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• Two sought by police

• Mayor Mounce: Redevelopment meeting 'waste of time, money'

• Lodi officer Chet Somera wraps up 30 years with department

• Deputy identified in shooting of parolee

• State office approves increased patrols for stretch of Highway 12

• Regional Roundup

• State universities deal with deadline requirements

• State grant will allow U.C. Davis smelt hatchery to expand

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (74)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (24)

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Forget purebred

Newfangled mutts — Puggles, Labradoodles, Yorkiepoos and Biscotties — are romping into Lodi and have owners wrapped around their paws

When Jamie Springmeyer discovered the Labradoodle, she knew there was a way to keep both her allergy-suffering fiancé and a much-wanted pooch under her Galt roof. Not only would she get the friendly disposition of a Lab, but she would also could also get a non-shedding coat of a Poodle.

"Being hypoallergenic made (getting a Labradoodle) convenient," she said.

Springmeyer, the proud owner of Huxley, the designer dog with long legs, big feet and floppy ears.

Designer dogs, whether Labradoodles, Puggles (Pug-Poodle), Morkies, Chowgis (Chow-Corgi), Biscotties (Bassett Hound-Scottish Terrier), Pekechis, Yorkipoos (Yorkie-Poodle), Goldendoodles (Golden retriever-Poodle), Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel-Poodle), are the new purebred. Once deemed mutts or children of fence-jumping, these hybrid dogs are getting the reputation (and high price tag) of their purebred parents.

No longer is it enough that man's best friend be loyal and able to sit on command. Today's designer dogs are created personally for you, like a Gucci handband, available in any size or color you want. While there are still purists, owners of designer dogs wonder why you would want a purebred when you can get two for one.

"We have the best of both breeds," said Barbara Vietmeier, a Lodi resident who has an adopted medium-sized, tan Puggle, Sophie. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sophie is short and stalky — likely the Beagle in her. Her face is wrinkled and scrunched, resembling her Pug lineage. Sometimes her lip gets caught on her tooth, giving her what Vietmeier calls her Elvis Presley snarl.

At 8, she is still playful. She carries a stuffed Santa toy in her mouth and waits for someone to tug. And, like any dog, she gets distracted by neighborhood cats roaming through her front yard.

But she has a serious side, too. She works for her faux diamond-studded collar and a place on her owner's bed at night. She visits children at local schools and helps bring smiles to residents of care facilities. Vietmeier says one patient even keeps a photo of her and Sophie in his shirt pocket.

"My husband said there is no other dog that's better," she said.

Designer dogs are not the mangy guard dogs that sleep outside or keep content if they get caked in mud. To their owners, designer dogs are part of the family. They get monogrammed placemats. They wear jewels around their necks. They ride in the front seat. They have their own fluffy beds — unless they sleep cuddled under the sheets with their owners.

Jo-Anne Boos, of Lodi, has two little dogs, both of whom wear lavender bows clipped to their soft, long locks between their ears. As she holds Babydoll a mocha-colored Morkie (Maltese-Yorkie), to her chest, she admits that she just might baby her dogs. But how can you not? They are tiny, delicate little girls (one is pretty much deaf) nicknamed Muffy and Buffy.

When it comes to these designer dogs, there's just something about the look in their eyes and the way they feel in your arms that could win over almost anyone.

James Silva works on his family dairy in Acampo. He is a serious, and seems to be a hard worker. He's the type that might work alone, with only a cattle dog or Golden Retriever as his company.

But when Silva opens the door to his home, he is holding his farm dog, Moose, in one hard. Moose is an overstatement for his size, but not personality. At four months, the black and white furball of a dog can fit in the palms of two hands. But he is, nonetheless, a designer dog turned cattle dog. She's good at entertaining himself for hours.

"He has a thing for leaves," Silva said, of his furball that flashes past as the dog sprints in the grass after discovering a brown leaf.

He picks her up and carries her under one arm.

Moose is spoiled — but that's the point.