It’s a little different when you’ve got the proper equipment, the tension from the dogs pulls on your butt instead of your waist (or arms), and you have a quick release snap at your waist.
But I don’t really enjoy canicross, I really only use it as dryland training for skijoring. And my dog knows the difference between wearing her harness vs her collar so we can go for a leisurely run or walk without her pulling.
Great photos!
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I got my first Portuguese Water Dog in 1992. Well before labradoodles. Have had this breed ever since. 3 of my 5 current dogs are PWDs. The breed club has a full-blown disgust with the doodles, labradoodles especially. And frankly, i don’t see how they are an improvement over PWDs anyway. I have labs too, they’re great dogs. My SO grew up in a Standard Poodle household. Neither one of us has a desire for this particular breed mix…we’re perfectly happy with the real thing (PWD)
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So the difference between a Lurcher and a designer dog appears to be that the Lurcher, and the other skijoring dogs, are being bred for performance and do the job intended. While the designer dogs are being bred for cute names and floof. But this is also true of lapdogs in general.
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Had to do a double take on my skimming of your post. It looked like they were bred to do the Polka for a minute there…
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Now that would be “purpose bred”! 
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Well, sure, there are a lot of lapdogs that are just floof. But they have been purposefully bred over generations and generations for consistency in that temperament, size, coat type, hardiness, etc. And, when done correctly, that predictability also extends to health.
I don’t want a purebred lapdog OR a cross bred lapdog. But what I do think is that there isn’t anything purposeful about breeding a Maltese and a Pekinese together if you want a lapdog. Both have long histories, known temperaments, and it is possible to find breeders whose breeding programs are sound and solid and who are committed to breeding to the standard.
What does a Malti-Peke provide that either of the original breeds doesn’t? Why would someone pay $2-3K for that cross (usually from poor examples) rather than buy the known purebred.
And, bringing rescue into this doesn’t really help – adopting a “Malti-Peke” is just rehoming the poorly bred designer dog that someone else paid for.
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Yep… my thoughts exactly!
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I also have a Catahoula mix. She looks very much like yours physically and in personality. She has the color of a Lab except for her eyes, those are Catahoula. She has proven to be a “difficult”/high energy dog, and before us she was returned to the shelter about 5 times before. She is always testing to see if “you mean it”….
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The toy breeds from mills and BYBs are often quite larger than standard because larger bitches have an easier time whelping naturally and surviving the experience 
. I had assumed pet shop buyers would want the tiniest puppies possible, but my breeder explained that the mills can’t or won’t provide vet care. Plus smaller bitches have smaller litters. If you had to pay for an emergency C-section for a singleton puppy there is no profit. It was interesting in its logic when she laid it out from a commercial business perspective.
So these huge toy breeds became the norm. Chis are one example of such a common mill breed that everyone knows what a [crappy] Chihuahua/mix is and no one recognizes an actual, purebred, to-standard Chi. They think it’s a “teacup.” Especially a longhair. Correct ones are so rare, it is as if they are a separate breed from the other lot, that is more of a loose phenotype.
Same for Maltese, Pomeranians, Shih Tzus, Lhasas, etc… so many of the original pet shop breeds are nearly unrecognizable from their correct relatives.
I am wondering how the hell some doodle greeder got their hands on an Afghan. An Afghan! 
That breeder is sure kicking themselves.
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@DawnJL Thank you for the photos of your beautiful lurcher! Now I know what a lurcher can look like. I’ve heard the term, but never seen so much as a photo of one.
In the Sherlock Holmes books, Holmes would borrow “Toby” to track down criminals. Toby is described as half-Spaniel half-lurcher, brown & white with a waddling gait and an eager nose. Now I can kind of imagine a Toby. Before I never knew what the ‘lurcher’ half would bring to the party. 
