Mixed breeds

Hybrid vigor is the technical term for the reason cross bred animals outperform purebred animals in many respects :) All of my dogs are cross bred ranch dogs; are long lived, tough, intelligent, and loyal. But I also am careful about the family tree so to speak (which breeds I cross to) and I ensure the stud / bitch has good working abilities. I will never own a purebred dog simply because of the expense which is not necessary for what the dogs are used for ( I do not show, enter working class events, etc.). In short, mutts are every bit as good as purebred dogs, and often better.
 
Farmhand640 said:
Hybrid vigor is the technical term for the reason cross bred animals outperform purebred animals in many respects :) All of my dogs are cross bred ranch dogs; are long lived, tough, intelligent, and loyal. But I also am careful about the family tree so to speak (which breeds I cross to) and I ensure the stud / bitch has good working abilities. I will never own a purebred dog simply because of the expense which is not necessary for what the dogs are used for ( I do not show, enter working class events, etc.). In short, mutts are every bit as good as purebred dogs, and often better.
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That is because you are diligent in making sure the genetics are in your favor as possible. Most mixed breeds have not received the diligence you do. As such, some mixed breeds get the worst from both parents.
 
Mutts
Raven is Dutch hound mix
kealdra border collie and lab
I love them both
 
RandomNameGenerated said:
That is because you are diligent in making sure the genetics are in your favor as possible. Most mixed breeds have not received the diligence you do. As such, some mixed breeds get the worst from both parents.
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I started from the outside in. So, I was initially much more diligent in three aspects. 1. Longevity - I avoid any breed known to have hip issues, be short lived, unable to tolerate hot weather etc. 2. I avoid hyper agressive breeds as they are impossible to control when they snap - pit bulls, dobbies, canary, etc. 3. I avoid any breed that is not known to be highly intellegent.

As a result, and not surprisingly, it almost always leads back to herding breeds. Although there are a few others out there; I now have a bit border collie, a bit of Aussie, 1/2 McNab, and a bit of Queensland in my mix. All tough, mind well, learn rapidly, are capable of controlled aggression required with working range cows. And becoming alpha to such a dog, if you start when you should, is pretty simple. And all live well into their mid to late teens even though they are worked very hard.

As to "the worst from both breeds"; that is probably true if and when a trait causes a physical or mental issue that is not desirable and is present in both breeds. The cross breeding two breeds with those traits will compound the issue. But keep in mind, what I think is not desirable, maybe highly desirable to someone else. I have zero use for highly aggressive dogs. And cross breeding them will only compound the issue. Or, hip issues in two breeds, if crossed, will result in an even bigger issue in the f1 offspring. So, the best advice, which was your observation, go see both parents, do some background work on the breed itself. Then make a decision.
 
My boy's mom is a mutt (I'm pretty sure there's some chow chow in her but I'm not sure about the other breeds), his dad is a purebred Shiba. Honestly a great mix. His personality is full on Shiba and he has that certain look that makes him even cuter than most purebreds
 
Farmhand640 said:
I started from the outside in. So, I was initially much more diligent in three aspects. 1. Longevity - I avoid any breed known to have hip issues, be short lived, unable to tolerate hot weather etc. 2. I avoid hyper agressive breeds as they are impossible to control when they snap - pit bulls, dobbies, canary, etc. 3. I avoid any breed that is not known to be highly intellegent.

As a result, and not surprisingly, it almost always leads back to herding breeds. Although there are a few others out there; I now have a bit border collie, a bit of Aussie, 1/2 McNab, and a bit of Queensland in my mix. All tough, mind well, learn rapidly, are capable of controlled aggression required with working range cows. And becoming alpha to such a dog, if you start when you should, is pretty simple. And all live well into their mid to late teens even though they are worked very hard.

As to "the worst from both breeds"; that is probably true if and when a trait causes a physical or mental issue that is not desirable and is present in both breeds. The cross breeding two breeds with those traits will compound the issue. But keep in mind, what I think is not desirable, maybe highly desirable to someone else. I have zero use for highly aggressive dogs. And cross breeding them will only compound the issue. Or, hip issues in two breeds, if crossed, will result in an even bigger issue in the f1 offspring. So, the best advice, which was your observation, go see both parents, do some background work on the breed itself. Then make a decision.
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I don’t agree with the pit bull comment. Every pit I’ve been around have been fun loving friendly dogs. I believe it’s the owner that makes the pit aggressive, just my opinion.
 
Puppygirl73 said:
So everyone on here always talks about pure breeds. My question is does anyone have or like mixed breed dogs or mutts. I think a lot of them look better then pure just saying
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I have actually seen more discussion on here regarding mixed breed pups than the pure breed ones. I feel that mixed breeding is integral and very important to canine survival, just as it is with people. Our girl is a pure breed pup, but I would have been just as happy and accepting if she were to be of a mixed breed type.
 
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