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Manoli Kogianes
Dr. Greenwell
1010-16
19 November 2014
Pure, Mix Mutt, who cares? (Title subject to change)
Man’s best friend, the fuzz ball that takes up the foot of the bed and gets in the way when
you’re changing the oil, the dog is a staple in many American household. They vary about as
much as anything else in our lives from their coloration, size, shape, and so on. Much of the
difference comes from the specific variety or “breed” of the animal as over millennia human
beings have selected the dogs that were to mate and produce offspring for a task such as hunting,
herding, or companionship.
Many breeds however are not without fault however and face a myriad of heal issues, the
English bulldog has a large head and as a result they must be born via caesarian section, pug’s
faces are so flat they cannot breath through their nostrils, and the German Shepherd is at an
extraordinarily high risk of hip dysplasia. Now as the dog itself has no reason to care about breed
there is really nothing to stop them from “mingling” with other breeds and producing mixes, a
phrase typically referring to 2 known breeds in the dog’s lineage, or a mutt, the parental breeds
may be mixes or unknown. Thus the question is posed, “does it matter if your canine companion
is pure bred or a mix of some sort?” Many of these cross breeds are seen as hardier than their
pure bred fellows. To compare them based on few criteria is a rather simple task as health,
genetics, and finally why adopting from a local shelter can be simply better.
When health is discussed in dogs it a rather hard subject to speak on without using
veterinarian jargon. The majority of it boils down to this, a disease doesn’t care about its host
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and will affect it all the same. “There is no difference genetically between an old pure-bred dog
with hip arthritis and an old mixed breed dog with hip arthritis. They both have hip dysplasia.
The pure-bred dog may have received the label many years earlier due to early age screening, but
the disease process is the same.” (Bell, 2011)Seeing patterns in pure breeds do make it easier to
identify and provide preventative care, while an owner of a mix or mutt, should they be attentive
and knowledgeable on canine health, can identify the same diseases and disorders just as early.
The statement about the mutts and mixes being hardier is simply false as well, regardless
of mixing genes they still have the potential to develop the same issues as their parents but with
the slightest of risk reduction as genes that cause these disorders can be passive or not evident,
just as you can have the green eyes, like your fraternal grandmother while your father had brown
eyes. When we consider these factors that still finds little difference mechanically in pure and
impure dogs. (Oberbaur, Bailey, 2013)
Which leads me to my next point being genetics. While we don’t have the exact cause,
roughly 60% of all golden retriever have cancer on some form or another.
Undoubtedly we will one day know all of these things. Dogs within a single breed are so alike
genetically that it should be possible to find the responsible gene(s). Unfortunately, this
inbreeding is also why golden retrievers are at such a high risk of cancers in the first place.
Of course this inbreeding doesn't always mean an increased risk for cancer or other disorders. If
that were the case, all purebred dogs would face the same risks of cancer, arthritis etc. yet they
don't. Still the majority do have some form of breed-specific health complications related to
inbreeding. For example, golden retrievers are at risk of cancer. German shepherds face hip
problems. Bulldogs often get skin conditions, and Dalmatians develop kidney stones.
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The specific issue a purebred dog has depends on its selected genes and what disease genes its
founding ancestors had. This is known as the "founder effect" and it occurs in humans as well.
The original dogs that later became golden retrievers had genes that increased their risk for
cancer. Since all golden retrievers come from specific ancestors with no new genes added to their
heritage these cancerous genes are perpetuated in later generations without new genes to
compete with. At its currently state, cancer will always be in these animals in some form or
another. (Starr, 2012)
Selective breeding is the process of chooseing specific parents for a new generation based
on desired traits such as larger hears or short legs and what caused short faced breeds like the
bulldog and the pug to be such distinct animals, but is has also brought about breathing problems
and other conditions that harm the chances the young have for survival. Many will argue that it is
possible the breed out these problems by mixing them with other breeds with healthy shaped
muzzles and frames. While this will work, dog owners who are adamant about their status as the
owner of a pure bred dog will argue “integrity of the breed” and thus potential owners will
overlook the puppies for not being a single breed.
