WHILE out with Raider the other day I was stopped and questioned about what breed of dog he was.
He gets this a lot. Raider is a cute little guy with unique markings and he gets a lot of attention when we are out, and everyone wants to know, "what" he is.
Being Mrs. Sarcasm my first response is, "he's a dog."
"Yes, but what kind of dog?" is the next question.
"I'm not sure exactly, he could be a mix of blue heeler, border collie, German shepherd. He has a bit of everything," I reply.
This is then usually met with a raised eyebrow as the questioner begins to access Raider's pedigree on their own. In their mind, you can see that Raider goes from a cute dog to a . mutt.
So today when the inevitable question came out, "What is he?" my response was, "He is a Texas cattle dog."
"Oh really? I have never seen one before," was the reply.
I, of course, am biting my tongue because I just made it up at that very second. So I smile politely and say, ".yes, they are rare outside of Texas."
It was clear this person was satisfied with that answer. The dog had an identity, so I continued along my walk.
I've always been intrigued by people's desire to label everything, be it a dog or person. Raider can't just be a cute dog; he has to be a breed of dog with a predetermined history based on his breed.
I guess it somehow makes people feel better about things they don't understand if they are able to at least give it a history. In life, this can cause biases and prejudices, and when it comes to dogs I think labelling them can be disadvantageous.
Mixed breeds tend to take a back seat to their purebred brothers and sisters. As a result, many of them are overlooked in shelters and private rescues. When a purebred dog - regardless of history or temperament - comes up for adoption, there is no shortage of adopters lining up to apply. But a mixed breed, even with a stellar temperament, will often be bypassed. That is a real shame because mixed breeds often have the most endearing personalities.
Sharing my life with purebred dogs over the last two decades, I can attest to the degree of predictability that comes with choosing a purebred. Responsible purebred dog breeders breed not only for appearance but also temperament. For example, Labrador retrievers are the favourite family dog because of their predictable, easygoing personality and trainability. In a busy family, those qualities are important. So if pedigree, appearance and predictability are important to you, then a purebred dog is certainly the right option.
But the uncertainty of a mixed breed is part of the charm. Watching their personality develop as they mature without the, "Well, being a (fill breed of dog in here) he will be like this (fill in behaviour here)" allows for an honest personality to develop because we are not predicting what they will be like. Thoughts create things and if we are telling ourselves what a dog will be like, it is inevitable that we will create that. This means that if a degree of certainty is what you are after in a dog, you can still predict the traits of a mixed breed.
Generally speaking, the dominant markings or colour of a mixed breed dog - resembling those of a purebred - can determine some of its characteristics. For example, if a dog is a cross between a Rottweiler and a Lab, but does not have the dominant markings of the Rottweiler, there is a good chance the dog will behave more like a Lab than a Rotti, and visa-versa.
If you are concerned about how friendly a mixed breed dog may be, it is important to know that the socialness of a dog has less to do with its breeding and more to do with how it was raised. Nurture rather than nature determines a dog's degree of social adaptability with other dogs and people.
If you are searching for a canine companion, drop the labels and open your mind and heart. You just might find the dog of your dreams in a mixed breed dog.
Joan Klucha has been working with dogs for over 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her through her website k9kinship.com.
