Generally, a mutt is of uncertain ancestry. A designer dog has documented purebred ancestry, and one knows for sure what it is.

We believe in Hybrid Vigor or Heterosis, which is an increase in the performance of hybrids over that of purebreds, most noticeably in traits like fertility and sterility, however we drive for the Euro genetics, (such as the imperil shih-tzu and Mediterranean bichon).

Heterosis is a term used in genetics and selective breeding. The term heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor or outbreeding enhancement, describes the increased strength of different characteristics in hybrids; the possibility to obtain a genetically superior individual by combining the virtues of its parents.

A mixed-breed dog Heterosis is the opposite of inbreeding depression, which occurs with increasing homozygosity. The term often causes controversy, particularly in terms of the selective breeding of domestic animals, because it is sometimes believed that all crossbred animals are genetically superior to their parents; this is true only in certain circumstances : when a hybrid is seen to be superior to its parents, this is known as hybrid vigor. When the opposite happens, and a hybrid inherits traits from their parents that makes them unfit for survival, the result is referred to as outbreeding depression.

The dominance hypothesis attributes the superiority of hybrids to the suppression of undesirable recessive genes from one parent by dominant genes from the other. It attributes the poor performance of inbred strains to loss of genetic diversity, with the strains becoming purely homozygous at many loci.
Certain combinations of genes that can be obtained by crossing two strains are advantageous in the hybrid vigor.

So what's up with these hybrid, "designer" dogs? Are they healthier?
Hybrid dogs can still have genetic problems because you are still crossing two first generation dogs, however the percentage of hybrid dogs with genetic problems is much lower than purebred dogs Because the gene pool is mixed. Breeders who breed purebred to purebred creating a first generation hybrid believe in the heterosis effect and hybrid vigor. Ours are F3 so third generation each generation thins bad recessive genes.

Whats the difference between a designer breed and a pure bred dog?

Did you know Pure breed dogs aren't just one breed of dog? All Pure Breed dogs are a combination of several different breeds. It is only after 20 generations or so that they are started to become recognized as a pure bred breed.

As an example well use the Yorkshire Terrier. The Yorkshire Terrier breed is over 100 years old and was started with breeding the Skye Terrier and the Clydesdale (now extinct). These were then crossed with the Maltese, the black and tan Manchester,Dandie Dinmont and the Paisley Terrier. After years of breeding this combination and after so many generation then they have the foundation stock, then from the foundation stock, the Registered name became the Yorkshire Terrier.

All AKC pure breed dogs were first a combination of several different breeds.

You can check the origin of any registered dog breed and will be able to see the different breeds that where combined to create that breed.

We are happy to announce that we are foster parents of the HUMANE SOCIETY in Montgomery Tx, want to see our fosters get well and go home? We also donate puppies to disabled or ill children, to see some of our donation children or to apply for a donation.