Dog crossbreed

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A Labradoodle is bred from a Labrador Retriever and a poodle. Rusty.jpg
A Labradoodle is bred from a Labrador Retriever and a poodle.

Dog crossbreeds (sometimes called designer dogs) are dogs which have been intentionally bred from two or more recognized dog breeds. They are not dogs with no purebred ancestors, but are not otherwise recognised as breeds in their own right, and do not necessarily breed true.

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Dog crossbreeds are combinations of lineages of the domestic dog; they are distinguished from canid hybrids, which are interspecific crosses between Canis species (wolves, coyotes, jackals, etc.).

Working crossbreeds

Several types of working dog crossbreeds date from the 14th century or earlier, such as the lurcher or the longdog.

Historically, crosses between dogs of different types were more well accepted at a time when modern purebred breeds (based on the eugenics principles) did not yet exist. [1] [2] These types of crosses were performed to aggregate qualities of two different types in the same dog or to perfect an already fixed type of dog, always for working purposes. [2] An example to be cited is the famous case of Lord Orford's Greyhounds, which were improved by adding courage through the crossing with Old English Bulldogs, achieving the desired result after six generations. [3] [2] With the success of Lord Orford's dogs, the practice was adopted by other Greyhound breeders and became more common.

Alaskan husky Idol swingley.jpg
Alaskan husky

Crossbreeding has played a key characteristic in the development of sled dogs with various crossbreeds developing to meet the specific needs of the era and geographical region, including the Mackenzie River husky, in which European breeds were crossed with Native American dogs to produce a powerful and hardy freighting dog in the 19th century, and the Alaskan husky, bred specifically for sled dog racing. [4] In the 1980s, a rise in Nordic-style sled racing in Scandinavia, characterized by shorter distances than typically seen in North American sled racing, led to the development of the eurohound and greyster, crosses utilizing German shorthair pointers with Alaskan huskies and greyhounds, respectively. [5] While the Mackenzie River husky has been largely replaced by mechanized travel, Alaskan huskies continue to be the most commonly used type of dog for competitive sled dog racing today. [6] [7]

Other historical examples are the bull and terrier (Old English Bulldog and terrier cross) and crosses between foxhounds and Old Spanish Pointers [2] that later resulted in the English Pointer.

Designer dogs

A Huskamute (Siberian Husky-Alaskan Malamute cross) puppy Huskamute facial expression.jpg
A Huskamute (Siberian Husky-Alaskan Malamute cross) puppy
A Chihuahua and Toy Poodle crossbreed, known as a Chipoo Chipoo.jpg
A Chihuahua and Toy Poodle crossbreed, known as a Chipoo
A Toy Poodle-Bichon Frise crossbreed, known as a Poochon Buddy The Poochon.jpg
A Toy Poodle-Bichon Frisé crossbreed, known as a Poochon

The Encyclopædia Britannica traces what was the "designer dog" fad to the late 20th century when breeders began to cross purebred Poodles with other purebred breeds to obtain a dog with the Poodle's hypoallergenic coat, along with various desirable characteristics from other breeds. [8]

A Bassador (Basset Hound-Labrador Retriever cross) Fred the Bassador.jpg
A Bassador (Basset Hound-Labrador Retriever cross)

The resulting puppies are called by a portmanteau word made up of syllables (or sounds) from the breed names of the two purebred parents, such as Schnoodle (Schnauzer and Poodle cross), [8] or Shepsky (German Shepherd Dog/Siberian Husky cross). Other purebred breeds are being crossed to provide designer dogs described with an endless range of created labels, such as the Puggle (Pug and Beagle cross). There are even complex crosses (with multiple breeds in recent ancestry) being labeled in this manner, such as the German Chusky (German Shepherd Dog, Siberian Husky and Chow Chow cross).

Like children in a family, a percentage of designer dogs with the same breed ancestry will look similar to each other, even though crossbreeding does not result in as uniform a phenotype as the breeding of purebreds. Often even pups in the same litter will look quite different.

