Designer dogs: Top 10 best designer dog breeds

Your choice of doggo dictates a lot about how your future canine-human relationship will go, and dog breeders make it their mission to ease that decision. Here's a selection of the best designer dog breeds in the world.

Designer dog breeds like the labradoodle come from clever and complicated breeding.
Designer dog breeds like the labradoodle come from clever and complicated breeding.  © Unsplash/Seth Weisfeld

There are many designer dog breeds in the world, usually plopped together to form an aesthetically pleasing canine companion of your dreams.

If you want a perfect pet, you don't necessarily need a designer dog, but if you're looking for a great performer, looker, and a unique pup, it might be time to check a few out.

In this dog guide, TAG24 takes a look at our top ten favorite designer dog breeds. What's the point of a designer dog, why are they so popular, and what are the best designer breeds in the world?

Dog comforts dying sibling in the most heartbreaking way
Dogs Dog comforts dying sibling in the most heartbreaking way

Let's take a look!

What are designer dogs?

A designer dog is a breed that has been formed via the "mixing" of two or more pure dog breeds to produce a new and unique variation.

The idea is to optimize the best characteristics of each dog breed, creating a perfect puppy that'll grow up to be an absolute star. Prepare yourself for a dog that's cute, strong, and incredibly charismatic.

While it is true that many designer doggos are bred for shows, competitions, and the wealthy, it doesn't always have to be that way. Breeders have worked their magic for many years, meaning that most modern domestic dogs, while not "designer," are mixed breeds of some kind or another.

Important: There are many things that make the creation of designer dog breeds problematic. Often very expensive, these are very carefully curated creatures that are, at the end of the day, unnatural. For most families, we would recommend getting a standard breed and ideally adopting from a dog shelter.

Best designer dog breeds: Top 10

With a vast assortment of designer dog breeds available nowadays, it gets rather difficult to break down which ones are "the best." As a result, we decided to purely base this on personal preference. Keep in mind that there are many important things that need to be considered when adopting any dog.

Before adopting, find out about your designer dog's personality, health situation, costs, and history. Here are our top ten best designer dog breeds in the world.

10. Schnoodle

Schnoodles are a designer dog breed mix between the poodle and schnauzer.
Schnoodles are a designer dog breed mix between the poodle and schnauzer.  © IMAGO/Wirestock

Schnoodles are a gorgeous hybrid dog breed that were created by crossing poodles with schnauzers.

They come in multiple sizes, as both of their pure breed originals are varied doggos that can be big, medium, or small. As such, schnoodles can be heavy or light, tall or short, and feature a hugely diverse set of personalities and characteristics.

They are unbelievably intelligent and friendly dogs that don't bark too much but are a little bit clingy. As such, schnoodles are susceptible to separation anxiety to a level that can cause some pretty serious problems down the line.

Blind dog down on his luck finds well-deserved happy ending
Dogs Blind dog down on his luck finds well-deserved happy ending

They are also beautiful, adopting a curly but somewhat wavy coat that's extremely distinctive.

9. Puggle

Puggles are adorable little designer dogs.
Puggles are adorable little designer dogs.  © IMAGO/agefotostock

The puggle is a remarkable little designer crossbreed made up of both pug and beagle.

Highly popular in the United States, these little dogs often feature the bodies and physicality of a tiny lil pug, but with the faces and adorable noses of a beagle. Of course, it is entirely dependent on the genetics picked up during the breeding process and as a result can come in a number of variations.

One of the great benefits of the puggle is that it is less likely to inherit the serious health problems that are common in pugs, as they often won't have the sunken nose and the restricted airway. Common since the 1980s, the puggle is one of the sweetest and friendliest little canine companions on the market, but will fetch a pretty stiff price.

8. Ausky

The humble Ausky is a remarkable mixed breed and designer doggo.
The humble Ausky is a remarkable mixed breed and designer doggo.  © 123RF/Grigory Bruev

If you've got yourself an ausky, you're an absolute legend.

Why? Well, because the ausky is a gorgeous designer dog that was created as a cross breed between an Australian cattle dog and a Siberian husky. Considering their roots, there's no surprise that auskies are incredibly active and intelligent dogs, and certainly should be considered among the world's smartest dog breeds.

More importantly, though, you should understand that this same intelligence and energy comes with its own set of challenges. You need to provide plenty of time for your ausky as it needs lots of agility training, and must be given plenty of mental stimulation (puzzle games work well). As such, while auskies are amazing, they're not the best family doggos.

7. Ratshire terrier

Ratshire terriers are strange but sweet little designer dogs.
Ratshire terriers are strange but sweet little designer dogs.  © Unsplash/Kathy Morales

These tiny little dogs, often referred to as "ratshire terriers" or just "Rat" terriers, are a cross between the American rat terrier and the Yorkshire terrier.

They are generally pretty small and have very standard fur that's relatively short, straight, and simply colored. It is possible for these little dudes to inherit merle fur, though, if their parents had the right gene.

Just as active and troublesome as your average yorkie, the ratshire terrier can be a real troublemaker if you don't train it from a young age. While it is relatively easy to get them behaving well, if you leave it too long then they have a habit of becoming stuck in their old ways!

Ratshire terriers are a relatively new designer dog breed and are often featured in doggy shows and competitions.

