Mix Dog Breeds
Exactly what makes a dog breed is established by the several kennel clubs that exist all over the world. These establish several strict standards in order to identify dogs that belong to the breed, and even to classify purebred dogs between show quality dogs and pet quality dogs. The differences between these two are so subtle that people that haven’t been trained in the specifications wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
When this process is repeated over several generations, breeds present a fixed set of qualities that are repeated constantly in every individual. Because of this guarantee, and the expenses involved in raising them, purebred dogs are very expensive, even those that are pet quality. In addition, purebred dogs are the result of generations of breeding, which have to be recorded and registered.
Some breeders of dogs think that the process of breeding of the creation of new breeds should continue. This stands in stark contrast with most breeders, who consider breeding of two different purebreeds a cardinal sin. Breeders that do it, create mix dog breeds in the hope of obtaining a new breed that will have the best characteristics of both parents.
However, these mix dog breeds don’t always give the expected result. And even when they do, it takes several generations of dogs to achieve mix dog breeds that will constantly show the same traits. Because breeding is the result of genes, sometimes puppies from mix dog breeds will exhibit different traits than the ones expected.
Another problem is that some genes are dominant and some are recessive. Dominant genes will show up in the first generations of mix dog breeds, but that doesn’t mean that recessive ones aren’t present. It might take several generations until a recessive, often unwanted, trait appears again in a puppy.
Mix dog breeds need to be recorded constantly. Notes and records should be carefully taken about their parents, their parent’s breeds and every generation that preceded them. In addition, if the parents or a previous generation parent was a purebred dog, there must be a certificate that proves it, which are usually issued by kennel clubs. These are important when attempting to create mix dog breeds in order to study and analyze the genes and traits that are handed down and to tell them apart from the ones that aren’t.
The process of creating new mix dog breeds is very long, and it is very often the result of a life’s work, or the result of the research of an institution. Fortunately, people in the past have dedicated themselves to this, and what used to be mix dog breeds, have now become full dog breeds of their own now.