We are seeing a lot of crossbreeds being used and they make very good dogs. Popular amongst game keepers in the Scottish Borders are Border pointers - a lab cross German short haired or wire haired pointer, sporockers and lab cross she anieks are also common. I am training a lab cross Bavarian mountain hound. There have been a couple of litters and are skinny Labrador with a supercharged nose, lots of drive and an element of "I know best and I will do what I want" about them, but I expect once she gets a bit older and steadier they will be even better. Insurance cost for a cross breed are about half that of a pedigree.