This article from a local paper. Read it and choke as these dogs can go for $1200.00, they are so valued. Hopefully our breed will not be used for any hybrids. Judy Ecklund << PET LOVERS GOING WILD FOR "HAUTE DOGS" It's a sunny afternoon at Chia's Pet Kingdom, an apt name for the rural Texas home of a couple who own 20 dogs. Little shorkie dogs scamper about the living room of the house that is their kingdom. Two chiweenie puppies are curled up on the kingdom's leather sofa. Chiweenie, a blend of Chihuahua and dachhund, and shorkies, a Shih Tzu-Yorksire terrier combo, are designer dogs, the latest trend with legs. Designer dog -- a combination of two purebreds -- are reaching a startling height of popularity that is jolting even the American Canine Hybrid Club. The club is registering about 500 litters of designer dogs a month, more than double the number of litters it was registering just more than a year ago. These numbers are just the tip of the tail, as home breeders and professional breeders across the nation are turning pure breds into mutts with panache. At Chia's Pet Kingdom in Drum, Texas, Glenna and Jeff Heraly are seeking to breed out the common back problems of the dachshund by combining it with the less lengthy Chihuahua. They are looking to tone down the yappiness of the Yorkshire terrier by slipping in a little of the Shih Tzu. The last decade has seen what's been called the most radical shift in dog breeding in at least 200 years. In kennels and back yards from Arlington, Texas, to Arlington, Vir., designer dogs are being created. Labrador plus poodle equals the hybrid labradoodle. Pug plus beagle equals the puggle. Chihauhua plus Yorkshire terrier equals the chorkie. More than 200 such combinations now are registered with the Arkansas based American Canine Hybrid Club. >> ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2006. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues ============================================================================