Dog
Pronunciation:
mikst breed
Breed Description:
Mixed breeds refer to any breed of dog that has been crossed with two or more different breeds. They can be a range of different shapes, sizes and colors and they can have a variety of different coat types. The Mixed Breed can also refer to designer breeds that have become popular over the last two decades or so. Other names for Mixed Breeds are mongrel, heinz 57, cross breed, mix breed, designer breed, hybrid and mutt.
Temperament:
The Mixed Breed can have a range of temperaments and again, it depends on the breeds that were crossed. Even with knowing the breeds, it is difficult to determine the temperament because one trait may be more prevalent. In many ways, the Mixed Breed can be unpredictable when it comes to temperament. They may inherit the best personality traits from both breeds but in some cases they may inherit the worst or a completely new temperament that is unique to the dog.
Height:
The average height of a Mixed Breed differs between dogs and is dependent upon the type of dogs that went into the crossbreeding.
Weight:
The average weight of a Mixed Breed differs between dogs and is dependent upon the type of dogs that went into the crossbreeding.
Health Problems:
The theory of hybrid vigor suggests that as a group, dogs of varied ancestry will be healthier than their purebred counterparts.
Living Conditions:
The Mixed Breed is a truly adaptable breed and they can live just about anywhere, however, some consideration must be made depending on the breeds that were used to create the mixed breed.
Exercise:
As with every other aspect of the Mixed Breed, exercise needs will vary depending on the parent breeds.
Life Expectancy:
6 to 17 years
Grooming:
The Mixed Breed can be easy to groom and it can be difficult, again, this will differ between dogs and the parent breeds that they are crossed from.
Origin:
For as long as there have been dogs living with humans, there has been mixed breeds. In fact, at one time, all dogs were mixed and there were no purebred dogs alive. As we refined the mixed breed to create desired looks, temperaments and characteristics, we slowly altered the way the dogs looked and created dogs that bred true to the form we desired. These became the purebreds and all the other dogs remained Mixed Breeds. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
