[cigwyllt]

Why do people seem so determined to give labels to their dogs? Twenty years ago here in the UK the local paper would advertise "Litter of mongrel puppies - free to good home" and no one would take offence. Chances are the mother was an unknown mixture and the father could have been anything - the pups were conceived by accident and you would take one home with no idea of what it would be and it would grow into the dog you trained it to be. No idea of what went into the mix but the important thing was the love you gave it and the training it received.

Counting the dogs I've had as a child and in adullthood I've had some wonderful dogs that could never be labelled as anything other than mutts or mongrels but they were loyal, faithful companions and they were loved and cared for with all the love and dedication that could be lavished on a dog - no high class champion show dog could have been loved more but these dogs had no label. One dog in particular that I had when I was 17 was the strangest looking dog I've ever seen, broken coated, about the size of a collie but with the face of a terrier and the highly strung attitude of a thoroughbred race horse. He was a great dog but we never even wondered what he was - he looked like his mother and all we knew of his father was that he was very agile as he had scaled a 6 ft wall to do the deed then escape!

If someone asked me what he was I didn't hesitate to say that he was a mongrel. No one took offence, no one thought I was being uncaring about him. I was simply stating that we did not know what he was!

Nowadays everyone wants to know what their dog is made of or, if they know what the parents were, they want to coin a name for the cross. While no one wants to encourage indiscriminate breeding or breeding of two dogs of the same breed by ignorant or uncaring breeders there are still lots of mixed breed dogs out there. Why can't they just be loved for who or what they are instead of the need to glamorise them by giving a fancy new name?

Lets hear it for the mongrels and mutts who are every bit as valuable as any show dog even if we don't know what they are.

[Lara's mom]

I couldn't have said it better myself. Every dog I've ever had with the exception of my Lara has been a cross-breed. Each and every one of them was wonderful and carved a place in my heart. At this point I have both a pure bred and a cross breed. I love them both equally.

[CorkyMax]

I agree! And I also have 2 dogs--one is a mix and the other is a purebred. I also love them the same and would not trade them for any other dogs whether 'champion', purebred, or mutt! To me -mine are 'perfect' because I love them!

[cherylmartin]

This subject matter can apply to the human species as well as the animal world. It does not matter what you are but who your are. Mixed breed, mutt, cross breed, mongrels, they are all the same to me. And the animal shelters have their share of 'purebreds'-they are not all mixed breeds.

[lasikeyes]

Every dog I've ever had with the exception of my Lara has been a cross-breed. Each and every one of them was wonderful and carved a place in my heart.
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[Entlebucher Mountain Dog]

I am going to have to disagree.

People want to know what they are getting for many reasons. I am currently looking into getting my first dog, with a pure breed you know what kind of dog you will be obtaining. Some of the traits I am looking for go as the following; Playful with other dogs, loyal to its master, somewhat iffy around all strangers, athletic, intelligent, meduim to large, and not to much shedding.

If I was to obtain a random dog, I would be taking a huge gamble that I would most likly lose.

[Lara's mom]

All over North America the shelters are overflowing with wonderful loving dogs who need a loving home. To some degree, all dogs are a gamble. Getting a dog from a breeder is not an absolute guarantee that it will be a perfect example of its breed.

[Entlebucher Mountain Dog]

It still raises the odds.