"designer" dogs
Tess - far be it for me to criticize anyone's choice in pets, but if you want a mutt, get a mutt. From everything I've heard, and from my own and friend's experience, they make great pets -- sometimes even better than purebreds. But don't get a mutt and call it something else, like boxer-shepherd-oodle. . .
As far as neurotic dogs; yep, it's ultimately the breeder/owner's responsibility. I think what happened is shelties were so popular that a lot of people started owning them who really had no business doing so - kind of like what happened to dalmations after the live-action "101 Dalmations" came out.
I was only 5 when we got Charlie, so have no idea where my parents got him from. We got Oberon from a breeder in Greeley, who many would probably refer to as a backyard breeder. She's not trying to raise showdogs, just good family pets. She has 3 female dogs, 1 male - so we were able to meet both parents and see the house and land (somewhat of a small farm) they were raised in/on. The dogs were obviously well cared for and loved. He's AKC, but not (that i know of) from championship lines. That's fine with us - we have no interest in either showing or breeding.
