It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.
from: Because of Winn Dixie
written by Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick, 2000
Newbery Award winner
My daughter and her family just adopted (another) rescue dog. This one is a Chug. “Is she trained?” I quipped. "You know, Chugga-chugga, choo! choo!"
I quickly learned that Ruby is a cross between a Chihuahua and a Pug. They’re occasionally called Puhuahuas, but that doesn’t trip off the tongue as easily.
I wondered, “What’s the difference between a designer dog and a mutt?” (Besides the cost, of course.)
Since they are not purebreds, the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize designer dogs. Designer dogs must be bred from two purebred, recognized breeds. The AKC recognizes 200 of the over 340 breeds known worldwide, and only purebreds are allowed into their club. Each breed has specific traits including temperament, coloration, and size. The standards for each breed are described in an official document called a “breed standard.”
The Continental Kennel Club (CKC) does recognize designer dogs. They believe “every dog deserves an identity” but reserve the discretion to “recognize an official ‘designer’ name.” CKC dogs are registered through an application process using a special Non-Purebred Canine Registration Application Form. The CKC website notes “NON-PUREBRED is prominently printed on all the dog’s registration papers.”
Like the AKC, each dog’s lineage is preserved on official papers.
The ancestor of all modern dogs is a wolf. Even in ancient times, as soon as people recognized that wolves could be tamed, wolves and people became companions. Soon, people purposefully bred dogs for specific tasks: hunting, guarding, herding. Later personality traits were sought. Brains, gentleness, loyalty were bred into particular breeds. Pit bulls and Greyhounds were bred for their entertainment value. St. Bernards, Siberian huskies, and bloodhounds perform heroic rescues, haul vital loads over treacherous terrain, and solve complicated mysteries, respectfully.
According to the 2023 Pet Ownership Statistics published April, 2023, in forbes.com almost 87 million American households (44.5%) own a pet. Over half are dogs. Forty-two percent of dogs are purchased from a store and 38% come from a shelter. Twenty-three percent come from a breeder. I know, this adds up to more than 100%. I used the stats from Forbes as published.
Homeowners are more apt to own a dog than renters. Even though the number of households with dogs has increased greatly over the last several years, fewer dogs live in each home. The total pet dog population according to the World Animal Foundation’s Pet Survey, is about 89.7 million.
Dogs are big business. Forbes reports that dog owners spend over $700.00 per year on their dogs. In 2022, pet owners spent $136.8 billion. (That includes all pets, though, cats, hamsters, turtles, fish…and dogs.) And pet insurance is a thing, now, too.
So what is the difference between a purebred and every other dog?
Designer dogs are crossbred on purpose to enhance the best qualities of each breed.
Mutts are mixed breeds, the result (usually) of unplanned mating. Mutts can be just as cute, just as lovable, just as happy as a purebred or a designer dog. It’s a little like the difference between a spaghetti and meatball dinner at Olive Garden or spaghetti and meatballs at your favorite local restaurant that uses old family recipes. At one, you know what you’re getting. It’s always the same. The other is unique. You might be in for a happy surprise.
People share their lives with dogs for many reasons. Some, according to the AKC, are science based.
I prefer to share my life with a cat or two (or five!). I like knowing my cat can take care of her own needs for a couple of days (if I provide a clean box and plenty of crunchy food and clean water). I like that she’s quiet. No barking! I like that she loves without licking!
I like that she loves me unconditionally.
Of course, a dog would too. But dogs bark. They lick. And they need a walking buddy.
I’m reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Published in 2006, by Vintage Press/Knopf Doubleday, among its other awards and accolades, the book won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2007. I was so concerned for the main characters that I had to cheat and look up the ending when I was a little less than halfway through. Without giving anything away, the story is a hero’s journey. After his wife gives birth and ends her life, a man left with his baby son searches for life’s meaning. He makes his way south looking for warmth, feigning optimism, and finding ways to stay alive.
Only An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (Boni & Liveright, 1925) is sadder.
While it was a best-seller, dystopian fiction is not for everyone. Cormac McCarthy was a great American novelist, playwright, and screen writer. Try one of his other titles.
July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023.
RIP
-—Be curious! (and true to your nature)
from: Because of Winn Dixie
written by Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick, 2000
Newbery Award winner
My daughter and her family just adopted (another) rescue dog. This one is a Chug. “Is she trained?” I quipped. "You know, Chugga-chugga, choo! choo!"
