Havens believes that hybrid dogs are healthier than purebreds. An A.K.C. spokesperson dismisses this as nonsense, but Havens is so sure that he gives a five-year warranty on his dogs—if the animals become ill or develop a defect during that time, he will reimburse the buyer. “No American Kennel Club breeder could do that without going broke,” he says.

Not surprising, the purebred community is not fond of the designer dog trend. “We don’t recognize them as breeds,” says the A.K.C. representative, who bristled when hybrids were mentioned. “We don’t think it’s a good trend—it’s not good for the dogs, it’s not good for the owners. The people who are breeding them are looking to capitalize on a trend and make as much money as they can. They’re just breeding two breeds together, giving it a cute name, and charging purebred prices for a mixed breed.”

Seventy-year-old Havens has been breeding dogs since 1963, and opened the Puppy Haven Kennel in 1974. He now has about 1,500 dogs—700 for breeding, 300 that are coming up (being raised to eventually breed), and about 500 puppies for sale. He sells about 3,000 puppies a year to individuals and stores across the country.

He continues to experiment with new mixes in hopes of finding the next puggle. Some efforts have gone awry—when he crossed a cocker spaniel and a Lhasa apso, “some homely looking dogs” resulted. He’s had more success with the mini Saint Bernard, which grows to be no bigger than 20 pounds and sells for $600 to $800 (and doesn’t actually involve breeding a Saint Bernard). Havens is now getting ready to mix a border collie and a standard poodle. “Border collies are a great dog because they’re smart, but they need a lot of exercise which doesn’t make them ideal for a house dog,” he says. “Poodles are one of the smartest breeds as well, so I think people are going to find they like this mix.”

Time will tell if the mini Saint Bernard is the next puggle, but Havens thinks that dog buyers aren’t all that complicated: “People want cute dogs.”