Mixed Dog Breeds
Although organized dog clubs generally focus on the maintenance of recognized “pure breeds,” most dogs in the world today are mongrels. Purebred dogs constitute a category that has been created through human intervention by the selective breeding of dogs with very similar characteristics. Crossbred dogs result then two dogs of different pedigree mate and produce offspring. In theory, any domestic dog (and many wild dogs) can interbreed with one another, though physical size and geographic range may limit this possibility. Sometimes, purebred dogs are deliberately “outcrossed” with other breeds to add stability, strength or variety to the existing breed.
Mongrel offspring combine the traits of both parents and may be created deliberately to produce dogs with mixed skills or physical attributes. Since mongrels combine a more varied mix of genetic traits, they generally do not suffer from purebred ailments. Since interbreeding can lead to a variety of breed-specific weaknesses and diseases, mixed breeds are often more hearty and healthy. Nearly every breed has been created by combining dogs and fostering a new line, meaning that even pedigreed dogs began their evolutionary journeys as mongrels. Today, a new breed can become a recognized group if the repeatability of the genetic line is established and it is proven that inbred weaknesses have been eliminated or dimished.