Another popular iteration of the dog is the mix-breed such as the labradoodle, two
breeds specifically mixed for whatever purpose. Labradoodles were in created for the purpose of
a guide dog that was hypo-allergenic that can also act as a guide dog for the blind. While the mix
has seen success, it can be noted that Wally Conron, the man who originally bred the two
together has stated “They created three cross-breed puppies that needed to be boarded out to be
trained and socialized but nobody would take them; everyone wanted a pure-bred. And that’s
when Conron came up with the name labradoodle. ”I went to our PR team and said, ‘Go to the
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press and tell them we’ve invented a new dog, the labradoodle.’ It was a gimmick and it went
worldwide.” (Canales, 2010)
These established breeds are one reason why dog shows exist. Contrary to popular belief
the dogs presented are not competing against each other but against standards put in place by the
AKC to determine if it upholds the breed’s traits to a specific degree. These standards can lead
back to the harm that selective breeding causes in these animals. Which is why dog shows are
not without their critics. (Allan, 2010)
One option to be considered should you desire taking in a pooch of your own is adoption
from a local animal shelter. By adopting you reduce the number of homeless pets in the United
States and give an animal a second chance at a finding a loving home and proper care. Each year
roughly 3.7 million shelter animals, not just dogs, are euthanized because they weren’t adopted
for whatever reason. Upon reaching the shelter the animals are given medical examination and
are treated for conditions or illness found.
Should you however be unable to find your new best friend at the shelter or simply be insistent
of purchasing a puppy, you should be sure to find a responsible breeder. You can always turn to
your local kennel club, show or get a referral from a friend or family member, but be wary of
puppy mills which is a common term for illegitimate breeders who have no license and often are
unethical in their methods, often inbreeding.
Puppy mills will often advertise as legitimate kennels in online and newspaper
classifieds. To establish if a breeder is legitimate make sure to ask a few questions, can I see the
parents? What papers do the puppies have? How many animals does the breeder have? Have
they been vaccinated how old is the mother and how often is she bred? There are more examples
but those are the most conclusive. (Stern, 2013)
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In wrap up man’s best friend is as varied as his modes of transportation. Some are faster
than other and some allow him to start up conversation with the cute redhead a few houses down.
Yet for all the positives they have the negatives still exist in the form of genetic disorders and
vulnerabilities to diseases, some cars break down easier than others that’s how the analogy works
just go with it. There are ways around these negatives to reduce their effect such as adding
genetic diversity or allowing dogs to do what other animals do naturally which is make new dogs
that are different from their parents. Human being are content in doing what they have been for
the last few millennia which follows a simple mantra “how can we take the majesty of nature and
bend it to fit what we want?” In dogs we have created breeds that can herd livestock and be
good company for our family, only recently have we found the problems that plague these
animals and many groups have strived to correct the mistake.
To go back to the original question asked regarding heritage of your pooch, it doesn’t
matter if the dog is pure or mixed. So long as you adopt from a shelter or purchase from a
responsible breeder who cares for the animals as much as you do, the animal’s family history can
be used for knowing what potential conditions may occur. They all can be hit by the same health
just like human beings, but some are safer than others for a number of reasons, be it diverse
lineage or early screening due to recognized patterns. Regardless of what you get though the
largest part of introducing a dog into your home is making sure that you take care of the animal
and be aware of health risks it may have. If you don’t mind I think I’ll go walk my family’s two
Australian shepherds.
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Sourcing
Bell, Jerold. "Pure Breeds, Mixes, and Designer Breeds." Naiaonline.org. Naia, 26 Mar. 2012.
Web. 3 Nov. 2011.
Allan, Carrie. "The Purebred Paradox." Humanesociety.org. Humane Society of the United
States, 20 May 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Canales, Molly-Marie. "LABRADOODLE CREATOR NOW REGRETS CROSSBREEDING."Globalanimal.org. 2 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Oberbauer, Anita, and Pat Bailey. "Purebred Dogs Not Always at Higher Risk for Genetic
Disorders, Study Finds." Ucdavis.edu. 28 May 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Starr, Barry. "Diseases." Ucdavis.edu. Stanford University, 8 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 Nov. 2011
Stern, Beth. "Buying vs. Adopting." Americanhumane.org. American Humane Association, 2
Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.