A mixed-breed dog (also called a mutt, mongrel, tyke, cur, or random-bred dog) is a dog that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds, or is a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations. The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic Dogs with characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans bred from a known foundation A feral organism is one that has escaped from Domestication and returned partly or wholly to its wild state The term pariah dog is used to refer to feral dogs of a particular type, a subspecies of dog, and a purebred dog category or group The term crossbreed refers to puppies produced by the breeding technique of breeding known dogs of two different purebred dog breeds for some specific reason. A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with Purebred parents of two different breeds varieties or populations Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal Species, achieved through the process of Selective breeding The term "mutt" generally refers to a dog of unknown descent. Dogs interbreed freely, except where extreme variations in size exist, so mixed-breed dogs vary in size, shape, and color, making them hard to classify physically.
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Terms for mixed-breed dogs
There are a profusion of words and phrases used for dogs that are not purebred. Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal Species, achieved through the process of Selective breeding The words cur, tyke, and mongrel are some used, but generally viewed as derogatory in North America. In the United Kingdom mongrel is the unique technical word for a mixed-breed dog, and is not a term of disparagement. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located North American owners generally prefer mix or mixed-breed. Mutt is also used (in the U.S.A and Canada), usually in an affectionate manner. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page In Hawaii, mixed breed dogs are referred to as poi dog, and in the Bahamas, they call them Pot Cakes (referring to the table-leftovers they are fed). Some American registries and dog clubs that accept mixed-breed dogs use the breed name All American. 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 crossbreed implies 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. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with 'Wastebin' redirects here For the temporary deletion of a computer file see Recycle bin (computing.
Slang terms are also common. Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. 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. Heinz 57 is a shortened popular form of the "57 Varieties" Slogan of Pittsburgh 's H A slogan is a memorable Motto or Phrase used in a Political, commercial, Religious and other context as a repetitive expression of In some countries, bitsa (or bitzer) is common, meaning "bits o' this, bits o' that". A fice or feist is a small mixed-breed dog. Feist refers to a type of small hunting dogs, developed in the rural Southern United States. In Newfoundland, a smaller mixed-breed dog is known as a cracky, hence the colloquial expression "saucy as a cracky" for someone with a sharp tongue. Newfoundland — ˈn(jufənˌlænd (Terre-Neuve Talamh an Éisc — is a large island 15 km off the east coast of
To complicate matters, many owners of crossbreed dogs identify them—often facetiously—by an invented breed name constructed from parts of their parents' breed names. A dog hybrid (also called a designer dog is a new term for an individual Dog with with ancestry in two different purebred Dog breeds traditionally These are known as portmanteau names. For example, a cross between a Pekingese and a Poodle is called a Peekapoo, possibly a play on peek-a-boo, along with the Goldendoodle, a cross between a poodle and a golden retriever. A Poodle hybrid is a cross between a Poodle and another Dog breed, and is a mixed breed or crossbreed As another example, one of the UK's Queen Elizabeth's famous Corgis mated with her sister's Dachshund, and the resulting offspring were referred to as Dorgis. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Welsh Corgi (ˈkɔrgi is a type of small Dog that originated in Wales. The dachshund is a short-legged elongated Dog breed of the Hound family
Appearance
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. Wither redirects here For the comic character see Wither (comics.
Determining ancestry
Guessing a mixed-breed's ancestry is difficult for even knowledgeable dog observers, because mixed breeds have much more genetic variation than among purebreds. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is For example, two black mixed-breed dogs might each have recessive genes that produce a blond coat and, therefore, produce offspring looking unlike their parents.
Starting in 2007, blood samples[1] and cheek swabs[2] have become available to the public to narrow down the ancestry of mixed-breed dogs. The companies claim their DNA-based diagnostic test that can genetically determine the breed composition of mixed breed dogs. These tests are still limited in scope because only a small number of the hundreds of dog breeds have been validated against the tests, and because the same breed in different geographical areas could have different genetic profiles. Also, the tests do not test for breed purity, but for genetic sequences that are common to certain breeds. With a mixed-breed dog, the test is not proof of pure-bred ancestry, but rather an indication that those dogs share common ancestry with certain purebreds.
