Breed or Mutt

[rutylr]

Did not know if this should go under breeds or breeding,but here I go.

The differences IMO.

Every breed started out mixed.The creator/s of that breed had a vision.To produce a dog that was better then the dogs it was mixed with,and to produces dogs who could reproduce themselves(not keep mixing).
Say I wanted to produce a better hunting dog.I would first need people who also had a vision like mine.We would have alot of dogs.We would pick the breeds with the traits We wanted in our new breed.We would do 1st generation crosses.See what we got keep what we was looking for and spay/neuter the rest.Always keeping records and health checking all breeding stock.If something was missing we might add another breed to bring in that trait.
Then a few years down the road we breed the crosses together(2nd generation).You would need at the least 10 pair of breeding crosses to in sure you had a big enough gene pool(20 or more would be best).We keep the best of these and spay/neuter the rest.Hoping that the dogs bred reproduced them selves and not something else.
Of these we now must start working the dogs to insure we are getting a better hunting dog the the dogs we mixed.Spay/neuter those that don't live up to what we want.
Now we are on our 3rd generation.We close the books and do not allow any other mixing to be added.We start a club ,we have shows,trials and keep records of all that we and the dogs are doing.
We are now on 4th and 5th generation of only breeding of our dogs,this is now 15 to 20 years later.
The dog needs a name.Do we name it after the two or three dogs we started with?No. Have you ever see a dog that is registered with the AKC that has two dogs names in their name?
In another 20 to 30 years this breed is set and we are now producing the same types of dogs out of every litter.They work like we thought and have the look we desired.
If at anytime we feel we are going in the wrong direction we would spay/neuter all the stock and start again.
That is how a breed starts.
Mutts are just the breeding of two dogs with no goal to improve either.Just to produce something that sells to the general public.There are alot of peekapoo's,Yorkiepoo's,and other crosses out there.Why not buy 2 of those and try to create a breed instead of keep mixing?

[sheplovr]

Right on Rutly maybe spelled u wrong no intention forgive me.

Mixes are great and had plenty of them, but it is nice to own a purebred of course. I agree with you with mutts, and hate that word in fact, lets call them the mixed breeds with distinction of.? Love ya.

[Nightrise]

They have many names, mutts, mongrels, I use mutt and mixed breed because mongrel was always used around to be an insult. Mutt I always assosiated with a mixed breed, never an insult so I never meant any harm when I said, "Mutt" so I apologise if I offended anyone. I have nothing against mixed breeds, I hear a lot of people say the best dogs they've owned were mixed breeds. I just don't trust "poo/oodle" breeders (this is random but I read "oodle" and though of "oodles of noodles" HA!

[whimzikal]

Rutylr: Thanks for approving of my dogs, my breeder and my own breeding

[HeartSong]

Okay, now normally I would let this slide, but this is a dog forum so I really think we should be more correct on terminology. A mix is NOT a mutt. There is a distinct difference between the two terms even though most people use them interchangably. Normally I just shrug it off with the thought "oh, they're not really dog people." But since we all are, it would be good to use the terms properly.

(Ugh, this is what I get for having a mother who should have been an english teacher. lol)

[eXile]

Originally Posted by HeartSong

Okay, now normally I would let this slide, but this is a dog forum so I really think we should be more correct on terminology. A mix is NOT a mutt. There is a distinct difference between the two terms even though most people use them interchangably. Normally I just shrug it off with the thought "oh, they're not really dog people." But since we all are, it would be good to use the terms properly.

(Ugh, this is what I get for having a mother who should have been an english teacher. lol)

Hate to be a heckler but care to explain why? Sometimes I find myself interchanging them.

I see alot of people nowadays refering to their dogs as mutts. Like they are stupid or something. Ive always thought mutt was basically a dog with many (more than 2 breeds) in it. But people also say Heinz 57 so I really dont know where im going with this. LOL

[whimzikal]

Just to clarify: I refer to my dogs here on the forums as mutts. I do though with a rebellious tone LOL So many have said they are no more than a mutt and you know what that's fine. I know the absolute treasures they all are to me & everyone they meet. Exile I know you are very kind to me and my babies...we love you and Mr. Oscar the hottie labbie! (That should be his title)

[HeartSong]

A mix is two breeds and only two breeds. A mutt is more than two breeds. In casual conversation, I can see using either term. Actually, I have called a purebred dog a mutt, but obviously it's not. But since we are on the topic of breed versus whatever else, I think it is appropriate to differentiate. I usually call my dogs mutts just because I don't know for sure if they have two or more breeds. Well, Patches and Romper I know have more. Ginger I was told only had two, but I think has more. Gemini and Mystic, well I have no idea with them.