Mixed-breed mutts compete with the best!

I HAUE FIVE DOGS AND THEY ARE ALL GREAT DOGS AND i WORK AT A SHETLER.

o..
My dog is perfect..hes A pure breed Black lab..We got him when he was 8 weeks...

This is how purebred lines get ruined. Bleh!

Hello ,

We have a shepherd/lab that is 6yrs old, we got him from the Humane Society his real name is "O'Riley" born on St. Patricks Day, we call him Riley. we all love him to pieces but he is around me more than my husband/son, so he is my shadow, my life, my world ! His color/markings are beautiful to, illl have to get a pic of him on here, gotta ask son to help me with that,not very good at all with this comp stuff. blahhh . Anyway just a lil bit bout my angel boy. i always say my dog looks like he wants to talk to me, i wonder what his voice would sound like if he could. hmm probably Barry White i guess lol cuz hes big, rugged and his bark is real deeep like BW's voice. no im not crazy im just a lil unwell i know heehee. give your animals all the love n hugs they deserve and more :)

I love my mixed breed dog that came from a shelter. I would not give her up for any full breed dog in the world.

i've had both mutts and pure breeds and think that the mutts often have superior hardiness and often intelligence to their purebred counterparts. i had a huskie/shepard/coyote mix growing up and he was quite simply amazing.

I've had both mixed breeds & purebreds. They were all great dogs!! I do think mixed breeds tend to be a little healthier. So often the purebreds can actually be overbred. I've only gotten one dog from a shelter. As far as I can tell, he is a purebred German Shepherd. However, since the only papers that he has are the ones that he eats, I don't now for sure. I'll have to admit that, in the beginning, he was a bit of work (but then so was my pet wolf); however with lots of love & training (in that order) he has become the great dog that he always was.

Just to provide a little differentiation...in the pure-breed dog world the term Champion only refers to the conformation event (this is the even that judges determine how closely your dog resembles the breed's standard). The mixed breed would accomplish something of a similar nature, but truth be told what standards are they using? When it comes to gait, the correct gait/structure does vary depending on what the breeds purpose is- everything from angles at the joint etc. How will someone determine what is the best structure?

generally speaking there are certain things in general you want: front legs should be straight from the shoulder down, you do not want front feet turning outward (east-west direction if you will), you want the hocks straight....but tail carraige, length of neck? I mean if it's all about beauty then fine...there are beautiful mixed-breeds out there (and there are equally homely), but truth be told...what does this championship title for mixed breeds really mean?

Now Rally, Obedience, agility, tracking, herding etc events are performance events and do not earn the "CH" title but a very specific titles. The AKC plan will open some of the performance events to mixed breed dogs, but not the conformation event as that has very specific standards (many of which are centuries old). These titles say more about a dogs (and persons) ability to learn, act and even think.

I whole-heartedly agree with having mixed breeds compete for performance titles. Performance events are a wonderful, active way to work with your dog. They are also a great way to learn about yourself as a person- and learn more about the canine temperments that best fit you. Performance events tell you more about your dog's ability and more about your dog in general because they train very actions. Having an obedience or rally title on a mixed breed, well even someone who is involved in the AKC conformation events (and performance) can see the value of that title; they understand what that means and the skill and training it involves. I hope that more folks will participate in the performance events because in the long run, that is more rewarding then just the beauty contest.

(side note: as someone who has 3.5 years of experience as a vet tech, never mind my kennel assistant and volunteer years in a vet hospital, I can tell you mutts are not any more or less healthy then pure-bred dogs (except sometimes at the first generation 'cause the genes may not line-up) but beyond that, they have the same health problems. One of the fundamental difference: we study disease in pure-breed dogs because they are easier to control; breeders and organizations donate money for research about conditions their breed is prone to to and how to better track/find/eliminate in/from the breed.

We do not have this information about mixed breeds. No one keeps a data base where they track the number of breeds that have hip displaysia and other diseases. Most people who own mixed breeds do not have their dogs tested for any genetic diseases, nor to they x-ray their dogs hips/elbows/shoulder or go through extensive cardiac testing just to see if there dog might have these problems. Does this mean they are less prone? Actually, no. I just means there is a gap in information.

(I am all for spaying and neutering, but if you love dogs...you also need to have reputable breeders...'cause guess what happens if all all dogs are spayed/neutered?)

CJ - COCKER SPANIEL/BISHON D.O.B. 12-12-06

We had a part lab, part rotweiller(sp). He was the sweetest dog. NOt very bright, but one heck of a watchdog.

I think my dog is pretty near perfect. She's half yellow lab, half pit bull. She came from a shelter. She's perfectly behaved, easily trained, and she's b-e-a-u-tiful! Yellow with the white patches and pink nose and green eyes of a pit.

I HAVE A MIXED BREED-FROM A SHELTER-SHE IS A AIRDALE TERRIER/ POODLE - AN AIRDOODLE. SHE IS 1 1/2 YEARS OLD I HAVE HAD HER SINCE SHE WAS 6 WEEKS OLD- WOW WHAT A HOLY TERRIER AS A PUPPY! NOW SHE IS SO SMART! SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE PUPPY STAGE. SHE IS SO GOOD I SOMETIMES CAN'T BELIEVE IT IS THE SAME DOG- I JUST LOVE HER!

I have 3 mixed breed dogs. They were all homeless. But " NOW" they live a good life and I love my dogs more than anything and they love me. No matter how bad of day I have had at work or where ever they meet me with their tails wagen. I would not have it any other way.

You know, someday before I die I will have a French Bulldog. For the moment however, the idea is fleeting with this economic downturn. Since Frenchies cannot naturally reproduce and are birthed by C-Section they tend to be pretty expensive. $300-$1200. I'll keep my eyes open at the local animal shelters but this won't deter me from adopting a dog that has a pleasant demeanor. Current dog is a shephard-dobe mix pushing 15yrs which is pretty good for his breed. He eats and tries to act younger but his arthritis isn't fooling anyone. *Le sigh*

Sad that a "Purina Blogger" doesn't know how to spell ShepHERD.

I love German Shepherd mixes, but why is it that nobody can spell the word, "shepherd"?

sharonyogurt hit the nail on the head. Too many pure breds come from "puppy factories," and are too in-bred. Give me a female mutt any day. Except I usually get mine from friends rather than shelters. I'm going on 33 years with my last four mutts [the latest isn't even 1 yr old yet], and they've all been the coolest, most loving criters.

I am pretty sure those spelling errors were not there when I clicked "post comment" but I meant to say people just love her.

CJ - COCKER SPANIEL/BISHON D.O.B. 12-12-06

Did you know that there is a "breed" for mutts and mixes? There is. The GenChan(tm) is the 1st all encompassing "Breed" for mutts and mixes. They can get their registration papers just like purebreds too. GenChan is short for the genetically challenged dog. It's a tongue in cheek concept that was created to unite elevate and celebrate all mutts and mixes. Check it out at www.MyGenChan.com.