When a Pug and a Beagle Fall in Love, It’s a Puggle

They’re goldendoodles, cockapoos and puggles and they are among the most popular cross-bred dogs in the U.S., according to the American Canine Hybrid Club. Nipping at their heels are cavachons, shih-poos and schnoodles, says the organization, which has registered and named 671 different hybrid combinations since it started registering litters in 1990.

More dog owners are looking to create custom varieties that combine in a single dog the best traits of two purebreds. This has spawned an industry of breeders who specialize in hybrids. (Hybrid pooches, of course, have been created naturally for centuries in back yards, alleyways and other places where mutts mingle.)

Puggles are the most popular for their size and family-friendly temperament. Many buyers also look for hybrids with hypoallergenic fur and dogs that don’t shed, such as the cavapoo, cockapoo and shih-poo. Ms. Rohde and other breeders say they often have a waiting list for the most popular hybrids.

While the possibilities of designer dogs may seem limitless, breeders say they exercise common sense in match-making and aren’t trying to mate large breeds with small. Customers typically do their research online beforehand to determine which hybrids out there fit their needs, says Cindy Miller, an Aurora, Mo., breeder of shorkie tzus (shih tzu-Yorkshire terrier).

For the most part, designer dogs are not hard to breed. Ms. Miller says she simply puts the two dogs together when the female is fertile. The animal’s size can sometimes make things a bit tricky. Ms. Miller has one yorkie male that is only 2½ pounds—too small for some of her larger females—so she has used artificial insemination to breed that dog. When hybrids are bred with other hybrids, some breeders continue to tout their lineage, but they are not currently recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club.

Hybrid dogs are still not that common. For every hundred litters registered with America’s Pet Registry, there may be six hybrid litters registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club, its subsidiary, says Susan Richmond, co-owner of American’s Pet Registry. For example, there were only 39 registered aussie-poos last year, despite it being the registry’s 10th most popular hybrid breed for 2010. Breeders who register litters with the ACHC must provide proof that the puppies’ parents.

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