vocal, so keep in mind you get get a very noisy dog.  The puggle in my dog's obedience class barked a lot, and at any type of correction, he would cry like he was being murdered.  My friend's rescued puggle makes hardly any noise at all.  I wouldn't choose to own one, (I prefer big dogs!), but they are pretty cute!

Kjpugs - You do pug rescue?!  That is SO COOL!  I love pugs!  I like big dogs, and my boy is hardly graceful, so a pug would probably get trampled in my house, but they are so darn cute!  Frankie from Men In Black is the best, and if I some day cannot care for large dogs, I wouldn't mind having a  "Frankie" of my own. 

Look at his adorable face!  If he gave you that look at the shelter, KellyV, it's no wonder you couldn't resist bringing Brutus home!

Kjpugs- LMAO!  What a creative RSVP card!  Right now, I foster for an all-breed rescue, (well, we have in the past...we're taking a break because my hubby isn't much of a dog person, but that's another thread!), but I am thinking about fostering for a local Australian Shepherd rescue because I love Aussies, and figured it would be a chance for me to see if I have what it takes to be a good Aussie mom!  I love meeting other rescue folk!

@tarahartman - Can't really tell from just that picture, but I think Thor looks like a black GSD or a mix thereof.  Whatever he is, he sure is HANDSOME!

@3pugmama - Sadly, it does matter.  By buying from petstores, puppymills, and irresponsible breeders, you are only encouraging them to continue breeding.  These people don't care if you are "only buying it to rescue it" from them.  All they care about is the money you put in their pockets and the next litter that they will be breeding.  On the other hand, if you adopt a dog from a shelter, you are not only actually rescuing a dog that needs a home, you are enabling them to continue operating and saving more dogs in the long run.

To all, I am LOVING all the pictures everyone is sharing!  Everyone's dogs are so cute!