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But bear in mind that not all Lurchers will look the same, as the type hasn’t been “fixed.” The ones I mentioned in my previous post were Irish Wolfhound crosses, and it was obvious. They were BIG dogs like a Wolfie and had a rough coat like a Wolfie. A couple of them almost looked like poor-quality Wolfies. They were cool looking dogs but were not pets - as mentioned, they were kept primarily for coyote control on very large land holdings like pine plantations, hunting preserves, etc.
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Another thing that comes to mind the more I chew on this, and also happens in the chicken world, is access.
What do all these Doodles and mixes have that good breeders/show breeders don’t? Easy access to purchase by Joe Schmoe that’s never been to a dog show. They’re advertised all over FB, Instagram, have websites attached, have good word of mouth locally, etc. and they usually have puppies at any given time someone asks, so you can see someone with a Doodle, ask where they got it, and go get yourself one all within a week or two. With large purchases like that, keeping the momentum going helps ensure the sale. Telling someone that wants a family pet (especially for ~the kiddos~) that it’s going to be 6 months or a year or two for a pup is gonna turn them off if they aren’t already familiar with responsible breeding/breeders.
A lot of people just want a dog, and they want it now. Is that a good thing? No. But it’s true.
I remember when I was young (I’m 37 now) there used to be tons of classified ads in the local newspaper advertising puppies, all year long. If you wanted a particular kind of pup, you could just watch the paper until your breed of choice popped up. That’s how we got our first Cocker. Otherwise, you went to the local “Humane Society” which consisted of this kind lady’s barn full of dogs that Animal Control picked up and dumped on her. Or the vet would call and say, “I’ve got an owner surrender/unclaimed so-and-so that you guys might like, you want him?” Which is how we got our Malamute years ago.
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I was still working as a vet tech when the Doodle fad really took off. One of the things I observed was that some people who had previously been keen to obtain dogs from a shelter or rescue because that was the “in” thing switched to Doodles when that was the new trend. (When they were next ready to get a new puppy or dog. They were not abandoning their current dogs.)
That initial burst of Doodle popularity then lead to the general “Designer Dog” marketing scheme. It’s all about appealing to people who are attracted to trends --even when that appeal is an unconscious one.
I’m definitely not a fan of the “Designer Dog” trend. So many dogs afflicted by structural issues and genetic health issues from these marketing driven crosses.
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I am amused (not in a good way) by the people who get all offended when you do not properly identify the “breed” of their designer dog or call it a mixed breed.
But then, I guess there are people who get offended when someone calls their horse the wrong breed or color.
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Exactly. There’s a lot of diversity in Lurchers depending on the specific crosses. The difference from the modern “designer dog” trend is that Lurchers were purpose bred from sighthound breeds and working/pastoral breeds (herders, hounds, terriers, bird dogs, etc.) to be hunting dogs that combined characteristics from both lineages. Lurchers been bred for hundreds of years in Ireland and the UK. A lot of thought has traditionally gone in to which crosses were used to produce a working Lurcher with the desired characteristics from specific crosses.
article by a Lurcher enthusiast
another article by another Lurcher enthusiast
It’s a fascinating tradition that I did not know much about. I’m a long time vegetarian, so my shelter origin Lurcher is a pet, but she is definitely a working dog in her physical type/athleticism and in her behavior so we provide her with appropriate exercise and games to help keep her happy.
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Ah, the great “Doodle Debate”!
I can weigh in here with my experiences, and have noticed the Doodle trend growing exponentially during the 18-19 years I’ve been a trainer; 15 or 20 years ago they were more of a relative rarity.
The popularity of these designer breeds is indeed mostly a result of two things: “Trendiness”, and impatience.
Here is a list of the “designer mixes” I’ve had in my classes just in the past 9 months:
Goldendoodles, Labradoodles - too many to count (I have probably worked with at least 200 over the years.)