Health
The theory of hybrid vigor suggests that as a group, dogs of varied ancestry will be healthier than their purebred counterparts. Heterosis is a term used in Genetics and Selective breeding. The term heterosis also known as hybrid vigor or outbreeding enhancement, In purebred dogs, intentionally breeding dogs of very similar appearance over several generations produces animals that carry many of the same alleles, some of which are detrimental. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is This is especially true if the dogs are closely related. This inbreeding among purebreds has exposed various genetic health problems not readily apparent in less uniform populations. Inbreeding is breeding between close Relatives whether plant or animal Mixed-breed dogs are more genetically diverse due to the more haphazard nature of their parents' mating. "Haphazard" is not the same as "random" to a geneticist. The offspring of such matings are less likely to express certain genetic disorders because there is a decreased chance that both parents carry the same detrimental recessive alleles. However, some deleterious recessives are common across many seemingly unrelated breeds, and therefore merely mixing breeds is no guarantee of genetic health.
Crossbreeding to take advantage of the increased chance that a recessive detrimental allele will only be inherited from one parent, and therefore not expressed in the phenotype of the offspring, is only one strategy breeders can use to decrease the incidences of genetic faults. For example, large dogs such as the German Shepherd Dog often suffer from hip dysplasia, a multigene trait strongly affected by environment. The German Shepherd Dog ( GSD) (Deutscher Schäferhund is a breed of large-sized dog that originates from Germany. Mating a German Shepherd, a breed known to have about a 20% incident of this disease (ref:OFA), with a dog of a different breed not known to suffer from it dysplasia like the Greyhound, reduces the likelihood that the cross-breed produced will suffer from hip dysplasia. Mate the same German Shepherd to an Otterhound (dysplasia incidence about 52%) or to a small dog such as a Pug (62%) or a Norfolk Terrier (37%), and the outcome might be considerably different. Breeding dogs that have been tested free of dysplasia offers a similar result, with the added benefit of producing offspring that are less likely to carry the defect, unexpressed.
Knowing the disease incidence in the breed, and the genetic history of the individual, is ultimately important in dog breeding. Having the parental dogs genetically tested for defects known to be troublesome to their breed (or breeds, in the case of mixed parentage) will do as much, or more, than simply choosing dissimilar individuals with functional reproductive tracts. Genetic health must be approached from many angles. Some schemes are effective for the short-term, but disastrous in the long. Others are slow to take effect, but that effect is long-lasting.
Mating two different purebreds to decrease the likelihood of inheriting a particular genetic disease, without consideration of all the other physical and mental attributes that comprise a suitable pet and companion, is as likely to fail as any other single-trait selection scheme. Overall, hybrid vigor is not associated with any of the traits in dogs that make them suitable companions. At the same time, there's nothing about a the genetic background of mixedbreed dog that makes it an inherently poorer companion than its purebred counterparts. Mixed breed dogs can make kind and caring companions and are often very good around children.
There is no guarantee of good genetic health, or temperment, of any dog, purebred or otherwise, as not all damaging genes are recessive, and there are relatively few single-gene traits. Also, of course, purebred and mixed-breed dogs are equally susceptible to nongenetic ailments, such as rabies, distemper, injury, and infestation by parasites. Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that Canine distemper is a very serious viral Disease affecting animals in the families Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Hyaenidae Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species.
Types of mixed breeding
Recognized dog breeds are a result of human selection in that dogs were traditionally bred for specific functions. Most 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. 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 that would make the dog a liability.
Mixed-breed dogs can be divided roughly into three types:
- Crossbreed dogs, which are mixtures of two recognized breeds. A dog hybrid (also called a designer dog is a new term for an individual Dog with with ancestry in two different purebred Dog breeds traditionally Dogs that result from two different purebred parents are known as crossbreeds. 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 crosses a Labrador Retriever with a Poodle. A cockapoo (also called a spoodle or cockerpoo) is a hybrid Dog, bred by crossing an American Cocker Spaniel (or Other crossbreeds occur when breeders are hoping to create new breeds to add and reinforce characteristics from one breed into another breed. Most crossbreedings, however, occur accidentally.
- Mixes that show characteristics of two breeds or more breeds. A mix might have some purebred ancestors, or might come from a long line of mixed-breeds. These dogs are usually identified by the breed they most resemble, such as a "Lab mix" or "Collie-Shepherd", even if their ancestry is unknown.
- The generic pariah dog, or feral Canis lupus familiaris, where non-selective breeding has occurred over many generations. The term pariah dog is used to refer to feral dogs of a particular type, a subspecies of dog, and a purebred dog category or group The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order The term originally referred to the wild dogs of India, but now refers to dogs belonging to or descended from a population of wild or feral dogs. The Canaan Dog is an example of a recognized breed with pariah ancestry. The Canaan Dog is the national dog breed of Israel. It may have existed in the Middle East for millennia Pariah dogs tend to be yellow to light brown and of medium height and weight. This may represent the appearance of the modern dog's ancestor. DNA analysis has shown pariah dogs to have a more ancient gene pool than modern breeds.
