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A mixed-breed dog (also called a bastard, mutt (shortened from muttonhead), crossbreed, mongrel, tyke, cur, or random-bred dog, see Terms for mixed-breed dogs, below) is a dog that is a mixture of two or more breeds, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations. Since, except for extreme variations in size, dogs interbreed freely, mixed-breed dogs vary in size, shape, and color, making them hard to classify physically. Historically, all purebred dogs have been selected from a mixed-breed population. See Golden Retriever for an example.
Terms for mixed-breed dogs: There is a profusion of
words and phrases used for non-purebred dogs. The words cur,
tyke, and mongrel are generally viewed as derogatory in
America, whereas in the United Kingdom mongrel is the unique
technical word for a mixed-breed dog, and is not a term of
disparagement when referring to a dog. Therefore, many
American owners prefer mixed-breed. Mutt is also used (in the
U.S.A and Canada), sometimes in an affectionate manner. In
Hawaii, mixed breed dogs are referred to as poi dog.
Some American registries and dog clubs that accept
mixed-breed dogs use the breed name All American, referring to
the United States' reputation as a melting pot of different
nationalities. In South Africa, the tongue-in cheek expression
pavement special is sometimes used as a description for a
mixed-breed dog.
Random-bred dog, mutt, and mongrel are often used for dogs
who result from breeding without the supervision or planning
of humans, especially after several generations, whereas mixed
breed and crossbreed often imply mixes of known breeds,
sometimes deliberately mated.
In Brazil and the Dominican Republic, the name for
mixed-breed dogs is vira-lata (vira: to turn, to bring down;
lata: tin can, trash can) because there are dogs without
owners that feed on urban garbage on the streets, and often
knock over trash cans to reach the food.
Slang terms are also common. Heinz 57 is often used for
dogs of uncertain ancestry, in a playful reference to the
"57 Varieties" slogan of the H. J. Heinz Company. In
some countries, bitsa is common, meaning "bits o' this,
bits o' that". A fice or feist is a small mixed-breed
dog.
To complicate matters, many owners of crossbred dogs
identify them—often facetiously—by an invented breed name
constructed from parts of their parents' breed names. For
example, a cross between a Pekingese and a Poodle is called a
Peekapoo, possibly a play on peek-a-boo. As another example,
one of the UK's Queen Elizabeth's famous Corgis mated with her
sister's Dachshund, and the resulting offspring are referred
to as Dorgis.
Appearance: All possible body shapes, ear types, and
tail styles can appear in mixed breeds. Extremes in
appearance, however, such as the flattened face of the English
Bulldog or the extremely curled tail of the Pug, seldom
survive even the first crossbreeding. Mixed breeds also tend
to have a size between that of their parents, thus tending
eventually toward the norm.
Mixed-breed dogs can be any size, weight, or color, but
some colors are more common than others. No matter their
parents' colors, mixed breeds are often a light-to-medium
brown or black, frequently with a white chest and other white
markings. The light-brown coat is sometimes called yellow, as
personified by the fictional dog Old Yeller. A brown coat with
black across the top and sides is also quite common.
Predicting the adult appearance of a mixed-breed puppy is
difficult. Even purebred puppies do not look much like the
adult dogs they will become, and with mixed-breed puppies it
is nearly impossible. If one knows the breeds of the parents,
some characteristics can be ruled out; for example, a cross
between two small purebreds will not result in a dog the size
of a Great Dane. Some breeds tend to pass on their physical
traits to mixes more than others. Border Collies and some
Spaniels, for example, often produce offspring with similar
coats and ears. The crossbred offspring of German Shepherds
usually have Shepherd faces and other characteristics.
With each generation of indiscriminate mixing, the
offspring move closer to the genetic norm. Dogs that are
descended from many generations of mixes are typically light
brown or black and weigh about 18 kg (40 lb). They typically
stand between 38 and 57 cm (15 and 23 inches) tall at the
withers.
