I recently met someone who had their dog with them- a cute, curly-haired little guy. When I asked what kind it was she proudly announced that it was a 'designer dog'. A designer dog, not a pure-breed, but a mixed-breed of dog. Now, when I was a kid, the mixed-breed dogs in my neighborhood were called mutts. Not that this makes them any less of a great dog to own, but the fact is, these people have been coerced into believing that having a mixed-breed dog makes them somehow more valuable than a pure-breed dog.
As one vet (recently quoted in Reader's Digest) said, "People are paying $2000 for a dog they couldn't give away at a shelter ten years ago... whoever started the trend is a marketing genius." My sentiments exactly. Forget about the "designer dog" and get a great dog at your local shelter. Whether it is a pure-breed or a mixed-breed, mostly likely you will have a best friend for many years to come.