Another defining characteristic of designer dogs is that they are usually bred as companion dogs and pets. Working and hunting dogs deliberately crossbred for a particular working purpose are not generally given portmanteau names; they are most often referred to by a type name, such as eurohounds (racing sled dogs) or lurchers (hunting dogs). These dogs could be considered only as crossbreeds, not as designer animals, since appearance is not the main reason for them to be bred. An exception to this is the Labradoodle, which although having a portmanteau name, is often used as a Guide or Assistance dog [9] [10] as well as being a popular family dog.

Although designer dogs are often selected by owners for their novelty, reputable breeders sometimes use crossbreeding in an attempt to reduce the incidence of certain hereditary problems found in the purebred dogs, while retaining their more appealing traits. Jon Mooallem, writing in The New York Times , commented, "Given the roughly 350 inherited disorders littering the dog genome, crossing two purebreds and expanding their gene pools can be 'a phenomenally good idea,' according to one canine geneticist—if it is done conscientiously." [11] Crossbreeding has not been well studied in dogs, although it has been for livestock. The heritability of the desired trait being bred for (such as a hypoallergenic coat) needs to be known; "Heritability is the proportion of the measurable difference observed between animals for a given trait that is due to genetics (and can be passed to the next generation)." [12] In addition, the goals of dog crossbreeding may be harder to define than the goals of livestock crossbreeding; good temperament may be harder to define and measure than high calf weight.[ citation needed ]

Designer dog breeders are often criticized for being more interested in profitable puppy production than in dog health and welfare. Wally Conron, writing in Reader's Digest , comments on the popularity of crosses after his introduction of the Labradoodle: "Were breeders bothering to check their sires and bitches for heredity faults, or were they simply caught up in delivering to hungry customers the next status symbol?" [13]

'Designer dog' puppies sometimes bring higher prices than the purebreds from which they are bred. [14] [15] [16] [17] Fanciers of designer dogs say that all modern dog breeds were created from earlier breeds and types of dogs through the same kind of selective breeding that is used to create designer dogs. Most of the modern breeds have ancestries that include various older dog types and breeds; see individual breed articles for details of the origin of each breed.

Health and genetic defects

Crossbreeding that takes advantage of the increased chance that a recessive detrimental allele will only be inherited from one parent and therefore not expressed in the phenotype of the offspring, [18] is one strategy breeders can use to decrease the incidences of genetic defects. Knowing the disease incidence in the breed, and the genetic history of the individual, is important.[ citation needed ]

Some crossbred dogs, created by breeding two purebred dogs of different breeds, may have the advantage of heterosis, or crossbreed vigor. This advantage can be progressively diluted when two crossbreeds are bred in the attempt to create a breed, narrowing the gene pool. The best way to continue taking advantage of crossbreed vigor is from the breeding of dogs of purebred ancestry, as this vigor is typically seen only in the first generation cross of two purebred animals of separate breeds, thus taking advantage of genetic diversity. [19]

Health of crossbred dogs depends on their being descended from healthy parents. Breeders who select their breeding stock for cost-effectiveness and who skip health testing for the same reason will not produce puppies that are as reliably healthy as those bred by more conscientious breeders. However, studies of longevity in dogs have found some advantage for crossbreeds compared to purebred dogs. [20] In general it is believed that crossbred dogs "have a far lower chance of exhibiting the disorders that are common with the parental breeds. Their genetic health will be substantially higher." [21]

Despite commonly believed to be substantially healthier than pedigree dogs data from clinical records of over 1,000 veterinary hospitals in the US shows the difference in life expectancy between mixed breed dogs and pedigree dogs to be minimal. [22] A review of cemetery data in Japan found that the Shiba Inu had a life expectancy greater than crossbreeds; however crossbreeds still had a higher life expectancy than the average pedigree dog in this study. [23] A Swedish study reviewing over 200,000 dogs registered for a veterinary insurance company in 1995 and 1996 found morbidity to be higher in most pedigrees than mongrels; however several pedigree breeds had a lower morbidity these are in order of highest risk to lowest risk: Drever, Norwegian Buhund, Schillerstövare, Jämthund, Gråhund, Siberian Husky, Karelian Bear Dog, Smålandsstövare, Finnish Spitz, and Norbottenspets. Notably all the breeds are native to the Scandinavian peninsula and are most commonly used as working dogs. [24]

