Designer Breeds - Who 'Sets the Standard"?

[YorkieGal]

I was wondering who sets the groom styles/precedents for these new 'Designer Breeds'. I have been receiving so many Morkies and other breeds in the last 3 months that are puppies. Some look like a Maltese, Some look like a yorkie. You view the pup from all angles and give a customer suggestions regarding the coat (if it isn't tangled by their lst groom at 6-9 mos. -uggh)and a style you feel would be the best one and appropriate, yet cute. Even after asking owners tons of questions.

Some are pleased and reschedule, some say the dog is not the way the breed is 'supposed to look' or too short, left it too long.... Then they say maybe they will try someone else or another styling. This has NOT happened often, but don't you find that with these new mixed breeds that no two will have the same body shape or coat? They usually favor one parent or the other. Even siblings from the same litter are different.

Many do trust their groomer as the lst authority (if you can use that word) to the pup's style, others want their pup to look like the photo on the breeder(s) website! Anyone else finding this is a styling dilema. I know I am...

[neanea]

No, I'm not finding it a problem at all. Determining the "style", to me, just means doing the best cut appropriate to the dog and listening to what the client asks for. Even if they don't know what they want, I'll just ask leading questions and communicate what I felt they were telling me back to them. If your having issue with people not liking the way you've styled the dog, then just ask more questions.

As to who determines the "standard", there is none, so no one has determined a STANDARD

[Wenirato]

designer breeds or mutts?

I guess I am a lil biased on this subject because I raise and show dogs. I do not even recognize the term designer breed. They are mutts or mixes. I have clients with these dogs and I simply take out my picture book with several breed styles and clips in it and I let them choose a look. I show them pictures and I also have a board with fake fur on it clipped with the different blade lengths I offer. This way they can feel the length they like instead of imagining a length or just looking at a picture. If they ask for a clip that I think will look bad I tell them. Some of the people with yorkie and malteese mixes want the fluff of a poodle or pomeranian and it is just not gonna happen no matter what we as groomers do. I have had them bring me pictures of a mix the same as theirs but with a thicker heavier coat and want it to look like the picture I simply explain that their precious lil pup does not have the same coat type as the one in the picture they showed me and offer a picture of a dog I groomed with a similar coat. I also tell them that it may take several visits for us to get the look they want with what the dog has for coat. Most of them are most understanding and willing to work with their groomer. I guess my point is I take each dog as an individual and create a style that will work for both the owner and the dog.

[4Sibes]

I always let the owner "set the standard". I do as they tell me to do. May not look appropriate on every dog...as you noted, but then opens the door for discussion about what may suit their pet's needs and personal taste the best. (You picked it...you "design" it.)

[Poodleboy60]

This is where your skill as a trained pet stylist comes in. It's the same as grooming any other mutt; just look at the coat and the body shape and tell your customer what you can do. There will usually be a few options and make LOTS of notes on the client card (or take pics) so you can do the same thing next time the client comes in.

[OntheBRINKofDisaster]

Sigh...there is no breed standard on a MIXED BREED. There is no breed clip. IT'S NOT A BREED!

Ugh...very sorry for all the caps. It's not you I'm yelling at, it's all the retarded owners that spend $2000 on something they could have rescued from the pound for much less. Can you tell it's a sore point for me? Lol. When you are mixing two distinct, often unrelated breeds, you are never going to get consistent offspring. The odds of these poor dogs being recognized by any sort of established registry are slim.

[A1Mobile]

The condition of the coat sets the standard for me, the owners wishes come second.

[Helly]

Most of the mixed breeds have no standard. There are two that do; the Labradoodle and the Miki.

I know there are Miki breeders who are doing their damndest to make the Miki a true breed, and they're actually making a great deal of progress. And before y'all say anything, remember that ALL of our recognized breeds started out as mixed breeds.

One of the more recent ones, the Czesky, is a prime example of how one makes a true breed out of a mix.

As for Labradoodles, I don't care what their standard may say. I just punt.

[Poodlestar]

even the purebreds...

I groom several (and I mean several) standard poodles and I see a wide variety of coat types. Even my own have very different coat types.

My white girl has a moderately thick coat with lots of volume... she fluff dries straight easy, and requires a good brushing every couple of weeks and a bath every 4-6 weeks to keep her coat looking fabulous.

My silver boy dries SOOO fast it's so wonderful. he has more limp hair. I can't get a huge topknot on him, his coat flows as he runs (hehe) but it is kind of wiry and only needs a brushing every month or so, and a bath every 6-8 weeks. And he looks freshly groomed for like 2 weeks.. it's wonderful.

My parti girl has a weird combo coat. Her topcoat is very wiry, and the main coat is fairly soft. She matts quickly, requiring brushing every week, and I prefer to not let her go more than 4 without a bath... her coat doesn't fluff nice.. She's curling up again within hours of grooming, and a week later she looks like no one loves her. hehe

I have poodles who have thin hair, thick hair, wiry hair, soft hair, good scissoring hair, better with clippers hair... and they are all purebred.

So even if a client brings a picture of another poodle in and says, can you make him look like that... I can't even guarantee it.

[babbrook]

Most of the mixed breeds have no standard. There are two that do; the Labradoodle and the Miki....As for Labradoodles, I don't care what their standard may say. I just punt.

Amen to this post. And a Czewsky is a simple cross between a Syleham terrier and a scottish terrier.

The Labradoodle was intended to make a hypoallergenic service dog.

Dont make fun of your customers. They were told that purebreds had problems from inbreeding. And, no there are not toy breed pound puppies. Especially in larger cities So the public will pay for what they want.

When the designer craze first came about it was shocking to me too. But this has been going on long enough for groomers to get use too. The public wants what hybrid vigor promises.

Right now hybrids are out selling purebreds nation wide.

Everyone assumed it would have fizzled out by now. But it is only gaining momentum. I am sure the Czewsky is not the only new breed of our times. There are many others in devlopment now.

A smaller bulldog one that free breeds and whelps
A smaller Schnauzer that has the smarts and non shedding abilities and a temperment that will by pass the yorkie.Which is also good with children

Many are size downs. Some are recreating old breeds that no longer exsist. Some developing breeds to appeal to the masses.

It is no longer the 1900's
We dont need ratters'
People rarley use working terriers
People dont use dogs to attrack the fleas and mites from their bodies

[OntheBRINKofDisaster]

If all they wanted was a hypoallergenic service dog why didn't they just use the Standard poodle? (That's not rhetorical, I've actually been wondering why for a loooong time. Its not like they aren't smart or friendly enough) Not to mention the whole "hypoallergenic" service dog thing has been abandoned for awhile now because most of them aren't hypoallergenic.

But, as a volunteer who helps at multiple poodle rescues, I very much beg to differ on not being able to find a toy breeds at a shelter. We are INUNDATED. There are more than we can currently find homes for! Perhaps you can send your customers looking for one our way!

It's extremely frustrating putting all your time, love, and energy into something while seeing the problem grow and grow and grow. I imagine superheroes would have the same kind of irritation! You wonder if you are even making a dent or helping at all. They still keep coming. And, since you are mixing two pure breeds, you often aren't breeding out the health problems. For some, it's worse because they inherit genetic diseases from BOTH sides.