Dog breeds: from hybrids, strays and purebred dogs
Website design By BotEap.comHave you ever noticed the olfactory height with which purebred dog owners rate mixed breed dogs? You can almost see them flinch as their condescending eyes sweep over the form of the objectionable mongrel as they grudgingly admit that perhaps their fine canine specimen and that polluting mongrel are of the same species! In fact, you only need to scour several online dog forums to experience firsthand just how contentious the mutt vs. purebred issue really is. However, as much as purebred dog owners may put down the humble mutt or mixed breed dog, the weird thing is:
Website design By BotEap.comPurebred dogs are just refined mutts!
Website design By BotEap.comdoberman pinscher: The Doberman Pinscher dog breed was the brainchild of door-to-door tax collector Herr Louis Doberman. Whether Herr Doberman developed this breed of dog as an enforcer or a protector has never really been established, but one aspect that is not in dispute is the fact that his was an unenviable profession. It is well documented that since Biblical times the tax collector has been much reviled; even today the tax collector is an object of contempt and disgust. If he really wants to make the point, the next time he’s at a social gathering, he casually mentions that he works for the IRS and notices the rarely seen phenomenon of How can so many disappear so fast?!
Website design By BotEap.comHowever, back to Herr Doberman and his dangerous profession; Tired of being pushed around and quite possibly attacked by irate taxpayers, poor Herr Doberman devised the novel but inexpensive solution of developing a breed of dog that would be both enforcer and protector. The “ingredients” for his new breed of dog included the following: Rottweiler; german pinscher; Greyhound and Manchester Terrier. Although some fanciers maintain that the German Shepherd was also involved in the genetic compilation of the Doberman Pinscher, this is highly unlikely as the development of the German Shepherd occurred slightly later than that of the Doberman Pinscher.
Website design By BotEap.comThe early form of the Doberman Pinscher dog was not the sleek, lean machine that the breed epitomizes today, but was a heavier-boned dog, somewhat more similar in appearance to the Rottweiler breed of dog. Subsequent tweaks by subsequent breeders ultimately resulted in the sleek contemporary dog that defines the modern Doberman Pinscher. The point to note here is that the Doberman Pinscher, a well-known dog breed that is officially recognized by countless international kennels such as the AKC, was a crossbreed developed from several other dog breeds before attaining saint status. purebred grail. !
Website design By BotEap.comVerdict: The Doberman Pinscher, like all other so-called purebred dogs, is nothing more than a refined street dog. Smell! What can I say…these pesky mongrels are everywhere, most of them masquerading as well-established thoroughbreds!
Website design By BotEap.comDesigner/Hybrid Dogs
Website design By BotEap.comAlthough the Labradoodle is widely credited as the crossbreed that launched the entire designer dog movement, the truth is that other well-established crosses already existed. One of those crossbreeds or so-called designer dogs is the Cockerpoo (Cockapoo), a cross between the American Cocker Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle. The Cockerpoo has been around since the 1960s (in contrast to the Labradoodle which was developed in the 1980s). The Cockerpoo is now so well established in North America that there is a strong movement to consolidate a breeding standard.
Website design By BotEap.comThese days, “Oodles” or “Poos” (Poodle hybrids) are pretty much everywhere in North America for the simple reason that they translate to mega bucks. Although the Labradoodle (perhaps the best-known Poodle derivative) was developed with a utilitarian purpose in mind, most designer dogs serve no other function than to fuel a thriving and lucrative market for these hybrid dogs; As it happens, backyard breeders were quick to recognize the huge profits to be made from designer dogs.
Website design By BotEap.comTo date, the designer dog market is flourishing, strong evidence that people are quite willing to spend a lot of money to stand out from the rest of the crowd. And maybe you noticed, no one refers to these stray dogs too…stray dogsfor the simple reason that the crossings do not meet the needs of the people. smell factor! (SniffFactor defines the human tendency to snobbery; in earlier times, the upper classes were predisposed to walk around with their noses pointed skyward as an expression of their obvious class superiority (as if trying to reach for air unpolluted by the masses!). Calling a designer dog mongrel is sure to warrant a much better price. than if the animal were treated as a mongrel.
Website design By BotEap.comThe unfortunate consequence of this whole designer dog problem is that there are now many more dogs in shelters and rescue centers, as well as dogs being euthanized, due to unethical breeders who, without regard to genetics, breed thousands of these dogs. every year in an attempt to capitalize on the public’s ignorance and insatiable appetite for “exclusive” or “limited” dogs.
Website design By BotEap.comSo how did this designer dog rampage really start?