Guessing a mixed-breed's unknown ancestry is difficult for
even knowledgeable dog observers, because mixed breeds have
much more genetic variation than among purebreds. For example,
two white mixed-breed dogs might have recessive genes that
produce a black coat and, therefore, produce offspring looking
unlike their parents.
Health: The theory of hybrid vigor suggests that
dogs of mixed ancestry will be healthier than their purebred
counterparts. In some cases this might be true, because
inbreeding among purebreds has made some breeds prone to
various genetic health problems. Mixed-breed dogs are less
likely to have certain genetic disorders, as their parents
come from a more diverse genetic pool so that detrimental
recessive genes are less likely to occur in both parents.
For example, large dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs often
suffer from hip dysplasia. Mating a German Shepherd carrier of
the faulty gene with a dog from a breed not known to suffer
genetic hip problems reduces the likelihood of producing
offspring with the problem. On the other hand, breeding the
Shepherd with another Shepherd whose ancestors do not have the
genetic problem also has this effect.
Some purebred dog breeds have difficulties associated
simply with the exaggerated physical traits of the breed. For
example, the French Bulldog has such small hips and such a
large head that artificial insemination and Caesarean section
are usually required to produce puppies. Crossing such a dog
with another breed will likely produce dogs without these
reproductive difficulties, although most authorities on dog
populations discourage reproduction among crossbreeds and
mixed breeds because there are already so many purebreds
available for adoption in addition to mixed breeds.
There is no guarantee of good genetic health of any dog,
purebred or otherwise, as not all damaging genes are
recessive. Also, of course, purebred and mixed-breed dogs are
equally susceptible to nongenetic ailments, such as rabies,
distemper, injury, and infestation by parasites.
Types of mixed breeding: It's important to note that
all dog breeds are man-made creations: dogs were traditionally
bred for specific functions. All existing dog breeds began as
mixed breeds, either by random occurrence or by deliberate
crosses of existing breeds. Encouraging desirable traits and
discouraging others, breeders sought to create their ideal
appearance or behavior, or both, for dogs, and, additionally,
to ensure that the dogs could consistently produce offspring
with the same appearance or behavior. Some consider mixed
breeds undesirable, but mixing breeds can lead to desirable
results, especially in the hands of an expert breeder. On the
other hand, inexperienced crossbreeders can produce disastrous
results. For example, the offspring of an obsessive Border
Collie and an energetic, destructive Terrier could be dogs
whose behavior is so erratic as to make the dogs a liability.
Mixed-breed dogs can be divided roughly into three types:
Crossbred dogs, which are mixtures of two known breeds.
Some crossbreeds have traits that make them popular enough
to be frequently bred deliberately, such as the
Cockapoo—a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker
Spaniel—and the Labradoodle, which mixes a Labrador
Retriever with a Poodle. A Miniature Schnauzer/Poodle
crossbeeds is called a Schnoodle. Other crossbreeds occur
when breeders are hoping to create new breeds or to add or
reinforce characteristics from one breed into another
breed. Most crossbreedings, however, occur accidentally.
Mixes among more than two breeds, such as when a
crossbred dog mates with a purebred dog or with another
crossbreed. The term mongrel is sometimes used to
distinguish these dogs from crossbreeds.
The generic Canis familiaris, seen in feral or pariah
dog populations, where mixed breeding has occurred over
many generations. These dogs tend to be light brown and of
medium height and weight. This "genetic average"
might also represent the appearance of the modern dog's
ancestor.
There is no scientific justification for the belief that a
purebred bitch is in any way tainted after mating with a dog
of another breed. Future matings with dogs of the same breed
will produce purebred puppies.
Mixed breeds in dog sports: Both purebred and
mixed-breed dogs can excel at dog sports, such as obedience,
dog agility, flyball, and frisbee. Often, highly energetic
mixed-breeds are left with shelters or rescue groups, where
they are sought by owners with the caring, patience, and drive
to train them for dog sports, turning unwanted dogs into
healthy, mentally and physically stimulated award winners.
