Sorry bagendhens...that is NOT true. We have discussed this in earlier posts and because some people were being rude, their comments were deleted.
This is the ACTUAL definition of dog hybrid:
A dog hybrid is a cross between two different breeds. Hybrids are also known as crossbreeds or crossbreds. A dog of unknown parentage is called a mixed-breed dog.
Definition of hybrid
In biology, the word hybrid has two meanings. The first meaning is the result of interbreeding between two animals or plants of different taxa. Hybrids between different species within the same genus are sometimes known as interspecific hybrids or crosses. Hybrids between different sub-species within a species are known as intra-specific hybrids.
The second meaning of "hybrid" is crosses between populations, breeds or cultivars of a single species. This second meaning is often used in plant and animal breeding. The cross-breeding of domestic dog breeds is this type because while they may look very different, domestic dog breeds are all the same species.
In less technical conversation (and particularly in the dog world) the word hybrid refers to selective breed crosses and their progeny, even if outcrossed to other breeds. For example, the Queensland Wild Dog Management Strategy, September 2002, states that hybrid will also refer to the descendants of crossbred progeny.
Designer dogs
Some dog hybrids are now being selectively bred. The term designer dogs is often used to refer to these crosses.
Whilst the trend to produce hybrid or designer dogs is considered new it is, in fact, a continuation of the centuries-old practice of selective breeding. All dog breeds were created for a particular purpose, usually some form of hunting, herding, or guarding. These tasks have been largely replaced by the need to produce healthy dogs with good temperaments as domestic companions or pets.
Proponents point out that there are bona fide reasons for the breeding of some specific crosses (the Labradoodle, for example, was first bred as a guide dog for visually impaired people with allergies), and also that the available research shows that crossbreds on average live longer and healthier lives (see mixed breed dogs and heterosis/hybrid vigor).
In some dog sports, particularly flyball, hybrids have become very popular. For example, the Borderjack (Border Collie/Jack Russell Terrier) is desirable because it retains the small size of the Jack Russell but has the athletic ability and trainability of the Border Collie. The Borderstaffy (Border Collie/Staffordshire Bull Terrier) is prized because it has the speed of a Border Collie and the strength of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Registration and recognition of hybrids
Dog hybrids are not recognized by the main breed registries. They should not be confused with independent breeds, which are also not recognized. The difference lies in the longevity of the breed, the numbers of breeders and the existence of a legitimate breed club, the number of specimens of the breed past a certain number of generations, whether or not it breeds true to type, for how long a breed registry has been maintained, and the reason for the nonrecognition. Often independent breed clubs oppose recognition, for reasons which usually concern maintaining independent control of the qualities of their chosen breed.
Portmanteau names
With the long-time popularity, of the "breed" name cockapoo, used since at least 1970 and constructed by combining elements of its two contributing breeds (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle), it has become extremely common to find mixed-breed dogs named with breed names likewise invented by portmanteau. The tendency for using such names in a jocular way dates back at least to Queen Elizabeth's Dorgis (Dachshund/Corgi). However, extremely few of these become mainstream "breeds" over long periods with determined breeders, and, as of 2006, Cockapoo and Labradoodle are still the only such combined names to make it into the dictionary. Nonetheless, names such as these commonly appear in for-sale ads and often lack consistency; a cross between a Maltese and a Poodle, for example, may be advertised as either a "Maltipoo" or a "Moodle".
Among the better known dog hybrids are Labradoodles and Australian Bulldogs, which each have their own breed fancy associations. Poodle crosses are also popular.