Some health issues not common in either parent breed may be more common in the crossbreed than both of the parent breeds. Prolapsed nictitating membrane gland is a condition more common in the Puggle and Jug than both of the parent breeds, which shows the complexity of genetics and provides evidence against the theory of hybrid vigour. Overall designer dog breeds had lower rates of PNMG. [25]

Registration and recognition

A Westiepoo (West Highland White Terrier-Poodle cross) adult Westiepoo age 7.jpg
A Westiepoo (West Highland White Terrier-Poodle cross) adult

Crossbreed dogs are not recognized by traditional breed registries, even if both parents are registered purebreds. Breed associations such as the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club do not recognize designer crosses as dog breeds.

If crossbred dogs are bred together for some period of time, and their breeding is well documented, they may eventually be considered a new breed of dog by major kennel clubs (an example of a recent crossbreed becoming a breed recognised by all major kennel clubs is the Cesky Terrier). New breeds of dogs must have a breed club that will document the ancestry of any individual member of that breed from the original founding dogs of the breed; when the kennel club that the breed club wishes to join is satisfied that the dogs are pedigreed, they will accept and register the dogs of that breed. Each kennel club has individual rules about how to document a new breed. Some minor registries and internet registry businesses will register dogs as any breed the owner chooses with minimal or no documentation; some even allow the breeder or owner to make up a designer "breed name" for their pet.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog breed</span> Group of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs

A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size and shape, tail phenotype, fur type, etc, but are only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire Bull Terrier</span> British breed of dog

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaskan Malamute</span> Dog breed

The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance, to haul heavy freight as a sled dog. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinook (dog breed)</span> Dog breed

The Chinook is a breed of sled dog, developed in the state of New Hampshire during the early 20th century. The Chinook is New Hampshire's official state dog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog breeding</span> Mating selected dogs for specific qualities

Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intention of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offspring's characteristics are determined by natural selection, while "dog breeding" refers specifically to the artificial selection of dogs, in which dogs are intentionally bred by their owners. Breeding relies on the science of genetics, hence a breeder who is knowledgeable on canine genetics, health, and the intended purpose of the dogs attempts to breed suitable dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldendoodle</span> Crossbreed of dog

The Goldendoodle is a designer dog created by crossbreeding a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. First widely bred in the 1990s, they are bred in three different sizes—each corresponding to the size of Poodle used as a parent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labradoodle</span> Crossbreed dog

A labradoodle is a crossbreed dog created by crossing a Labrador Retriever and a Standard or Miniature Poodle. Labradoodles were intended to be a good choice for people with allergies to canine dander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockapoo</span> Crossbreed dog type

The cockapoo, also known as a cockerpoo, is a dog crossbreed bred from the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle, most commonly the Miniature Poodle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongrel</span> Dog with mixed breeds

A mongrel, mutt, or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed, including those that result from intentional breeding. Although the term mixed-breed dog is sometimes preferred, many mongrels have no known purebred ancestors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toy Bulldog</span> Extinct breed of dog

The toy bulldog is an extinct unrecognised breed of small bulldog that existed in England during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennel club</span> Organization working with dog breeding

A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog. Kennel clubs became popular in the mid 19th century. All-encompassing kennel clubs are also referred to as 'all-breed clubs', although "all" means only those breeds that they have decided to recognize, and "breed" means purebred dogs, not including dog hybrids and crossbreeds or mixed-breed dogs. A club that handles only one breed is known as a breed club.

A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though the term "mixed breed" is technically more accurate. Outcrossing is a type of crossbreeding used within a purebred breed to increase the genetic diversity within the breed, particularly when there is a need to avoid inbreeding.