Historically, conformation shows and dog sports excluded
mixed-breed dogs from competition. While this tradition is
changing, some sports still remain open only to one breed of
dog, such as greyhound racing, or to one type of dog, such as
sheepdog trials open only to dogs of known herding ancestry.
In the latter case, herding organizations now sometimes accept
mixed-breed dogs who have evident herding-dog ancestry, such
as Corgi mixes or Border Collie crosses.
Until the early 1980s, mixed-breed dogs were also generally
excluded from obedience competitions. However, starting with
the American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry (AMBOR) and the
Mixed Breed Dog Club of America (MBDCA), which created
obedience venues in which mixed-breed dogs could compete, more
opportunities have opened up for all dogs in all dog sports.
Most dog agility and flyball organizations have always allowed
mixed-breed dogs to compete. Today, mixed breeds have proved
their worth in many performance sports.
Some kennel clubs, whose purpose is to promote purebred
dogs, still exclude mixed breeds from their performance
events. The AKC and the FCI are two prominent hold-outs.
However, the AKC does allow mixed breeds to earn their Canine
Good Citizen award.
In conformation shows, where dogs' conformation is
evaluated, mixed-breed dogs normally cannot compete. For
purebred dogs, their physical characteristics are judged
against a single breed standard. Mixed-breed dogs, however,
are difficult to classify except according to height; there is
tremendous variation in physical traits such as coat, skeletal
structure, gait, ear set, eye shape and color, and so on. When
conformation standards are applied to mixed-breed dogs, such
as in events run by the MBDCA, the standards are usually
general traits of health, soundness, symmetry, and
personality. The Kennel Club (UK) operates a show called
Scruffts (a name derived from its prestigious Crufts show)
open only to mixed-breeds in which dogs are judged on
character, health, and temperament.
Advantages and drawbacks: The mature appearance and
behavior of purebred puppies is more predictable than that of
mixed breeds, including cross-breeds. With purebred dogs, the
genetic variations are well documented and a breeder has a
fair estimation of what type of offspring a given pair will
produce. Even still, there is variation within breeds; for
example, two champion sheep-herding Border Collies might
produce offspring with no interest in sheep herding.
Mixed breed dogs are said to be, on average, no more
intelligent than purebred dogs, and both sets feature both
slow learners and dogs with high learning capacity. For
example, Benji, the hero in a series of films named for him,
was a mixed-breed terrier. However, it is more difficult to
predict the trainability of mixed-breed dogs when they are
very young. This is controversial, since there's a difference
between intelligence and plain subservience. Most Golden
Retrievers are eager to please, but a mix of a Golden with the
independent Siberian Husky could inherit either dog's
trainability—or you could get a dog with the endurance and
athleticism of the Siberian and the trainability of the
Golden.
Many people enjoy owning mixed breeds, valuing their unique
appearance and characteristics; while dogs of some breeds,
such as the Tervueren, exhibit little variability of
appearance, mixed-breed dogs exhibit often unique appearances.
Although some dog owners have a specific breed of dog they
wish to acquire, and will never accept a mixed breed, many
others enjoy mixed-breed dogs that exhibit characteristics
similar to their favorite breeds; in fact, with a mixed breed,
they can enjoy some aspects of appearance and personality of
two favorite breeds with a single dog.
There is usually an abundant supply of mixed-breed dogs
wanting owners, available at negligible prices, while
pedigreed dogs can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and
reputable breeders can be hard to find.
Some owners value a dog's pedigree as a status symbol and,
therefore, have no use for mixed-breed dogs, whose market
value is effectively zero; others particularly appreciate the
physical or behavioral traits of certain breeds; still others
ignore pedigree and, instead, value a dog's personality and
health. In short, most dog owners believe that their dog's
breed—and specifically his or her own dog—is the best sort
of dog there is.
Local animal shelters adopt out dogs of both pure and mixed
ancestry, emphasizing each dog's personality and suitability
as a companion for each potential owner's lifestyle rather
than the purity of each dog's ancestry.
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