DOG Training TOYS

The mutt is the all-American dog. Call him a random-breed, a mixed-breed or a mongrel, at his best he’s loyal, healthy, smart and friendly – a virtual melting pot of positive canine characteristics. For many animal lovers, owning a mutt is a badge of honor. Many come into the world as “surprises,” born of a homeless stray or a roaming house pet, then sent off to an animal shelter. Others are simply abandoned in parks or at highway rest stops. Adopting one of these unwanted dogs means you are literally saving a life – and the odds are he will make a great companion.

What Makes a Mutt?

The terms “random breed” and “mixed breed” usually refer to a dog of unknown gene pool. A “cross breed” is a dog whose parents were purebreds. If two cross breeds mate, their offspring are also mixed breeds. By the time four different breeds combine in one dog, there’s little chance to predict what breed traits, if any, will dominate in the dog. The common belief that mutts are superior has some truth to it. Over generations, unscrupulous breeders have perpetuated and magnified genetic flaws in many of the most popular purebreds. Today’s generic mutt most resembles the “prototype” or “pariah” dog, the robust original wild dog that was amiable enough to become man’s first canine companion more than 14,000 years ago. This “ideal” dog weighs in at 35 to 50 pounds, is medium brown to dark blonde in color, and measures under 2 feet tall. He has perky ears, strong legs, an alert expression, a back that isn’t overextended, and a long tail that curls slightly at the end.

Choosing Your Mutt

There are some common cross breeds: cockapoos are a cocker spaniel/poodle mix; pek-a-poos mix Pekingese and poodles; labradoodles are bred of Labradors and poodles;…