Opinions please. Lab/Golden mix.

[doubletall]

My wife is interested in a companion for our 2 year old lab.  She found a breeder that breeds both labs and goldens and currently has a mixed litter from parents that are purebred and have all the health clearances.   My big question is if it's reasonable to pay purebred prices for a puppy that will not be papered.   We're mainly looking for a healthy pet and if it's able to hunt pheasant with our lab, that's just a bonus. 

[Jonathan_S]

If it's not rude to ask...what is "purebred price" in this circumstance?

[Colin]

If it's not rude to ask...what is "purebred price" in this circumstance?

Same ? from me.

[bobcat]

A "mixed litter?"  Are you really saying these puppies are a Labrador Retriever / Golden Retriever mix? It seems odd to me that a professional breeder would do that. Was it intentional?

I also wonder if this is simply a "mixed litter" of yellow and black Lab puppies.

[Skillet]

Not papered. So,  I'm thinking a lab stud climbed out the window after his parents were asleep and got to a cute golden in heat - or vice versa?

[lokidog]

Personally, I don't think I would pay the same (I also wouldn't charge the same if it was my litter) for a "mix" as I would for a pure breed from good stock and proven hunting/trial lines. You would likely get a great dog, but....   

[doubletall]

A "mixed litter?"  Are you really saying these puppies are a Labrador Retriever / Golden Retriever mix? It seems odd to me that a professional breeder would do that. Was it intentional?

I also wonder if this is simply a "mixed litter" of yellow and black Lab puppies.

A little more information;

This was an intentional breeding between a papered lab and a papered Golden. As I understand it the goal was to produce service dogs.

They are asking $800.  I don't doubt that the pups would make great pets but I have a problem paying that kind of money for a "designer breed"

[Jonathan_S]

  I'd have a hard time with that

[Dead-Eye]

Two years ago we buried our faithful old Lab/Golden mix, at the age of 14 years. I wish he could have lived forever. He was my wife's best friend in the world ( I know, I tried out for the spot, but I ended up second-string), and we still miss him every day. He loved to be out in the woods, and he would see everything, but I never trained him to hunt. He could run down and dispatch a woodchuck in a flash. And, much to my dismay, he couldn't seem to get enough of killing skunks. **Phew.**

I've had bad dogs with papers and good dogs with no papers. Our mix was the best dog I ever had.  Eight hundred bucks seems a little steep, but you do know where he/she is coming from, and that's the whole point of papers, usually.

Tough call for sure.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I'm not a fan of breeding designer mutts, however I've purchased two great dogs that were deliberate crosses and never regretted it.  I paid $50 (1991) and $150 (2007) respectively for a border collie x English shepherd mix that was the best everything dog I've ever had, and a weimaraner x standard poodle that I had to give to my mother (puppy coat didn't trigger wife and son's allergies, adult coat did). 

[Dhoey07]

800 seems steep, but if hips, eyes and elbows both check out with both pedigrees, then I don't think you are getting a lower quality of dog just because they are cross bred.

[Colin]

Sounds like a rip off to me. I have a really had time supporting designer breedings. Nothing against the good old mutt, I have two of those at home already but an intentional cross of two retrievers is trying to do what? What qualities are being bettered here? Do you mind telling us who the breeder is?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[doubletall]

Sounds like a rip off to me. I have a really had time supporting designer breedings. Nothing against the good old mutt, I have two of those at home already but an intentional cross of two retrievers is trying to do what? What qualities are being bettered here? Do you mind telling us who the breeder is?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I agree with you 100% but I'd rather not name the breeder.  I was more looking for opinions  to back me up in talking my wife out of it which has already been accomplished. 

[Becky]

I did a research paper on crossbreed dogs in college, not that it really means anything but in my little opinion some crossbreed dogs are very much worth it, if you know what you're getting into. I'm not really talking about the "designer dogs" per se, even though they do fall into the same category. The biggest appeal for crossbreed dogs is the health of the dog.

A crossbreed dog would be two purebred papered dogs having a litter, so the pups are exactly 50/50 mix ("F1", first generation), it's very different when you then breed a mix to a mix and in that case you lose the health advantage.

If you have one lineage of a breed that's prone to a certain disorder/disease (maybe hip dysplasia) and you breed it with another breed who has never had a history of that disorder then you essentially can almost bet your puppy will be healthy. They won't both have the recessive gene their lineage carries. Takes research though, but its a huge advantage if you are wanting a healthy pet, and not a show dog (and also, spay or neuter!).. but on the flip side I'd never buy a crossbreedXcrossbreed puppy, they potentially carry ALL recessive genes from both lineage and could be a disaster so always buy an F1.

[WARHORSE]

I picked up a lab/golden mixed pup from a nice mexican couple for a $100 in the walmart parking lot. Great dog!!