Bernadoodle (Berner/Poodle)
Sheepadoodle (Sheepdog/Poodle)
BenARDoodle - this one was a cross between a miniature! Poodle and a St. Bernard. Don’t ask me how, I would think A/I?, but not sure - where there’s a will there’s a way, so. (This one was a handful as a puppy - though surprisingly cute, go figure - a VERY excitable and largish hairy puppy with way more energy than most St. Bernard pups, and the owner was chronically frustrated by its behavior because she couldn’t do the necessary work. Being a F/T critical care nurse with two children under the age of 5? Puppy training just wasn’t going to happen - and she probably should have re-thought the whole timing of the puppy thing since the husband wasn’t on board, but oh well.)
Puggle (Obviously Pug/Beagle)
Aussidoodle (because we need dogs with MORE energy to drain off when we live in Suburbia!)
Cavishon (CKC Spaniel/Bichon)
Malti-poo - LOTS of those.
Schoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle - smart and stubborn!)
Maltipoo/Yorkipoo cross (Oy.)
Cavipoo (CKC/Poodle)
Shichon (Bichon/Shih Tzu)
There have been a lot more, but I don’t keep records more than a year old.
IME, most of the Doodles have a LOT of energy and tend to be excitable, but there are also some with bigtime anxiety issues; though it’s hard to know how much to blame this on the owners - the majority of whom are first timers so don’t exercise or socialize their dogs nearly enough. It seems to be the dog breed favored by a lot of people in the NoVa/D.C. area, many of who are new to the country, a lot of whom are Indian - many professional people who may not actually have the time for a dog, but feel that they need to have one (a lot of that going around), especially if they have kids. Since they have deeper pockets, money is not an issue and they will pay whatever it costs.
MANY, MANY people buy/acquire dogs on impulse, and do no research; the main reason for getting a Doodle? You guessed it - they are hypoallergenic (or so they are told.) The grooming is a problem, and since they will NOT groom the dog at home (too much work), the poor groomers stay busy. And then the people complain when their dog winds up “shaved.”
Doodle temperaments are a bit all over the map but I’ve had a number of good ones; they are generally intelligent (and respond well to clear, boundary setting, reward-based training), but they need WAY more exercise and engagement than they generally get - this is the “owner’s bad”, but it’s hard to explain to first timers that they need to schedule exercise, training, play, enrichment, outlets for their dogs - and that dogs don’t just “fall into line” during the first year because you “talk to them and explain WHY they are bad, and yell NO!! repeatedly.” SIGH
There are more “Poodly” Doodles who tend to take after the Poodle parent (I suspect these are the F1s), and I mention this to their owners when I work with them; they are more dignified and reserved, and don’t suffer fools gladly - but LOVE to work with you when you give them jobs to do and are leaderly, confident, and calm. They tend to affix themselves to me and not listen to their owners, so I have to repeatedly demonstrate how to take the role of leader, use well-timed reward, be clear and firm and fair and POSITIVE. Owners of Doodles think they shouldn’t have to “do the work” because Hey - it’s not a GSD, (or similar), so it should be “easy”, right??
The more excitable types (more like the Golden/Lab parent) will jump and jump and jump until the cows come home, and since the owners give the jumping intermittent reinforcement (because AWWWW! CUTE! FLUFFY!), it continues and intensifies - especially with the younger and teenaged dogs. (Often people have NO BOUNDARIES for their dogs, and then complain that they constantly “push boundaries” with endless attention seeking behavior - and the vast majority of them get insufficient exercise; I’ve had people tell me that they “just don’t exercise their Doodle”, and wonder why it has zero impulse control and thick, spongy fat over the ribs. 
)
I had one student awhile ago with a Doodle who went through Advanced with me (got her CGC and was working on Rally stuff), and she didn’t have him neutered because “He would be a great stud dog and should reproduce since he has such a good temperament!” (HeadDesk.) I guess she would breed him with what…Other F1s? Goldens? Poodles?
