Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Prestige for Mixed Breeds

Bear, a Newfoundweiler

Newspapers and the Internet carry ads for cockapoos and labradoodles and Yorkie Poos. Breeders have come up with names that include the heritage of both mother and father dogs, tempting the rest of us to come up with official-sounding titles for our mixed breeds.

When people ask me what breed Shakespeare is (German shepherd/Malamute) I say he's a Germamute. My daughter Mary calls her Newfie/Rotweiler a Newfoundweiler and her Lab/Mastiff a Mastador. Combo names are shorter, require less explanation, and sound slightly official, not like the accidents of breeding they may have been.

We can envision a bunch of new combo breeds. The Golden Poo (Poodle/Golden Retriever), Doberrier (Doberman/terrier), Schnauz-tzu (obvious), Boximo (Boxer/Eskimo), Basnation (Bassett/Dalmation), and Pekinman (a Doberman/Pekinese mating may be unlikely). I know three Border collie/Pyrenees mixes (Bordernees) and a Chihuahua/pug (ChiHUApug). A St. Bernard/retriever might be a Saintreiver, and a chow/pit bull a chowbull. An Irish Wolfhound bred to an English sheep dog would be a beautiful large dog, but what to call it? An Eirenglishwolfsheep?