An Introduction to Mixed Breed Dogs
Often dog owners have unrealistic expectations when it comes to visualizing individual breed traits in their mixed breed dog. The following section provides information regarding what they can expect or not expect to see in a pet.
Mixed breed dogs can vary in the complexity of their heritage – from the most simple first generation cross breed mix of two purebred breeds to outbred dogs that live in freely interbreeding populations in the wild.
A range of possible body shapes and sizes may be seen in the appearance of a mixed breed dogs that arise from their purebred ancestors.
Identifying the heritage of a mixed breed dog in the absence of information about its parents or grandparents is difficult, even for knowledgeable dog observers such as veterinarians, because mixed breeds display much more genetic variation than purebreds.
Mixed breed dogs can be simple or complex. Simple mixed breeds have few breeds in their recent heritage. Complex mixed breeds have some recent and some very distant ancestors in their heritage.