A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders while they are young. The terms studbook and register are also used to refer to lists of male animals "standing at stud", that is, those animals actively breeding, as opposed to every known specimen of that breed. Such registries usually issue certificates for each recorded animal, called a pedigree, pedigreed animal documentation, or most commonly, an animal's "papers". Registration papers may consist of a simple certificate or a listing of ancestors in the animal's background, sometimes with a chart showing the lineage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurohound</span> Dog breed

A Eurohound is a type of dog bred for sled dog racing. The eurohound is crossbred from the Alaskan husky and any of a number of pointing breeds ("pointers"), but most often the German Shorthair Pointer,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull and terrier</span> Mixed breed of dogs

Bull and terrier was a common name for crossbreeds between bulldogs and terriers in the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were classified by use or function, unlike the modern pets of today that were bred to be conformation show dogs and family pets. Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for bull- and bear-baiting, and other popular blood sports during the Victorian era. The sport of bull baiting required a dog with attributes such as tenacity and courage, a wide frame with heavy bone, and a muscular, protruding jaw. By crossing bulldogs with various terriers from Ireland and Great Britain, breeders introduced "gameness and agility" into the hybrid mix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greyster</span> Dog breed

The Greyster is a type of sled dog bred for sled dog racing, especially dryland sports like canicross and bikejoring. The greyster is crossbred from the Greyhound and the German Shorthair Pointer.

Purebred breeders are dog breeders that intentionally breed purebred dogs specifically to continue the lineage of certain breed characteristics in dogs by mating selected canines.

Pedigree Dogs Exposed: Three Years On is a 2012 follow-up to the 2008 BBC One documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed (PDE). While this second programme looks at the positive changes made since the original film, it focuses on investigating areas of continuing concern. The programme concluded that it was time to call a halt to suffering created by breeders. It stated that as long as the Kennel Club (KC) tolerated human whim leading to dogs that cannot run, breathe, or see freely, dogs would continue to suffer, but that, in fact, the Kennel Club would continue in that vein, suggesting that the organisation has a conflict of interest in juggling its commitments to breeders and to dogs – when the interest of dogs does not match up with that of breeders, the dogs suffer. It also called on dog fanciers to stop being consumers of 'freak-show" appearance, the driving factor in developing dogs to physical extremes. KC refused to participate in the production. The programme aired on 27 February 2012 in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Cobberdog</span> Purebred dog breed

The Australian Cobberdog is a purebred dog breed developed in Australia by the Rutland Manor and Tegan Park Labradoodle Breeding & Research Centres. The breed was created as a continuation of Wally Conron's efforts to create a definable and carefully researched labradoodle. This effort was also in response to the increase in demand for labradoodles which had led to breeders referring to any combination of Labrador Retrievers and Poodles as labradoodles without temperament or hypoallergenic criteria. The inconsistency of standards for labradoodles led to the distinction of Australian Labradoodle and the further distinction of Cobberdog attributed to a purebred dog breed with more strict standards for breeding, temperament, and appearance.