Website design By BotEap.comGood Intentions Open Pandora’s Box
Website design By BotEap.comSometime during the 1980s, Wally Conron, the breeding manager for the Royal Australian Guide Dog Association, embarked on a quest to develop a non-allergenic guide dog for a visually impaired client whose husband was allergic to ordinary dog fur. Conron settled on the Standard Poodle as the ideal cross with the already established Labradors in use at his center, simply because the Poodle, as a highly trainable working dog with a frizzy coat, was the perfect match.
Website design By BotEap.comAfter two years of testing that included 33 successive runs of disappointment, Wally Conron hit the mark! A cross between one of his most prized Labradors and a poodle specimen resulted in a litter of 3 non-allergenic puppies. Sultan, the first Labradoodle destined for guide dog greatness, was introduced to his new owner amid much fanfare. The union was a great success, and Conron was confident that the two remaining cubs would soon be captured; after all, the center he worked at had a 6-month backlog of applications from people hoping to adopt a dog. But he miscalculated; no one seemed to want a dog that was associated with the dirty word crossbreed.
Website design By BotEap.comAs the eight weeks passed, the remaining two pups had yet to find homes and the window of the critical period in which they needed to bond with a new owner and thus become successful guide dogs was rapidly closing. Out of sheer frustration, Wally Conron decided to name his new breed of dog Labradoodle and stopped referring to them as crossbreeds from then on. that was the eureka moment had been waiting (evidence of the smell factor in play again)!
Website design By BotEap.comWithin weeks, requests for this new “miracle dog” flooded the center… the rest, as the saying goes, was history! Other than the Labradoodle, few designer dogs have been developed for utilitarian purposes, and in fact, for the most part new breeds are introduced purely for cosmetic purposes. Having said that, however, it would be out of the question not to acknowledge the fact that some new breeds of dogs are currently being developed to address the widespread problem of genetic disease in canines; especially in the more popular breeds.
Website design By BotEap.comSome other well established crosses are the Bull Boxer, which is a cross between the Boxer and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The Bull Boxer is said to be a more affable dog, especially with other pets, than the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and is also said to be less prone to exhibiting the immature behaviors characteristic of the Boxer. In general, however, the substantial prevalence of the designer-dog pairing is firmly within the realm of Poodle mixes. These poodle mixes often have names that, if not exactly flattering, are colorful to say the least:
Website design By BotEap.com1. Doxiepoo (Dachshund Poodle Mix)
Website design By BotEap.com2. Papipoo (butterfly poodle mix)
Website design By BotEap.com3. Goldendoodle (golden retriever poodle mix)
Website design By BotEap.com4. Jack-A-Poo (Jack Russell Terrier Poodle Mix)
Website design By BotEap.com5. Irish Doodle (Irish Setter Poodle Mix), to name just a few.
Website design By BotEap.comVerdict: Smell! These dogs may dress up as designer dogs… but let’s be honest, they’re nothing more than glorified mutts!
Website design By BotEap.comThe humble but ubiquitous mongrel
Website design By BotEap.comSo where does the humble mutt fit into this picture of the brave new world of dogs? that is, aside from bearing the brunt of the scorn of the thoroughbred aficionado! Well, as I have amply illustrated in the previous paragraphs, all dog breeds are essentially mixed breeds, even purebreds. Purebred dogs have that right because for several generations they have been bred specifically for selective traits. But therein lies his Achilles heel or weakness. Due to this selective breeding of traits, purebred dogs have an inherently high prevalence of genetic diseases.
Website design By BotEap.comA classic example illustrating some of the problems encountered in selective breeding for traits can be found in the story of the Dalmatian. Breeding for the clearly defined spot trait also inadvertently led to selective breeding for an abnormal uric acid gene (gene linkage case). The result was that the Dalmatian dog breed was persecuted (no pun intended) with the hereditary urinary stone disease. In an attempt to rectify the problem and retain the desired spotting pattern, the Dalmatian was crossed with several Pointer breeds (Sniff! Sniff! What did I tell you…they’re all mutts!).
Website design By BotEap.comOn the contrary, the lack of selective breeding for traits and a diverse gene pool in the mutt makes these dogs much healthier and more robust than their purebred counterparts. So, unless you’re going to develop your own breed of dog, if all you’re looking for in a dog is a pet, do yourself, your wallet, and the millions of dogs on death row a favor. and adopt a dog from a shelter! Trust me they make great pets. (Shelters can’t house dogs forever and over 7,000,000 cats and dogs are euthanized each year!)
Website design By BotEap.comVerdict: Hmm…the humble mongrel. In the end! An unassuming dog!