Lisa Peterson, spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club, bristles at the notion that any designer dog can boast a noble background and rejects the claim that designer dog mixes are any healthier than purebreds.
"None of the new designer dogs would qualify as purebreds," she says. "It would need a whole list of qualifications, including a parent club, generations of photographed, documented dogs, and generations of health records. It usually takes decades, if not centuries, to register a purebred."
She adds she has not seen any scientific study demonstrating that mixed breed dogs are any healthier than purebreds.
"We would say 'buyers beware' to customers who believe designer dogs are the best of both worlds," she says. "With a purebred, you know what kind of coat quality you're getting, what kind of temperament, what kind of gait … all of this is documented and guaranteed. With designer dogs, there is no guarantee how the puppies will turn out."
Peterson also warns that the popularity of a particular mix might encourage "backyard breeders" to take a stab at producing the novelty puppies. Left to amateurs, such puppy mills can lead to poorly bred pups and animal cruelty.