References

  1. ↑ Brandow, Michael (2015). A Matter of Breeding: A Biting History of Pedigree Dogs and How the Quest for Status Has Harmed Man's Best Friend. Beacon Press. ISBN   9780807033432.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Walsh, John Henry (1859). The dog, in health and disease, by Stonehenge.
  3. ↑ Dalziel, Hugh (1 August 2005). The Greyhound: Its History, Points, Breeding, Rearing, Training and Running. Read Books. ISBN   9781905124978.
  4. ↑ Swan, Thom (2018-07-31). "Sled Dogs of the Early Canadian Fur Trade". Mushing Magazine.
  5. ↑ Waaler, Rune (January 2019). Dog Sledding in Norway: Multidisciplinary Research Perspectives. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 28–40. ISBN   978-3-643-91097-4.
  6. ↑ "Do many Siberian Huskies run the Iditarod? If not, why?". Iditarod. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  7. ↑ Dowling, Donna. "Mackenzie River Huskies - History". Sled Dog Central. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  8. 1 2 "Designer dog - mammal". Britannica.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Colchester: More than puppy love!". Gazette-news.co.uk. 17 June 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Altonn, Helen (28 June 2004). "What do you get when you breed Labradors with poodles? Labradoodles". Honolulu Star-Bulletin . Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2013– via starbulletin.com.
  11. ↑ Mooallem, Jon (4 February 2007). "The Modern Kennel Conundrum". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ "Why Crossbreed?". Virginia Tech agricultural extension (cattle breeding). Archived from the original on 17 January 2009.
  13. ↑ Conron, Wally (August 9, 2010). "My Story: I Designed a Dog". Reader's Digest Magazine. pp. 28–30. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014.
  14. ↑ Bennett, Laura (December 10, 2007). "Pet Industry Trends for 2008". smallbiztrends.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. 2008 will see the rapid growth of the puppy farm crossbreeds to take advantage of the inflated prices people are paying for these dogs.
  15. ↑ Patterson, Melissa (July 23, 2008). "Not all cute and cuddly in land of 'designer dogs,'". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. [crossbreed designer dog puppies] often go for more money than purebreds, which can range from $200 to $2,000 per dog.
  16. ↑ Caesar, Ed (8 March 2007). "Hounded out: Fur and loathing in the dog world". The Independent. the stampede to acquire one (designer dog) has become so furious that puppies now sell for as much as £2,000.
  17. ↑ "Designer Dogs are the Rage". designerdoggies.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. the Beagle is one of the lowest priced purebred dogs, yet the Puggle often sells for much more than the purebred Pug.
  18. ↑ Birchler, James A.; Yao, Hong; Chudalayandi, Sivanandan (29 August 2006). "Unraveling the genetic basis of hybrid vigor". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (35): 12957–12958. Bibcode:2006PNAS..10312957B. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0605627103 . PMC   1559732 . PMID   16938847.
  19. ↑ Csányi, Vilmos (2005). If Dogs Could Talk. Translated by Richard E. Quandt (First American ed.). New York: North Point Press. pp. 285–286. ISBN   978-0-86547-686-8.
  20. ↑ Michell, A. R. (27 November 1999). "Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationships with-sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease". Veterinary Record. 145 (22): 625–629. doi:10.1136/vr.145.22.625. PMID   10619607. S2CID   34557345.
  21. ↑ McGreevy, P D; Nicholas, F W (1 November 1999). "Some Practical Solutions to Welfare Problems in Dog Breeding". Animal Welfare. 8 (4): 329–341. doi:10.1017/S0962728600021965. S2CID   255889459.
  22. ↑ Montoya, Mathiue; Morrison, Jo Ann; Arrignon, Florent; Spofford, Nate; Charles, Hélène; Hours, Marie-Anne; Biourge, Vincent (21 Feb 2023). "Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. eCollection 2023. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1082102 . PMC   9989186 . PMID   36896289.
  23. ↑ Inoue, Mai; C. L. Kwan, Nigel; Sugiura, Katsuaki (24 May 2018). "Estimating the life expectancy of companion dogs in Japan using pet cemetery data". J Vet Med Sci. 80(7), 2018 July (7): 1153–1158. doi:10.1292/jvms.17-0384. PMC   6068313 . PMID   29798968.
  24. ↑ Egenvall, A.; Hedhammar, A.; Bonnett, B. N.; Olson, P. (2000). "Gender, age, breed and distribution of morbidity and mortality in insured dogs in Sweden during 1995 and 1996". Veterinary Record. 146 (18): 519–525. doi:10.1136/vr.146.18.519. ISSN   0042-4900.
  25. ↑ O'Neill DG, Yin Y, Tetas Pont R, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, Pegram C; et al. (2022). "Breed and conformational predispositions for prolapsed nictitating membrane gland (PNMG) in dogs in the UK: A VetCompass study". PLOS ONE. 17 (1): e0260538. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1760538O. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260538 . PMC   8791520 . PMID   35081121.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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