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48-684: A cur was a dog breed used by cattle drovers in England. The breed is now extinct. In the United States, a short-haired dog used in hunting and herding is called "cur-tailed", or "cur" for short. In modern speech, the term cur is usually used to describe a mongrel dog , particularly if its temperament is unfriendly or aggressive. The term is believed to be derived from the Old Norse kurra , meaning 'to grumble or growl'. In Victorian speech, cur could be used as an insult. In England ,

96-469: A "breed" rather than a crossbreed. There are disadvantages to creating designer crossbreeds, notably the potential that the cross will be of inferior quality or that it will not produce as consistent a result as would breeding purebred animals. For example, the Poodle is a frequent breed used in creation of designer crossbreeds, due to its non-shedding coat, but that trait does not always breed true when it

144-514: A 75/25 cross, or a BC1 or F1b " backcross ." The breeding of two crossbreeds of the same combination of breeds, creating an F2 cross, an animal that is still a 50–50 cross, but it is the second filial generation of the combination. An F2 cross bred to an F2 cross creates an F3 cross. Similarly, an F2 animal bred to an F1 animal creates an F2b backcross. F3 crosses and greater are called "multi-generational" crosses. In dog breeding, three generations of reliable documented breeding can be considered

192-421: A blond coat and, therefore, produce offspring looking unlike their parents. Starting in 2007, genetic analysis has become available to the public. The companies claim their DNA -based diagnostic test can genetically determine the breed composition of mixed-breed dogs. These tests are still limited in scope because only a small number of the hundreds of dog breeds have been validated against the tests, and because

240-654: A common foundational breed, making them difficult to separate genetically. For example, Labrador Retrievers , Flat-coated Retrievers , Chesapeake Bay Retrievers , and Newfoundland dogs share a common ancestry with the St. John's water dog – a now-extinct naturally occurring dog landrace from the island of Newfoundland. The theory of hybrid vigor suggests that as a group, dogs of varied ancestry will be generally healthier than their purebred counterparts. In purebred dogs, intentionally breeding dogs of very similar appearance over several generations produces animals that carry many of

288-398: A decreased mortality in the offspring of crossbreed dogs. Crossbreed A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. A domestic animal of unknown ancestry, where the breed status of only one parent or grandparent is known, may also be called a crossbreed though the term "mixed breed" is technically more accurate. Outcrossing

336-616: A desired physical trait. The genetic health of hybrids tends to be higher. Healthy traits have been lost in many purebred dog lines because many breeders of showdogs are more interested in conformation – the physical attributes of the dogs in relation to the breed standard – than in the health and working temperament for which the dog was originally bred. Populations are vulnerable when the dogs bred are closely related. Inbreeding among purebreds has exposed various genetic health problems not always readily apparent in less uniform populations. Mixed-breed dogs are more genetically diverse due to

384-468: A mix of breeds , differ from mongrels in being intentionally bred. At other times, the word mongrel has been applied to informally purpose-bred dogs such as curs , which were created at least in part from mongrels, especially if the breed is not officially recognized. Although mongrels are viewed as of less commercial value than intentionally bred dogs, they are thought to be less susceptible to genetic health problems associated with inbreeding (based on

432-508: A mix of characteristics from both, periodically producing a fleeced llama. The results are increasingly unpredictable when both parents are crossbreeds, with possibility of the offspring displaying characteristics of a grandparent, not obvious in either parent. Dogs: A crossbred dog is a cross between two (sometimes more) known breeds, and is usually distinguished from a mixed-breed dog , which has ancestry from many sources, some of which may not be known. Crossbreeds are popular, due to

480-465: A mutt or a mongrel , its entire pedigree is known to descend from specific known animals. While the term is best known when applied to certain dog crossbreeds , other animals such as cattle, horses, birds and cats may also be bred in this fashion. Some crossbred breeders start a freestanding breed registry to record designer crossbreds, other crossbreds may be included in an "appendix" to an existing purebred registry. either form of registration may be

528-553: A number of roles: for herding livestock, as well as trailing and locating lost livestock in thick scrubland; and in hunting a variety of game, including squirrels , opossums , raccoons , feral pigs , cougars , and American black bears , locating game both by sight and scent. While distinctive, American curs vary greatly in size; the various breeds and strains can be from 12 to 25 inches (30 to 64 cm) in height, and 40 to 95 pounds (18 to 43 kg) in weight. Mongrel dog Crossbreed dogs, and " designer dogs ", while also

