question about mixed breeds vs true breeds?

Question

ok, the cockapoo is a cockerspaniel and poodle cross
the labradoodle is a labrador retreiver and poodle cross
the pugle is a beagle and pug cross
a daniff is a mastiff great dane cross

back in the 1600's, the greyhound and mastiff were bred and thats what made the great dane, why aren't great danes called muts?

Answer 1

Because after selective breeding over generations, the dog breeds true. There was a goal in mind as to what they wanted to achieve with mixing the different breeds together.

If you breed a puggle to a puggle, your not going to get another puggle, but a mixture of different looking dogs with no goal in mind as to what you want to achieve.

Answer 2

Personally, I believe it was first because there wasnt as much of an animal overpopulation then...if there was, it wasnt as noticed.



I also think it was because Great Danes were made to serve some sort of purpose, and were carefully bred to achieve the breeder's goals. Most of these mixes are simply bred because they are 'in' and the breeder can make a quick buck (or tons of bucks) off of the dog--which is hardly a good reason.



Labradoodles were made with the intention of providing someone with a hypoallergenic dog that would be able to be useful as well. Maybe with years of breeding they will acheive that, and Labradoodles can become a true breed with a purpose.



Not all breeds are recognized by some Kennel Clubs, regardless of if they are 'designer' or not. English Shepherds, for one, are not recognized by the AKC, and have been here for over 100 years...but whatever.



Sorry for the long winded answer, but in short, most of these dogs simply dont do much but accumlate money for the breeder and make the person feel like they are getting a super-quality dog, when they could have just rescued one from a shelter.

Answer 3

Never heard that there's any greyhound in danes.Believed to be a mix between Mastiff and Irish Wolfhound,if I'm not mistaken.Great Danes aren't called mutts because they were bred very carefully by someone who knew what they were doing and had a vision for a dog that was a superior mix of two different breeds,and served an actual purpose.None of that toy pocketbook dogs,you see.The breeders didn't just slap two dogs together and give the resulting puppies a designer name.Breeds are still being inducted into the AKC,but it is a lengthy process.They need to prove that if you put two of the dogs together,you will get puppies that have the same characteristics as the parents,and breeding that type of finesse into the gene pool takes time.

Answer 4

1. First you need to understand some basic genetics. All animals carry two alleles at each genetic variable (such has hair color, eye color, hair length and so on). One allele is dominant, the other is recessive.



2. One element that distinguishes a true breed is that it consistently produces a consistent standard.



None of the mixes you've just mentioned does that. Breed a lab and a poodle and you get puppies all over the place, some that look like labs, some look like poodles and in the same litter. If you take to "labradoodlers" and breed them together you can get....puppies that look like poodles (and bear no resemblance to either the dam or the sire), puppies that look like labs (and neither the dam or the sire), or something in between.



3. Breeding dogs ain't like mixing cans of paint. You can't mix a can of white and a can of black and say "hey, I've just created grey!". It doesn't work like that with dogs.



4. The Great Dane is not considered a mutt or mixed breed because:

--pair two pure-bred GDs and they will breed true. The resulting puppies won't look like greyhounds or mastiffs

--the dogs consistently fall within standards set for the breed

--genetic testing demonstrates that the dog is specific to the breed

--the breed is recognized by reputable kennel clubs

--and it's had a couple of centuries to acquire all of this.



And there is no such breed as a cockapoo or a labradoodler or a puggle. Those are just madeup names for designer dogs by unreputable people who don't know squat about canine genetics.

Answer 5

Because people didn't breed Great Danes just for a profit, they have a purpose and AKC has recognized them. Some other mixed breeds have purposes as well, but with so many irresponsible breeders out there, the can't standardize the breeds. However, there are many of these mixed breeds that do have a purpose and were bred carefully, they just are overshadowed by people who are irresponsible and looking for a profit.



Anon has some great information about AKC and new breeds...my current dog's breed has petitioned for acceptence into AKC and hopefully will be accepted. Despite what many people think, I love my breed and I do buy from reputable breeders, not irresponsible people looking for an easy profit.



I guess it's really just how you want to look at it. I definitely understand why people are so unaccepting of breeders creating these dogs. The only one up there I know that has been bred for a purpose is a labradoodle, but unfortunately so many people have jumped on the "trendy" bandwagon and are breeding them for easy money.

