subject: What Exactly Is A Mixed Breed Dog? [print this page] There are numerous terms of affection for the ubiquitous mixed breed dog - a dog with the physical and behavioral characteristics of more than one breed (and whose ancestry is generally unknown), like "mutts" or "Heinz 57's." Categorically though, there are two types of mixed breed dogs: "random-bred" is a genetic term meaning an animal, population, or breed that was bred or developed without human design and whose ancestry and genetic makeup is generally not known; the second type was created artificially from random-bred populations by human selective breeding with the purpose of enhancing desired physical or temperamental characteristics. Dogs that are not purebred are not necessarily a mix of such defined breeds.
The term crossbred refers to canines produced by the intentional crossing of two different known purebred dog breeds. Because canine's breed freely with other types of dogs, mixed-breed dogs vary in size, shape, and color, making them difficult to classify physically. Bottom line: scientists usually use the terms mongrel, mixed-breed, or random-bred dog for dogs not supervised during breeding or whose breeding wasn't deliberately planned by humans; they use the word crossbreed to describe mixes of known, deliberately mated breeds.
Determining the Ancestry of Your Dog:
Mixed-breed dogs have more genetic variation than purebreds, making it difficult to determine their ancestry based on appearance or behavior. Tests are now available (like Wisdom Panel) from companies that use science to reveal your dog's breed composition. A major reason many people make the decision to perform DNA-based ancestry testing is due to the difficulty in simply identifying breeds accurately using visual observation. Genetic variations can be masked in ways that are not easily determined. For example, two black, mixed breed dogs, for example, may have an offspring with a differently-hued coat due to its parents' recessive genes.
The Traits of Mixed-breed Dogs:
In professional training circles, some experts believe mixed-breeds exhibit higher average intelligence than purebreds. Studies on mixed-breed dogs have yielded results that suggest mixed-breeds on average are both healthier and longer-lived than their purebred counterparts. This is because current accepted breeding practices within the pedigree community result in a reduction in genetic diversity, and can result in physical characteristics that lead to health issues. Studies have shown that crossbred dogs have a number of desirable reproductive traits. One study found that crossbred dogs produced more milk and gave better care than other purebreds studied. These advantages led to a decreased mortality in the offspring of crossbred dogs. People who enjoy mixed-breeds often value their unique appearance and characteristics.
by: Angela Hughes
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