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576-627: A population from those between populations, or even those between species. Crossbreeding is the process of breeding such an organism. It can be beneficially used to maintain health and viability of organisms. However, irresponsible crossbreeding can also produce organisms of inferior quality or dilute a purebred gene pool to the point of extinction of a given breed of organism. Cats: The many newly developed and recognized breeds of domestic cat are crossbreeds between existing, well-established breeds (sometimes with limited hybridization with some wild species), to either combine selected traits from

624-432: A single recognized breed. Unlike mixed-breeds, crossbreed dogs are often the product of artificial selection – intentionally created by humans, whereas the term mongrel specifically refers to dogs that develop by natural selection , without the planned intervention of humans. The words cur , tyke , mutt , and mongrel are used, sometimes in a derogatory manner. There are also regional terms for mixed-breed dogs. In

672-501: A specific environment, and are crossed with purebred bulls from another environment to produce a generation having traits of both parents. Sheep: The large number of breeds of sheep, which vary greatly, creates an opportunity for crossbreeding to be used to tailor production of lambs to the goal of the individual stockman. Llamas: Results of crossbreeding classic and woolly breeds of llama are unpredictable. The resulting offspring displays physical characteristics of either parent, or

720-500: A true-breeding population and have a closed stud book . Other types of recognized crossbreeding include that within the American Quarter Horse , which will register horses with one Thoroughbred parent and one registered Quarter Horse parent in the "Appendix" registry, and allow such animals full breed registration status as Quarter Horses if they meet a certain performance standard. Another well-known crossbred horse

768-420: A yak and an American bison ). The Incas recognized that hybrids of Lama glama (llama) and Vicugna pacos (alpaca) resulted in a hybrid with none of the advantages of either parent. At one time it was thought that dogs and wolves were separate species, and the crosses between dogs and wolves were called wolf hybrids. Today wolves and dogs are both recognized as Canis lupus , but the old term "wolf hybrid"

816-609: Is prekoplotski avlijaner ( over-the-fence yard-dweller ). In Russia , a colloquial term дворняга (yard-dweller) is used most commonly. In the Philippines , mixed-breed street dogs are often called askal , a Tagalog -derived contraction of asong kalye (”street dog"), while in Singapore, they are known as Singapore Specials. In Puerto Rico , they are known as satos ; in Venezuela they are called yusos or cacris ,

864-515: Is vira-lata ( trash-can tipper ) because of homeless dogs who knock over trash cans to reach discarded food. In Newfoundland , a smaller mixed-breed dog is known as a cracky , hence the colloquial expression "saucy as a cracky" for someone with a sharp tongue. Guessing a mixed-breed's ancestry can be difficult even for knowledgeable dog observers, because mixed-breeds have much more genetic variation than purebreds. For example, two black mixed-breed dogs might each have recessive genes that produce

912-438: Is a type of crossbreeding used within a purebred breed to increase the genetic diversity within the breed, particularly when there is a need to avoid inbreeding . In animal breeding, crossbreeds are crosses within a single species, while hybrids are crosses between different species. In plant breeding terminology, the term crossbreed is uncommon, and no universal term is used to distinguish hybridization or crossing within

960-451: Is because current accepted breeding practices within the pedigreed dog community result in a reduction in genetic diversity, and can result in physical characteristics that lead to health issues. Studies have shown that crossbreed dogs have a number of desirable reproductive traits. Scott and Fuller found that crossbreed dogs were superior mothers compared to purebred mothers, producing more milk and giving better care. These advantages led to

1008-478: Is known as a feist . Slang terms are also common. Heinz 57 , Heinz, or Heinz Hound is often used for dogs of uncertain ancestry, in a playful reference to the "57 Varieties" slogan of the H. J. Heinz Company . In some countries, such as Australia, bitsa (or bitzer ) is sometimes used, meaning "bits o' this, bits o' that". In Brazil and the Dominican Republic , the name for mixed-breed dogs

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1056-431: Is often called a "moggie". A horse of unknown bloodlines is called a grade horse . A designer crossbreed or designer breed is a crossbred animal with purebred parents, usually registered with a breed registry , but from two different breeds . These animals are the result of a deliberate decision to create a specific crossbred animal. Less often, the animal may have more than two pure breeds in its ancestry, but unlike

1104-423: Is still used. A mixed-breed animal is defined as having undocumented or unknown parentage, while a crossbreed generally has known, usually purebred parents of two distinct breeds or varieties. A dog of unknown parentage is often called a mixed-breed dog, "mutt" or " mongrel ." A cat of unknown parentage is often referred to as a domestic short-haired or domestic long-haired cat generically, and in some dialects