Answer 6

In the past people selectively bred dogs for certain qualities and continued to choose these specific dogs and breeding them to get puppies that look more like what they wanted. They did this for so long that now when you breed these dogs with each other their puppies come out looking very similar to their parents and like the breed it's supposed to be. When you start breeding dogs together of different breeds you never know what you are going to get. A cockapoo can look like a Cocker Spaniel with Poodle fur or even the other way around. The puppies won't look the same unless they are bred for a very long time the way purebred dogs were and selectively bred for specific qualities.

Answer 7

well, i would guess because your other examples have noticeable characteristics of the breeds involved.



however, great danes do not have that.

greyhounds and mastiffs have floppy ears. great danes often have more pointy and slightly more upright ears--not common to either of the 2 original breeds.

greyhounds and low and skinny, mastiffs are rather stocky, yet considered large dogs.

great danes are taller than either breed originally, and is a of slightly more appealing proportions than the two (not too skinny and wiry, not to stocky either.)

greyhounds have long, skinny, pointy noses. mastiffs have short, flat noses (somewhat like a bulldog, only not so prominent a lower jaw).

great danes have quite square noses, both from a front and side view. and not as droopy jaws than a mastiff. not hardly.



honestly, i am wondering where you found that fact of the great dane mixture, because it doesn't seem as if that can be true, based on the looks. i mean maybe a little bit in common, but it really just doesn't click in my mind.



however, if that is indeed a fact, then i guess i learned something new today, didn't i? :)



why not try mixing the two and let us know what you got? ;)



http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=28324&rendTypeId=4

http://www.elitehavanese.com/mastiff/mastiff-joey.jpg

http://vonknopfdanes.com/myPictures/4.jpg

Answer 8

Same as the Doberman Pinscher. They a cross breed of a Rottweiler and Greyhound. The American Pit bull Terrier is a cross between the American Staffordshire terrier and Bull terrier. The Cavalier was bred from a Pug and a Cocker Spaniel. The Boxer was bred down from the Mastiff.

Answer 9

Because over the years the Dane has been bred consistently to produce a certain body type, temperment etc.. If you now breed 2 great danes together you know what the resulting puppies will look like, outside of possible colour variations. Cockapoos come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, as well as ones that favour one breed over the other and so on. They do not breed 'true' - and until they do breed 'true' will never be recognized as a purebreed dog, and will continue to be a 'mutt'

Answer 10

There is some truth in the fact that every dog once started out as a mutt.

But every dog we have recognized in our AKC or KC, was bred for a very specific, REAL, purpose-whether it be guarding, hunting, tracking, sled pulling, etc.

Poodle-crosses these days are bred because they make money. They attract certain crowds of people, and they sell big time. They are not hypoallergenic, and are not shed-free by any means-every dog has dander and oils in its coat, which cause for allergies. And every dog must shed it's fur as the weather changes-even humans shed their skin.



All truth be told, these dogs really serve no purpose.

You can argue that a dog is a dog is a dog is a dog no matter what breed, but to sell these dogs for such an insanely high ammount of money, and to breed them purposely, is just ridiculous. This day and age, there are pleanty of dogs to go around-in shelters, from reputable breeders, etc.

There is also a dog to do nearly every job imaginable for a dog to do.



Butttt.... I guess no dog can speak french like the labracockerpugagoogleschnizerdoodle. Who is also shed-free and glows in the dark.

Answer 11

Because that was 400 years ago and they have been bred true over the centuries, when you breed a great dane with a great dane you will get a great dane. A mix like the ones up above will not breed true every time like a good purebred.

Answer 12

New breeds that are created by two other breeds are not called mutts do to the fact that, this breed has been in the making for quite some time. It was created by taking two different breeds and carefully bread through out the years to hown in on those special qualities of each bread. For the two breads used to make the new bread, the same type of features had to be found in all the dogs used in order to be done properly. Either all be the same weight, heights, same genetic defects if any. Of course different dogs of each bread had to be used in order to avoid the inbreading factor. So it takes time and special knowledge in order to produce a new breed that is accepted.

Answer 13

Sadly if people contnue to breed these mixes, eventually, they will be accepted as a breed. So many generations have to be traced etc, before they can be called a breed and be AKC certified.

All dog breeds were mutts at some point in their history considering they all came down from wolves.

"How does a club get started with FSS?

The AKC considers adding new breeds to FSS or its registry only upon request. Those wishing to pursue recording with FSS should contact the AKC.



A breed club or individual will need to:





Complete an AKC questionnaire for new breeds.

Provide a written breed history documenting the distinct breed over a period of many decades. The source of the historical information also must be provided.

