[bigpawsup]

I just wanted to share this (the conversation is to the best of my recall):
I was on trail with Tazzy on Saturday. As I’m coming around the bend, this woman sees Taz and comes rushing up to us.

Her: “What a lovely bullador (sp?)! Who is her breeder?”
Me: “Bull a what? She’s a rescue.”
Her: “Oh she’s a bullador, you should be proud of her breed. It’s a shame you just don’t know what you’ve got. That’s a designer dog. I would know I have 3.”
Me: “She’s Heinz 57, mutt.”
Her: “A bullador is not a mutt and you are showing your ignorance about breed by even suggesting it.”
Me: “The original designer breed is M-U-T-T.”
She gave me a dirty look that kind of said that I was being rude/crude. So in my best hick accent “Know what, me n hound dawg here is gonna go split some milkbones and kibble n bits. Sorry for getting our mutt tracks on your trail.”

And we left. I could hear her griping about me to her friends as I walked away. I believe there was something about how I didn’t deserve a dog.

My hubby said I overreacted and should have just let her have her say. Problem is I’m sick to death of people being “sorry” that my dogs are “just mutts”. And then this crazy idea that certain mutts (i.e. designer breeds) are so superior. At one time I thought about doing a DNA just for fun, now I don’t want to know.

So did I over react? What’s wrong with being a mutt girl?

[Lunareclipse]

I hate people who refuse to believe their designer breed is a mutt.

[cigwyllt]

I couldn't agree more. But I am in the UK so my language is even more offensive! I own a designer dog from a very rare line, so rare in fact that her breeding is a top secret going back generations. Yes, she is a mongrel and no supreme champion could be more loved and appreciated.

Another pet peeve I have is "Yes my solid tan coloured terrier is a pure bred Jack Russell, it is a very rare colour."

Uhm no - the breed standard exists for a reason - the dog should be 50% white so that it won't be mistaken for the quarry in a hunt.

To claim that a solid colour Jack Russell is a rare (extra valuable!!!) example of the breed is as ridiculous as claiming that a white dalmation is extra "special".

[bigpawsup]

cigwyllt - top secret genetics - I LOVE it! I may have to borrow that one.

[Lara's mom]

I think some people think that having a mixed breed is something to be ashamed of. I think my Border collie/Spaniel X is an absolutely amazing girl but I have never called her a "Braniel or a Sprorder."

I have one purebred and one mixed breed and Neither is superior to the other. I love them both!!!

[piratekitty]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

I think some people think that having a mixed breed is something to be ashamed of. I think my Border collie/Spaniel X is an absolutely amazing girl but I have never called her a "Braniel or a Sprorder."

I have one purebred and one mixed breed and Neither is superior to the other. I love them both!!!

I have the same too. Nina our mixed Terrier has the biggest ears that stand up and out, when she was small we wondered if she would grow into them, she didnt. People kept asking what breed is she? Id say Terrier mix. They would say yea, but what kind? Final I got trying to say all her mixes, when asked Id say Beareded Rat Terrier, ( she has a funny beard ) they would look at me weird, Id smile walking away saying its a rare breed, shes one of a kind. Which is true, there is only one Nina, My mix, and I love ever mixs of her.

[Lara's mom]

I honestly don't understand the whole "designer dog" thing. Mixed breeds are every bit as wonderful as their purebred cousins. I think there is perhaps an element of snobbery in saying that you have a labradoodle instead of a lab/poodle X.

The word "purebred" is a bit of a misnomer to begin with as far as I'm concerned. I have a purebred shorty JRT and in order to achieve the little girl I have today, lots of different dogs were bred together over more than 100 years. When you really think about it, there is no dog that is just one breed.

[reeskujo]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

I honestly don't understand the whole "designer dog" thing. Mixed breeds are every bit as wonderful as their purebred cousins. I think there is perhaps an element of snobbery in saying that you have a labradoodle instead of a lab/poodle X.

The word "purebred" is a bit of a misnomer to begin with as far as I'm concerned. I have a purebred shorty JRT and in order to achieve the little girl I have today, lots of different dogs were bred together over more than 100 years. When you really think about it, there is no dog that is just one breed.

The word "purebred" is a bit of a misnomer to begin with as far as I'm concerned. I have a purebred shorty JRT and in order to achieve the little girl I have today, lots of different dogs were bred together over more than 100 years. When you really think about it, there is no dog that is just one breed.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree..First let me say that even though I'm n Akita addict I think mixed breeds are wonderful..Secondly you're right..Most purebreds are the result of generations of mixing breeds...The Japanese Akita's were mixed with GSD's in order to disguise them to prevent them from being killed when the Japanese ordered all dogs except for GSD's were killed in order to prevent the spread of disease..They were then bred with the Tosa, English Mastiff and Great Dane in order to create a larger,more powerful and more efficient breed for pit fighting...Thus we now have the American Akita..However the breeders who took part in creating these breeds did it by using dogs that lived up to the standards of the breeds as well as temperament at least most anyway..Sadly the so-called "breeders" of these designer breeds do it with money as their motivation..I can't tell you how many mixed breeds(designer breeds) I've trained who's owners had been convinced by either the breeder or pet store they were aquired from that they were soon to be accepted by the AKC to be registered as a purebred.

[Deafdogsrule]

I'm lucky, we dont have that here much, infact rescuing dogs is so popular, people tend to try to make themselves look better by saying they rescued their dog, when they didn't LOL

Probably close to 60 or 70% of dogs I meet are of the mailman's get

Most people have no clue what their dogs are... 2 of mine are true mutts (I have no idea of parentage) one is a deliberate cross, and 2 are purebreds, though rescues, but it's funny, everyone thinks those 2 are Dachshunds crossed with JRT's (though I've never met a Merle JRT! LOL)

[Lara's mom]

One of these days when I have some extra cash to fritter away, I'd like to get both of my girls DNA tested just for the sake of curiosity to see how many breeds they actually contain. I'd be willing to bet that the list would be long for both of them.

[bigpawsup]

Thanks everyone. Guess I'm having a normal mutt mommy reaction. I really don't care what my girl's lineage is. They are my girls and I love those big black goofy faces.

I'm not far outside of Chicago, and I think the "designer dog" thing is worse in big cities. Everyone needs to "out do" their neighbor some how.