1152-479: Is the Anglo-Arabian , which may be produced by a purebred Arabian horse crossed on a Thoroughbred, or by various crosses of Anglo-Arabians with other Anglo-Arabians, as long as the ensuing animal never has more than 75% or less than 25% of each breed represented in its pedigree. A hybrid animal is one with parentage of two separate species, differentiating it from crossbred animals, which have parentage of

1200-626: The United Kingdom , mongrel is the unique technical word for a mixed-breed dog. North Americans generally prefer the term mix or mixed-breed . Mutt is also commonly used in the United States and Canada . Some American registries and dog clubs that accept mixed-breed dogs use the term All-American to describe mixed-breed dogs. There are also names for mixed-breeds based on geography, behavior, or food. In Hawaii, mixes are referred to as poi dogs, although they are not related to

1248-484: The foundation stock , or propagate a rare mutation without excessive inbreeding . However, some nascent breeds such as the Aegean cat are developed entirely from a local landrace population. Most experimental cat breeds are crossbreeds. Cattle: In cattle, there are systems of crossbreeding. In many crossbreeds, one animal is larger than the other. One is used when the purebred females are particularly adapted to

1296-421: The warmblood breeds used in the sport horse disciplines, usually registered in an open stud book by a studbook selection procedure that evaluates conformation, pedigree and, in some animals, a training or performance standard. Most warmblood breeds began as a cross of draft horse breeds on Thoroughbreds , but have, in some cases, developed over the past century to the point where they are considered to be

1344-451: The belief that they have increased vigor without loss of attractiveness of the dog. Certain planned crossbreeding between purebred dogs of different breeds are now widely known as "designer dogs" and can produce puppies worth more than their purebred parents, due to a high demand. Horses: Crossbreeding horses is often done with the intent of ultimately creating a new breed of horse. One type of modern crossbreeding in horses created many of

1392-413: The cur was that many were born with short, stumpy tails, which gave the appearance of their having been docked . Edwards described the breed's ancestry as likely a mixture of collie, lurcher , English mastiff , or Great Dane . Their character was described as cunning, clever, ever busy and restless; it was said they could differentiate their master's cattle from those of strangers, and they would separate

1440-452: The cur, also called the drover's dog, was a distinct breed of dog used by cattle drovers ; they are now extinct. The cur was described by Ralph Beilby and Thomas Bewick in their 1790 work A general history of quadrupeds , as well as by Sydenham Edwards in his 1800 Cynographia Britannica , as dogs principally used by drovers to drive cattle. Curs were described as heelers, nipping the heels of cattle to make them move and ducking below

1488-930: The earlier examples of this type had a bobtail and some still do. A number of cur breeds have been standardised within the United States, some have been recognised by the United Kennel Club ; these breeds include the Black Mouth Cur , the Blue Lacy , the Catahoula Leopard dog , the Mountain Cur , the Stephens Cur , the Treeing Cur , and the Treeing Tennessee Brindle . These versatile dogs are used in

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1536-518: The extinct Hawaiian Poi Dog . In the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands , the common term is potcake dogs (referring to the table scraps they are fed). In South Africa, the tongue-in-cheek expression pavement special is sometimes used as a description for a mixed-breed dog. In Trinidad and Tobago , these mixed dogs are referred to as pot hounds ( pothong ). In Serbia , a similar expression

1584-419: The first step in recording and tracking pedigrees in order to develop a new breed. The purpose of creating designer crossbreds is usually one or more of the following reasons: Breeders of designer crossbreds borrow the technical language from hybrid plant breeding: A first generation, 50–50 crossbred is an F1 cross . Subsequent generations may see a purebred animal crossed back on a crossbred, creating

1632-429: The lack of genetic diversity. If the dog breed is popular, and the line continues, over hundreds of years diversity increases due to mutations and occasional out-breeding. This is why some of the very old breeds are more stable. One issue is when certain traits found in the breed standard are associated with genetic disorders. The artificial selective force favors the duplication of the genetic disorder because it comes with

1680-450: The latter being a contraction of the words callejero criollo (literally, street creole, as street dogs are usually mongrels); and in Chile and Bolivia , they are called quiltros . In Costa Rica , it is common to hear the word zaguate , a term originating from a Nahuatl term, zahuatl , that refers to the disease called scabies . In the rural southern United States, a small hunting dog

1728-492: The latter inheriting the cur's bobtail. In the United States , the term cur is also used to describe a distinctive type of short-haired dog that is used for both hunting and herding that was developed in the Southern United States . When describing these dogs, the term is actually an abbreviation of cur-tailed, as in a dog with a naturally occurring bobtail like that of the extinct English cur; many of