Provide an official written breed standard, indicating the origin of that standard. If the standard differs from the official breed standard in the breed’s country of origin, you must specify those differences.

Provide photographs of the breed, including puppies and adults, as well as both dogs and b*tches. If there are different accepted types in the breed, photographs of each type should be included and labeled as such.

The integrity of a breed is only as sound as the recordkeeping of the breeders. This is one of the most serious concerns for any breed and an essential element in the establishment of a breed with FSS.



Organizations and individuals dedicated to the promotion of a rare breed have often maintained breeding records, pedigrees, and ownership records for many generations, creating a registry for their breed before seeking admittance to FSS. In some cases a registry may submit all their records for FSS acceptance, but it’s equally acceptable for applications to be submitted for individual dogs."[1]

Answer 14

All of our purebred dogs originate from various mixes. Selective breeding for specific traits brought (sometimes) a wide variety of breeds together. These dogs were bred 100+ years ago and were fine tuned to the beautiful "purebreds" we have today.

These mixes you listed above are just that, mixes because someone thought the two purebreds would make cute puppies and they might be able to make a few bucks.

Answer 15

All pure breds were considered mutts at one time but after breeding and inbreeding for generations, they established standards and these dogs were bred for purposes. Nowadays most ppl just want a companion and there is actually little need for pure breeds. Some ppl just are breed snobs and want to say they have a pure bred dog. It's all bull as far as I'm concerned so I don't pay much attention. Shows and stuff like that are for ppl who need attention and live thru their dogs. They have a tremendous amount of pride that must be satisfied. I'm a mutt lover myself.

Answer 16

Where do you get your information?



I've NEVER heard a Great Dane was made from a Mastiff and GREY HOUND...don't think there' s a lot of truth to that.



The same could be said for Grey Hounds and Mastiffs.



Great Dane is now a pure bred dog, and has been for many many years, which is why they are not mutts.

Answer 17

Named breeds are deliberate bred, culled , and bred further to bring about particular attributes and standards. Some "crossbreeds" becoming a recognized breed and others don't. The difference is the time, effort, and expense of dedicated people to assure a truue breed exists and then to make sure it continues.

Answer 18

All of the dog breeds today are technically mutts if you want to look at it like that. Dogs were bred and re-bred with different wolves, coyotes, etcetera to gain the desired looks, traits, and personalities that we see in the "purebreds" that we have now. My guess is as to the answer to your question is just that people were purposefully breeding two different breeds of dogs to create a new breed with a set look, build, physical and personality traits. Mutts are dogs that just happen to mix breeds on their own, and it is not done over and over strategically by humans to create a new breed. Great Danes were strived for and created by humans, not by doggy choice.

Answer 19

Because dogs were originally bred *carefully* and with a *purpose* by people who knew what they were doing. And by purpose, I don't mean money.



The people breeding the mutts that you speak of are doing so for one reason, and for one reason only: MONEY. They don't know anything about dogs, they don't care to learn about breeding, genetics, or health. They want your money, and they intend to get it by slapping a ridiculous name on a poorly bred mutt, to justify an even more ridiculous price.

Answer 20

because..................



YOU DO NOT always get the best of both breeds!!! Breeders that want to create a NEW breed need to KILL all the unwanted puppies (or find homes for these failures) over many generations - why create tons of 'not what we want' puppies when so many exist already?



there are hundreds of dog breeds of all shapes and sizes - pick from what we have!!!



If you want an intelligent large breed that doesn't shed - get a standard poodle!

Answer 21

because they were bred for a purpose and according to a breed standard... mixed and designer dogs are just so that people can get cute puppies and so that "breeders" can have their bitches pop out any old thing and get tons of money for it...



these dogs are often very different when it comes to personality, energy levels, coat texture/color, etc.



trust me i know LOTS of people who have them... i would rather they go to a shelter because ALL of their dogs have behavioral issues... no i'm not over exaggerating



EDIT: and you can't say that the dogs mixed with poodles never shed because they do shed often enough

Answer 22

Becuase it was perfected for exactly what they were breeding it for, then kept that proto-type.

Answer 23

excellent question. all breeds originated from 2 dogs being bred for the best qualities of both. at least this is my understanding.



what can i say, i'm not a breeder. and this is why.

Answer 24

Because the akc makes the rules....WE have a white boxer thats 100 % boxer but they don,t reconize them for show...Even though 30%of all boxers are born white...They are labeled as bad for the breed and they used to put them down asap...It,s just the stuffy rules that they set...I don,t agree with some of them...