What exactly are Crossbreeds and designer dogs?

Like purebred dogs, designer dogs are the result of selective breeding to bring out desired traits. For designer dog breeders, low-shedding coats and adorable appearances are usually high on the priority list—and they are the characteristics many pet parents want, too. However, though designer dogs have a lot of appeal, there are some watch-outs as well. 

There can be a lot of variability in the personality and appearance of designer dogs. For example, if you want a dog that's mixed with a Poodle so they are a low shedder, your specific dog may not end up with the genes that contribute to that trait. There can also be substantial size differences depending on if the breeder used a Standard Poodle or Toy Poodle in the crossbreed.

Lastly, cross breeding dogs to make a designer mix does not necessarily guarantee the dog will avoid the genetic health risks that impact purebred pups.

The more you know about your dog, the better you can tailor their life-long care. With Wisdom Panel, you can identify traits, genetic health risks, decode your dog's quirks with behaviour insights, trace their ancestry back three generations, and even find their relatives.