1776-508: The low risk category". Data from Denmark also suggest that mixed breeds have greater longevity on average compared to purebreds. A British study showed similar results, but a few breeds (notably Jack Russell Terriers , Miniature Poodles and Whippets ) lived longer than mixed breeds. In one study, the effect of breed on longevity in the pet dog was analyzed using mortality data from 23,535 pet dogs. The data were obtained from North American veterinary teaching hospitals. The median age at death

1824-432: The more haphazard nature of their parents' mating. The offspring of such matings might be less likely to express certain genetic disorders because there might be a decreased chance that both parents carry the same detrimental recessive alleles, but some deleterious recessives occur across many seemingly unrelated breeds, and therefore merely mixing breeds is no guarantee of genetic health. When two poor specimens are bred,

1872-527: The offspring could inherit the worst traits of both parents. This is commonly seen in dogs that came from puppy mills . Several studies have shown that mixed-breed dogs have a health advantage over purebred dogs. A German study finds that "mongrels require less veterinary treatment". Studies in Sweden have found that "Mongrel dogs are less prone to many diseases than the average purebred dog" and, when referring to death rates, that "mongrels were consistently in

1920-498: The origins of dog breeds. Purebred dogs have been, for the most part, artificially created from random-bred populations by human selective breeding with the purpose of enhancing desired physical, behavioral, or temperamental characteristics. Dogs that are not purebred are not necessarily a mix of such defined breeds. Therefore, among some experts and fans of such dogs, mongrel is still the preferred term. Dog crossbreeds , sometimes called designer dogs , also are not members of

1968-429: The same alleles , some of which are detrimental. If the founding population for the breed was small, then the genetic diversity of that particular breed may be small for quite some time. When humans select certain dogs for new breeds, they artificially isolate that group of genes and cause more copies of that gene to be made than might have otherwise occurred in nature. The population is initially more fragile because of

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2016-474: The same breed in different geographical areas may have different genetic profiles. The tests do not test for breed purity, but for genetic sequences that are common to certain breeds. With a mixed-breed dog, the test is not proof of purebred ancestry, but rather an indication that those dogs share common ancestry with certain purebreds. The American Kennel Club does not recognize the use of DNA tests to determine breed. Many newer dog breeds can be traced back to

2064-404: The same species. Hybrids are usually, but not always, sterile. One of the most ancient types of hybrid animal is the mule , a cross between a female horse and a male donkey . The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and female tiger . The yattle is a cross between a cow and a yak . Other crosses include the tigon (between a male tiger and female lion) and yakalo (between

2112-538: The strange cattle from their master's herds. Although it is uncertain when or why the breed became extinct, it likely disappeared in the mid-19th century. Some modern writers believe it was the cur, not the collie, that was crossed with the dingo to create the now-extinct Halls Heeler in Australia. This would make the cur an ancestor of both the Australian cattle dog and the Australian stumpy tail cattle dog ,

2160-615: The subsequent kick. They were said to be common in England, particularly the North of England , but were virtually unknown in the rest of the United Kingdom. The cur was described as being larger, stronger and longer legged than shepherds' collies with shorter and smoother coats; in colour they were generally black, brindled , or grizzled with a white neck and legs and occasionally a white face, they had some feathering on their legs and half-pricked ears . A defining characteristic of

2208-464: The theory of heterosis ), and have enthusiasts and defenders who prefer them to intentionally bred dogs. Estimates place the prevalence of mongrels at 150 million animals worldwide. In the United States, the term mixed-breed is a favored synonym over mongrel among people who wish to avoid negative connotations associated with the latter term. The implication that such dogs must be a mix of defined breeds may stem from an inverted understanding of

2256-436: Was determined for purebred and mixed-breed dogs of different body weights. Within each body weight category, the median age at death was lower for purebred dogs compared with mixed-breed dogs. The median age at death was "8.5 years for all mixed breed dogs, and 6.7 years for all pure breed dogs" in the study. In 2013, a study found that mixed breeds live on average 1.2 years longer than purebreds, and that increasing body weight

2304-490: Was negatively correlated with longevity (i.e. the heavier the dog, the shorter its lifespan). Another study published in 2019 confirmed this 1.2 year difference in lifespan for mixed-breed dogs, and further demonstrated negative impacts of recent inbreeding and benefits of occasional outcrossing for lifespan in individual dogs. Studies that have been done in the area of health show that mixed-breeds on average are both healthier and longer-lived than their purebred relations. This

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