Mongrel

A mongrel, mutt, or mixed-breed dog, is a dog that is not the result of breeding. Estimates place the number of mongrels at 150 million animals.

Terminology

Mixed-breed vs. crossbreed

Like mongrels/mixed breeds, crossbred dogs belong to no one recognized breed. Unlike mixed-breeds, however, crossbred 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 planned intervention of humans.

Mixed breed vs. mongrel

In the United States, the term "mixed-breed" is a favored synonym over "mongrel" among many 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 the origins of dog breeds. Pure breeds 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.

Mixed breed

A mixed breed is a domesticated animal descended from multiple breeds of the same species, often breeding without any human intervention, recordkeeping, or selective breeding. Examples include:

See also

References