I agree Sue, that is one point that seems to come up time and time again. I think the other main points people make stem from this. Firstly, these exhorbitant prices attract the wrong sort of breeder - ie the ones who are just wanting to make money and breed indiscriminately, not giving a d--- about the dogs and their health. Secondly, this sort of uncaring breeding will, ten years or so down the line, result in health problems far worse than any seen in the pedigree world. And thirdly, whilst a lot of people who buy designer dogs genuinely care about their animals, there is also a certain sort of buyer who buys designer dogs because they are in fashion, and will abandon them just as soon as the fashion changes - more poor animals for the rescue centres to cope with.

From things people have said on various forums there are one or two genuine breeders of "designer dogs" who do check health and offer an after sales service, but these are few and far between. My own opinion is that, even if all the bad press the Kennel Club has received lately were true (which it isn't) then if this can happen to breeders who are regulated, how can anyone even begin to believe that no regulations at all will produce healthy puppies?