I quickly learned that Ruby is a cross between a Chihuahua and a Pug. They’re occasionally called Puhuahuas, but that doesn’t trip off the tongue as easily.
I wondered, “What’s the difference between a designer dog and a mutt?” (Besides the cost, of course.)
Since they are not purebreds, the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize designer dogs. Designer dogs must be bred from two purebred, recognized breeds. The AKC recognizes 200 of the over 340 breeds known worldwide, and only purebreds are allowed into their club. Each breed has specific traits including temperament, coloration, and size. The standards for each breed are described in an official document called a “breed standard.”
The Continental Kennel Club (CKC) does recognize designer dogs. They believe “every dog deserves an identity” but reserve the discretion to “recognize an official ‘designer’ name.” CKC dogs are registered through an application process using a special Non-Purebred Canine Registration Application Form. The CKC website notes “NON-PUREBRED is prominently printed on all the dog’s registration papers.”
Like the AKC, each dog’s lineage is preserved on official papers.
The ancestor of all modern dogs is a wolf. Even in ancient times, as soon as people recognized that wolves could be tamed, wolves and people became companions. Soon, people purposefully bred dogs for specific tasks: hunting, guarding, herding. Later personality traits were sought. Brains, gentleness, loyalty were bred into particular breeds. Pit bulls and Greyhounds were bred for their entertainment value. St. Bernards, Siberian huskies, and bloodhounds perform heroic rescues, haul vital loads over treacherous terrain, and solve complicated mysteries, respectfully.
According to the 2023 Pet Ownership Statistics published April, 2023, in forbes.com almost 87 million American households (44.5%) own a pet. Over half are dogs. Forty-two percent of dogs are purchased from a store and 38% come from a shelter. Twenty-three percent come from a breeder. I know, this adds up to more than 100%. I used the stats from Forbes as published.
Homeowners are more apt to own a dog than renters. Even though the number of households with dogs has increased greatly over the last several years, fewer dogs live in each home. The total pet dog population according to the World Animal Foundation’s Pet Survey, is about 89.7 million.
Dogs are big business. Forbes reports that dog owners spend over $700.00 per year on their dogs. In 2022, pet owners spent $136.8 billion. (That includes all pets, though, cats, hamsters, turtles, fish…and dogs.) And pet insurance is a thing, now, too.
So what is the difference between a purebred and every other dog?
Designer dogs are crossbred on purpose to enhance the best qualities of each breed.
Mutts are mixed breeds, the result (usually) of unplanned mating. Mutts can be just as cute, just as lovable, just as happy as a purebred or a designer dog. It’s a little like the difference between a spaghetti and meatball dinner at Olive Garden or spaghetti and meatballs at your favorite local restaurant that uses old family recipes. At one, you know what you’re getting. It’s always the same. The other is unique. You might be in for a happy surprise.
People share their lives with dogs for many reasons. Some, according to the AKC, are science based.
- A dog can make us feel less lonely.
- Dog owners have lower blood pressure and better responses to stress.
- Dog owners are more physically active.
- Dog owners are more attractive to others. In a study, test subjects identified people with dogs in a photo as more approachable, friendlier, and happier.
- A study at Tufts University concluded that people with strong attachments to their dog also had strong attachments to other people and their communities.
- Dogs’ facial features trigger caregiver responses in humans. Dogs are cute. We love them.
- Pet therapy is shown to improve cognitive abilities of some patients in long-term care facilities.
I prefer to share my life with a cat or two (or five!). I like knowing my cat can take care of her own needs for a couple of days (if I provide a clean box and plenty of crunchy food and clean water). I like that she’s quiet. No barking! I like that she loves without licking!
I like that she loves me unconditionally.
Of course, a dog would too. But dogs bark. They lick. And they need a walking buddy.
I’m reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Published in 2006, by Vintage Press/Knopf Doubleday, among its other awards and accolades, the book won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2007. I was so concerned for the main characters that I had to cheat and look up the ending when I was a little less than halfway through. Without giving anything away, the story is a hero’s journey. After his wife gives birth and ends her life, a man left with his baby son searches for life’s meaning. He makes his way south looking for warmth, feigning optimism, and finding ways to stay alive.
Only An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (Boni & Liveright, 1925) is sadder.
While it was a best-seller, dystopian fiction is not for everyone. Cormac McCarthy was a great American novelist, playwright, and screen writer. Try one of his other titles.
July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023.
RIP
-—Be curious! (and true to your nature)
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