Since Aussiedoodles are a cross-breed rather than purebred, they are often referred to as “mutts.” I always bristle a little when someone at the dog park refers to my dogs as “mutts.”
If you look up the word “mutt” you will see it defined as 1. A stupid or insignificant person and 2. A mongrel dog.
Now “mongrel” is defined as “an individual resulting from the interbreeding of diverse breeds” which is where mixed breed dogs come in.
As my dogs are, yes, mixed breeds, I guess technically they are mongrels. But both “mutt” and “mongrel” have negative connotations and are often used as insults. Why being “mixed” is a bad thing I have no idea.
I actually believe that mixed breeds are far superior to purebred dogs. There, I said it. How is inbreeding better than mixing? Medically speaking, it’s a lot worse. Any dog expert will tell you that purebred dogs are the product of years and years of inbreeding, and this causes health problems in the dogs:
“Defects include a higher risk of cancer and tumors; eye and heart disease; joint and bone disorders; skin, immune system and neurological diseases; and even epilepsy. There is no need to panic, though. You just need to be aware of the risk of defects in your prospective new purebred puppy, a risk that is much higher than in a mix-breed puppy.”
There are reasons humans are not allowed to procreate with family members. Why is this practice perpetuated with dogs?
In a purely shallow aesthetic sense I just think mixed breed dogs are more attractive and interesting to look at. Good luck finding your golden retriever at a dog park with other golden retrievers – they all look the same (not to hate on golden retrievers there are many reasons it’s such a popular family dog). I never have a problem picking my dogs out from crowds.
The above photo was taken at Magnuson Dog Park in Seattle. In this photo there is Ranger, an Australian Shepherd, and Ranger and Grizzly’s half brother. The half brother (far right, obviously) shares a dad with Ranger and a mom with Grizzly, and was born around the same time as Ranger, and still looks different from both of them (though he clearly looks related to Ranger).
I’m not going to say I don’t coo and swoon when I see a waddling Corgi butt or a gorgeous Shiba Inu – I’m just saying mixed breeds deserve to be called better than “mutt.”
aussiedoodleadventures.com 