Pocket Beagles -
You will often hear unscrupulous breeders claiming they have "pocket beagles". Please don't be taken in by this. No responsible breeder tries to breed a tiny beagle because of various health issues involved.

There are two different variaties (sizes) recognized by the AKC: 15" and 13". A fifteen inch is beagle over 13" up to 15" at the shoulder. A thirteen inch is any beagle 13" and under. There is not a "miniature" or "toy" variety.

Also, it is difficult most times to predict what size a beagle pup will eventually be. Although there are some breeders that can predict with some certainty, these breeders know their lines very well. They have studied them and kept very detailed records.

Please see this link on the National Beagle Club website for more information on pocket beagles: The truth about Pocket Beagles

Colors -
There are breeders out there that claim to be breeding "rare" or "fashion" colors. Even worse, there is a breeder claiming to have "Silver Lace" (actually called dapple) beagles. This color CANNOT be found in purebred beagles. But can be found in other breeds like the dachshund (which, not surprisingly, this breeders dogs strongly resemble) and corgi.

Again, I don't know any decent breeder out there that breeds for color. It's hard enough (not to mention costly) to breed a happy, healthy, genetically and structurally sound dog of any breed much less for color.

AKC Registration,
or any other type of registration for that matter, is not a guarantee of quality. All this means is that two registered dogs of the same breed were mated together to produce purebred puppies. It DOES NOT mean the dog is healthy or structurally sound. And, the dog may not be purebred either.

So... You Say You Just Want a Pet Not a show Dog...
Please keep in mind that reputable breeders breed for health as well as beauty. As mentioned previouly, it can be quite costly in time and money, to breed a healthy structurally sound dog that can give years of problem free joy to the people who own them.

You have to ask yourself, would you like to pay for a happy healthy pet or would you like to take your chances on an ill bred dog that will cost you money in vet bills and heartache?

Your job is to learn all the health and genetic issues of your chosen breed, and insure the breeder not only is aware of these but tests for them, breeds in order to avoid them, and has written guarantees. There are breeders out there that will have guarantees for the pups they sell which covers far more than the initial puppy visit. Keep in mind there are many genetic health issues that will not be evident until later in life. So do yourself a favor, find and buy from a reputable breeder.

Recently I came across a pet contract that guaranteed their pups would have functional hips until 5 years of age. If this wasn't so serious it would be funny. This dog could have serious hip dysplasia, and be in severe pain at a very young age. But as long as it could move it's hips...

Is That Dog You're Contemplating Really A Breed?
Schnoodles, Labradoodle, Peke-a-Poo, Cock-a-poo, so on and so forth... are these really breeds?

No, they are not. A breed of dog is a breed because it has a specific type and can produce dogs of the same type. It takes years of careful, selective breeding to develop a new breed that can reproduce itself consistantly.

In other words, just because you breed a lab and a poodle together does not mean you will get non-shedding labradors. It is not that simple. Ask anyone familiar with genetics.

For Example: The dogs in the picture below are sisters. The parents were two different breeds. See how different they are? The coats are different lengths and textures. The ears are different. The color is different. The size is different. The personalities were very different as well.

Why on earth would anyone pay large sums of money for a mixed breed pup when there are so many to choose from at local shelters?

There are very good organizations breeding certain mixes for specific reasons. They are not breeding with selling puppies in mind. Quite the contrary, they are hoping each and every pup carries the characteristics they are looking for so they can use them in their programs. Unfortunately there are people out there that like to ride on the "coat-tails" of those decent breeders and breed (without any knowledge of what they're doing) just to charge huge prices for their pups because that is how much the good breeders sell theirs for. Worse yet, unsuspecting people fall for it.

As for the argument that these mixes are healthier than purebred dogs... well a canine is a canine and the genetics work the same. There is no hybrid vigor as there is no mix in species when breeding dog to dog. So, depending on what genetic problem we are talking about, all that's needed is one or both parents to carry a defect in their genes and pass it to their pups. Breed does not matter.