6. Australian retriever

When it comes to designer dog breeds, there are few cuter than the Australian retriever.
When it comes to designer dog breeds, there are few cuter than the Australian retriever.  © Unsplash/Jametlene Reskp

Despite having "Australian" in their name, you can't get much more Yankee than the Australian shepherd.

Luckily, an Aussie breeder came along a couple of years ago with a doggo that truly lives up to its name.

How? Well, the Australian retriever is a mix between a golden retriever and an Australian shepherd that was first bred in late 2007 by an Australian breeder.

While the Aussie shepherd is an American dog breed and the golden retriever is Scottish through-and-through, there's something truly great about an Aussie putting the Australian back into the Australian shepherd. (Bravo, mate, we applaud you!)

Oh, they are fluffy and adorable and just the greatest dogs to ever exist. Look at those puppies. Just. Look at them.

5. English speagle spaniel

The English speagle spaniel is a beautiful medium-sized doggo.
The English speagle spaniel is a beautiful medium-sized doggo.  © 123RF/eliskadlecova

The English speagle is a cross between a beagle and the English toy spaniel, hence its full name being English speagle spaniel.

These incredibly friendly and funny dogs are often troublemakers but can also be great for families looking to have a lively, happy, and loving canine companion in their home.

A fantastic crossbreed and designer doggo, the English speagle is a medium-sized dog that generally lives up to around fifteen years. They come in a variety of different colors and are remarkably loyal and easy-going.

Keep in mind, though, that these particular dogs shed a lot and will bark you to the point of madness.

4. Mountain mastiff

The mountain mastiff is a giant designer dog that's incredibly huggable.
The mountain mastiff is a giant designer dog that's incredibly huggable.  © IMAGO/YAY Images

A cross between the Bernese mountain dog and the mastiff, the mountain mastiff is a massive and beautiful designer dog breed.

Some of the strongest and most powerful dogs in the world, these behemoths more than live up to their roots and are, on average, at least 150 pounds heavy. While they are incredibly affectionate, they also make great guard dogs.

It's important to train your mountain mastiff to be very obedient and to follow all of your commands. That means teaching it plenty of words, providing it with high quality food, and making sure that if things get rough out there it will do what you say.

They are incredibly sweet, loving dogs, and make great family pets, but may be too big to wrestle with if they get upset.

3. Labradoodle

Labradoodles are incredibly sweet, fluffy, and remarkably loveable designer dogs.
Labradoodles are incredibly sweet, fluffy, and remarkably loveable designer dogs.  © IMAGO/Wirestock

Labradoodles are (as their name suggests) a cross between a labrador and a poodle - they are also possibly the most popular designer dog breed.

These gorgeous fluffy creatures originated back in the 1950s and come from the good ol' land that hails from down under. Considered Australian legends, they have since become remarkably popular in the United States.

Favorites of dog shows and competitions, the labradoodle features a thick poodle-like curled coat, with a stocky and labrador-like body.

They are extremely friendly, happy, loving, kind, calm, and considerate, making them the perfect family dog. You'll love every moment you spend with this beautiful and majestic beastie.

2. Dameranian

Dameranians are a designer dog breed cross between a dachshund and a pomeranian.
Dameranians are a designer dog breed cross between a dachshund and a pomeranian.  © 123RF/Vershinin Photo

The dameranian is often considered one of the fluffiest tiny dogs in existence, mainly because it is a mix between a dachshund and a pomeranian.

A loving, friendly canine companion, dameranians deserve far more praise than they get. These small little buddies will laugh and cry with you, cuddle up on a cold or sad day, and will always value that human-canine connection.

Dameranians shed pretty badly, and will often suffer from separation anxiety. It's important to know before you get one that they need lots of grooming and plenty of walks.

They are commonly seen at dog shows, carefully groomed and shown off as some of the cutest and sweetest designer dogs out there.

1. Golden pyrenees

The golden pyrenees is one of the most beautiful designer dog breeds in the world.
The golden pyrenees is one of the most beautiful designer dog breeds in the world.  © Unsplash/Samuel Machala

By far the most beautiful and impressive designer dog breed on this list (in our humble opinion), the golden pyrenees is a cross between the golden retriever and the great pyrenees.

With luscious golden fur and an insane size when fully grown, these creatures might be sweet, cute, and immensely huggable, but they are also a lot of work.

You will definitely need to keep the golden pyrenees in a home that affords you with plenty of space, but is also well guarded against escape.

They are gentle and playful, but incredibly naughty and incredibly likely to dig out of their yard when left alone. Make sure you have a firm handle on them, have trained them well, and that your first dog is not a golden pyrenees.

Designer breed dogs are some of the most expensive in the world

While pure breeds will often come in at exorbitant prices, designer doggos are also some of the most expensive dogs in the world. Labradoodles, for example, will generally come in at about $1,500 when adopted from a breeder as a baby. If you go with a specialist breeder or order a puppy in advance, things quickly get even more expensive than that.

Indeed, Labradoodles are some of the cheaper designer dog breeds on the market because they are also some of the most popular. As a result, it is clear that designer dogs are not generally the best choice for people on a budget. Decisions should be balanced, people should keep their expectations in check, and preparations should be thorough.

Designer dog breeds can be some of the sweetest and cutest dogs in the world, but play a very particular purpose. If your needs don't meet that purpose, then there's probably no need to dish out the cash.

Cover photo: Unsplash/Seth Weisfeld

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