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
Mixed-breed dogs can excel at dog sports, such as obedience, dog agility, flyball, and frisbee. Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context Dog agility is a Dog sport in which a handler directs a Dog through an Obstacle course in a Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of Dogs race against each other from a start/finish line over a line of Hurdles to a box that releases a Disc dog is the more generic name for what is commonly called Frisbee dog. 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. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless lost or abandoned animals primarily a large variety of Dogs and Cats The animal is kept at the shelter A rescue group or rescue organization is dedicated to Pet adoption.
Until the early 1980s, mixed-breed dogs were usually excluded from obedience competitions. Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context However, starting with the American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry (AMBOR) and the Mixed Breed Dog Clubs 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. The American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry ( AMBOR) is a registry for mixed-breed dogs to enable them to compete in obedience and Dog agility The Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America ( MBDCA) is a registry for spayed or neutered Mixed-breed dogs to enable them to compete in Obedience trials 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.
In conformation shows, where dogs' conformation to a breed standard is evaluated, mixed-breed dogs normally cannot compete. In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific Dog breeds evaluate individual Dogs for how well they conform to published Breed standards A breed standard (also called bench standard) in Animal fancy and Animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals 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. Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification The word comes from the Greek, taxis (meaning 'order' 'arrangement' and, nomos 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. The Kennel Club ("KC" is a Kennel club based in London and Aylesbury England. Scruffts is a competition similar to that of a Conformation show for Purebred dogs, where Crossbreed dogs of any parentage are allowed to compete Crufts is an annual international Championship Conformation show for Dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club (UK, currently held every March at the Some kennel clubs, whose purpose is to promote purebred dogs, still exclude mixed breeds from their performance events. A kennel club (known as a kennel council or canine council in some countries is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the The AKC and the FCI are two such prominent organizations. The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is a registry of Purebred Dog pedigrees in the United States. Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI ( English, World Canine Organisation) is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium However, the AKC does allow mixed breed dogs to earn their Canine Good Citizen award. The Canine Good Citizen (CGC program established in 1989 is an American Kennel Club program to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage the training of well-mannered
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. Still, there is variation within breeds; for example, two champion sheep-herding Border Collies might produce offspring with no interest in sheep herding.
Some trainers believe mixed-breeds exhibit higher average intelligence than purebreds, but others believe mixes are no more intelligent than purebreds. 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. Benji is the name of a fictitious Dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s and is also the title of the first film in the series A terrier is a Dog of any one of many breeds or Landraces of terrier type which are typically small wiry very active and fearless dogs
Many people enjoy owning mixed breeds, valuing their unique appearance and characteristics. While purebred dogs exhibit little variability of appearance within their breed, mixed-breed dogs exhibit often unique appearances. Although some dog owners prefer the status of owning a specific breed of dog or have a nostalgic attachment to a breed they wish to acquire, 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; others particularly appreciate the physical or behavioral traits of certain breeds; still others ignore pedigree and, instead, value a dog's personality and health. A status symbol is a visible external denotation of one's social position and indicator of status.
Local animal shelters adopt out dogs of both purebred and mixed ancestry, emphasizing each dog's personality and suitability as a companion for each potential owner's lifestyle. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless lost or abandoned animals primarily a large variety of Dogs and Cats The animal is kept at the shelter
Famous mutts
See also
References
- ^ Results Revealed in Dog DNA Tes (2007-12-17). Benji is the name of a fictitious Dog who has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s and is also the title of the first film in the series Muttley is a Hanna-Barbera animated Fictional character created by Iwao Takamoto and originally voiced by Don Messick (who also voiced Scooby-Doo Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines was a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS from September Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 Animated feature film produced by Walt Disney, and originally released to theaters on June 22, 1955 by Heterosis is a term used in Genetics and Selective breeding. The term heterosis also known as hybrid vigor or outbreeding enhancement, A dog hybrid (also called a designer dog is a new term for an individual Dog with with ancestry in two different purebred Dog breeds traditionally Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila
- ^ Canine DNA Cheek Swab (2008-02-25). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor
- Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. Parragon is a publishing company based in Bath, UK with offices in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, India and ISBN 0-7525-8276-3.
- Fogle, Bruce (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Dorling Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
- Canis major Dog Owner's Guide
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