Feb
10
2010
Why Do People Think That Mutts Are Magical And Free Of Health Problems?
Posted by: Alan in Dog Health Problem, tags: Free, Health, Magical, Mutts, People, Problems, That, Think
I’ve never understood how people think that mutts just magically loose any health problems, I mean if purebreds just drop dead from health problems, how would they not be carried over to the mutts?
Furthermore, how many mutts have their health tests all properly done? I’ve never met anyone who argues that their mutt is magically health problem free back it up with proof, ie with proper health tests. My dogs are all cleared in their elbows, hips, hearts, eyes. I can prove that my purebred dogs are healthy.
So please, tell me. Why do people think this? They hurt my brain with their lack of logic. ):
Entries (RSS)
February 10th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
I don’t think anyone thinks all mutts are “magically” free of health problems. That’s just a gross overstatement. People who aren’t ignorant understand that both purebreds and mixed breeds have health problems and that it just depends on the dog.
February 10th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
2 reasons…they just payed serious money for a POS and now need something that will make them feel better when others tell them the truth, or, they are the dog pound fanatics that think all dogs, besides pound mutts should be dead or should stop being bred so that all the mutts sitting at the pound can be saved.
Of course in their zealousness to achieve that goal they often spew things out of their anal cavity that most reasonable adults will smell long before it get near them hence the 1 million questions and categorical statements in here about mutts being healthier then purebreds. Hope I helped!
February 10th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
I agree with you totally, I have never understood the logic behind it. Any dog can get a disease and die, it doesn’t matter what breed they are. My dad had a purebred GSD growing up, and that dog was healthy as can be until he turned 15, and then he suddenly couldn’t walk one day. Just as well, my parents now have a 13 year old beagle/golden mix, and he is just fine. As long as you are getting a purebred from a reputable breeder, there is no logical reason to think that a mutt would be healthier.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I honestly have no idea. Lets say that mutt #1 has moderate hip dysplacia, and mutt #2 has severe hip dysplacia. These dogs have puppies, and guess what! The puppies HAVE hip dysplacia. Mongrels are just a much more poor representation of any sort of breed, because there is NO TESTING done on breeding stock.
People are so ignorant.
ADD: Oh, and just to add. “hybrid vigor” is a load of crap in dogs. Definition of hybrid: An organism that is the offspring of two parents that differ in one or more inheritable characteristics, especially the offspring of two different varieties of the same species or the offspring of two parents belonging to different species. In agriculture and animal husbandry, hybrids of different varieties and species are bred in order to combine the favorable characteristics of the parents. Hybrids often display hybrid vigor. The mule, which is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, is an example of a hybrid. It is strong for its size and has better endurance and a longer useful lifespan than its parents. However, mules are sterile, as are many animals that are hybrids between two species.
Short answer, hybrid mixes SPECIES, not breeds. True hybrid animals are incapable of natural procreation.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:34 am
Didn’t know anyone thought they were magical. And I’d think very few people would think they are totally free of health problems. But from what I’ve seen (my experience with purbred dogs and mutts), the purebreds generally have had more health problems. And then there’s those bulldogs. I don’t think I’ve ever met a purbred bulldog that could breathe very well or didn’t have some other kind of health issue.
As far as I know, no one would say that all purebred dogs have health problems either, so no one is saying your dogs are unhealthy. Yet you keep defending that fact.
February 11th, 2010 at 10:44 am
People often come into this forum spouting about how mutts are “healthier” than purebreds. They never have legitimate sources to back it up, although they do have anecdotal evidence, and rantings from Joe I-Have-A-Website-And-An-Axe-To-Grind that they found through a Google search, which are as misguided and baseless in scientific evidence as their own ideas.
I have anecdotal evidence that Chihuahua mixes are nasty, nippy, neurotic little turds…however I would never be so ignorant as to announce one personal experience as a solid fact. And I have been in dogs long enough to smell a personal agenda a mile away.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
they are gullible and ignorant. Equally purebred dogs from people withoout knowledge or bred irresponsibly, no health screening are just as bad.
#
It is purebred dogs from REPUTABLE show/working breeders, with all health screening that are the safest and most reliabe to predict in health, type, temperament, etc.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
because they are morons who dont even understand basics about genetics.
They think widening the gene pool somehow eliminates that.. or that health issues somehow cancel each other out.
Wider gene pool means a wider list of health problems the animal could be prone to.
Most dogs of similar size and type have common health issues anyways!
February 12th, 2010 at 2:30 am
One word for you:
BYB (Well, actually, that’s three words, but let’s just say it’s one.)
And dog has the potential to get health problems. It’s not only purebreds. It’s mixes, too.
My neighbor had a boxer who lived to the ripe old age of 13. It’s highly likely that the cute “maltipoo” in the pet store window won’t live past 2.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:21 am
What people? I dont think that. I have a mutt, and so far he has been fine, but he’s only 5 months old.
I think as far as diseases that are common in certain breeds are concerned. If you get a mix of that breed, there is a smaller chance of your dog having that disease, but that’s not true in all cases.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:45 am
It’s a lack of understanding basic genetics. I think many times it is just being willfully ignorant too. I’m really tired of the phrase “hybrid vigor,” just makes it that much more obvious people have no idea what they are takling about.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
WHOA! You mean mutt’s aren’t magical! [/sarcasm]
My favorite is when they are “hybrid’s” *face palm*
February 12th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
People are sadly misinformed and choose not to rectify the situation by doing something silly like research.
February 12th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
No dog is free of all health problems. Mixes and purebreds are the same thing, just different genetics. One dog might get hip dysplasia as easily as the next.
Dr. Dog
February 13th, 2010 at 12:33 am
because they are ignorant
February 13th, 2010 at 1:12 am
The difficult thing is that “Hybrid Vigor” is in fact a real, demonstrable thing.
The problem is, people don’t really understand it, and lack a basic understanding of genetics in general, so they take it to mean that “Mixed Breeds are healthier than pure”, which is doesn’t mean at all.
Add to that, that many breeders (even so called ‘reputable’ breeders) are notorious for being a little ‘weird’, well its no wonder people get a little confused.
For the record — My opinion is that that the *potential* for a pure bred dog to be genetically superior to a ‘random bred’ dog is real (by random bred, I’m talking the real ‘Heinz 57 dogs’, not the ‘-poos’)
Any possible advantage a ‘hybrid’ dog (aka designer dog) might potentially have over a pure bred dog is pretty well wiped out by poor breeding practices.