The strain of anxiety (and instability of temperament) in a percentage of Doodle is not all as a result of lack of socialization - just as often it’s a result of both irresponsible breeding and lack of health and temperament testing (as a number of people have mentioned above); these are not “great examples of their respective breeds”, but instead are a result of just breeding random Labs and Goldens to random Poodles; often turning out to be the worst of both worlds. Some of the anxious Doodles have that Poodle “sharpness” when their fear response is triggered, requiring the owner to step up to the plate and work on counter conditioning, focus, and desensitization. They often don’t, so the dog becomes a prisoner of its own “bad” behavior because it winds up leash and dog reactive so is confined to the house, not getting to “go places and do things” with its owner. Because everyone is so busy, owners don’t want to take the time to deal with it (same with the dogs who lack impulse control for different reasons.) Many Doodle buyers are NOT discerning, and they simply don’t know what they don’t know. (Again - they do NO research, but buy a dog only based on emotion.)
Health issues are also more common than they should be - especially in dogs under a year old.
One reason that there are so many of these dogs is greater availability; there are more irresponsible breeders who breed these designer litters (for profit), so it’s easier to find an available Doodle than it is to find a well-bred Poodle or Lab or Golden - at least for most people. The trendy aspect is also at play; people want what is “popular”, and are willing to pay 3-5 grand for it.
People are also impatient and do things on impulse - like their dogs do (LOL.) Languishing on a waiting list for a purebred (well bred) dog can be frustrating, and they aren’t willing to delay gratification - not to mention the barrier to entry for many first time dog owners; most legit breeders screen prospective homes and are more likely to sell to those who know the breed (or have networked successfully.)
There is the “cute” factor in play as well; people LOVE furry, fuzzy-faced puppies (I’ve had Husky owners tell me that the reason they chose the breed is because “the puppies look like an adorable stuffed animal!” ARGH!! I must question the Husky breeders who sell to these people, especially if they are fist time owners.) OTOH, I have seen Husky pups advertised on sales sites - we have one of those “Puppy stores” nearby, it sprang up in the place of one that was closed down a couple of years ago: Dreamy Puppy - which sold almost exclusively designer Toy breeds, often with LOTS of health issues), and the Husky pups on the site go for 5-6 grand. Obviously from the puppy mill pipeline. (One of my young students with a teenaged Husky gave it NO exercise, and when I asked: “do you know what your dog was bred to do?” was astonished when I told her. Facepalm.)
Anyway, I think this trend is here to stay for the aforementioned reasons. “Greeders” want to make money, people have money, and they want a dog. NOW.
Let me conclude by saying that I shouldn’t throw all Doodle owners under the bus. I’ve had a number of responsible people in my classes who have committed to training and improving their dogs!, have put the work in, and have wonderful dogs they can enjoy as a result; my hat is off to them. Those who don’t do justice to their high-energy, high needs dog? They probably shouldn’t own dogs in the first place - but unfortunately there is no way to police that. It’s America, after all.
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Thank you for an interesting perspective from a trainer’s view. I would guess you’ve seen it ALL and heard it ALL.
My son who takes my sometimes rowdy, rambunctious rescue GSD to all the dog parks and community hiking trails within 50 miles of my farm, tells lots of similar stories as he and Heidi meet hundreds of dogs and their owners monthly.
I feel sorry for many of the dogs, especially the large energetic working types who have no job or
regular enrichment program. Most have little regular training and just run wild at the dog parks while their disinterested owners socialize and ignore their dogs.
It’s a strange world out there in the dog kingdom.
My hat’s off to you for trying to make it better.
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I particularly liked the second article from Shooting Times as that was a very good exploration of Lurcher character traits.
The tradition/story is that when only landowners were permitted to own sight hounds for hunting, and other dogs would have a toe clipped to stop them hunting for rabbit, hare or deer, the local workers would deliberately introduce their herding and working bitches to the landowners sight hound and the cross produced was the perfect “poachers dog”: fast as lightening, sharp as a tack, able to take prey with no noise but when at home relaxed and quiet as a mouse so neighbours and landlord didn’t know it was in the house. The truly classic cross is grayhound/whippet on collie but there are many crosses which result in a surprisingly recognisable “type”. Lovely dogs: require a lot of training and good management.
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Here in southern Arizona, it’s pit bulls and Chihuahuas. So many little evil Chihuahuas.
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