T hey are a hybrid - a combination of a Yorkshire Terrier, plus normally one other toy breed combined together to form a more desirable dog. Designer Dogs seem to becoming very popular now, but the fact is that almost ALL recognized dog breeds could once be considered 'Designer'. All dogs descend from wolves, and every recognized dog breed was created through selective breeding in order to pursue various favorable characteristics. Some dogs were created to hunt, some to protect, some to look pretty, but the recognized pure breeds that we know today, are a result of many generations of crossbreeding.
Classifying Hybrid Generations
S ome of the language used to describe hybrids may seem very complicated, but it is not, once you understand it. Many hybrid breeders will mate 2 pure dogs together which results in what is called an F1 generation puppy. This is the most common type of hybrid available, and normally has the highest degree of hybrid vigour.
Mating an F1 female to an F1 male will result in an F2 generation puppy. Two F2 dogs will produce F3 generation pups, and so on, and so on.
An F1 dog, bred back to a pure breed will result in an F1b pup, just as an F1b bred back to a purebred will generate F1c pups.
R esponsible breeders strive to bring together the best qualities of both parents through selective breeding. This is a very long process, which requires truly dedicated breeders who create a breeding program which continues through many generations, selecting the best pups from their litters to ensure high quality for future generations. This concept is what breeders of purebred dogs strive for, but it is much more rare to find in dog breeds which are not registered. Our "Goldens" are a perfect example of this concept, as they are extremely rare F1e Yorkie Poos. They have all the characteristics of a Yorkie, but have a beautiful Golden coat, thanks to the poodle genes which were introduced to this line 5 generations back. We then worked hard at selecting excellent quality Purebred Yorkies to bring back all the characteristics of the pure Yorkie, but keeping the coat colour donated from the poodle. The result is an amazing little dog!
Are Designer Dogs Healthier Than Purebreds?
W hen purebred dogs are bred with each other, there may be certain recessive flaws that they pass to their pups. It is thought that by mixing 2 breeds together to create a designer, or hybrid dog, the resulting pups will have 'hybrid vigour' and be a healthier animal. This is often true because the pupsare created from a wider gene pool, but it is not ALWAYS true. Many toy breed dogs share the same health issues, so even though the parents are 2 different breeds, they may still have a risk for the same problems. There are many breed specific problems that you should consider researching before you buy any puppy, but be aware than any dogregardless of breeding stock, can still get sick from diseases such as cancer, etc.
