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Top 10 Cross Breeds in South Africa
The Levels and the top 10 most common cross breeds in SA
by Scotty Valadao - Friends of the Dog - Canine Behaviourist
The Levels and the top 10 most common cross breeds in SA
by Scotty Valadao - Friends of the Dog - Canine Behaviourist
Chatting to a friend the other day about how some cross breeds have taken on huge popularity such as the Labradoodle, we wondered what the most popular cross breeds were in SA, and decided to ask our friends at Muttmix what their results showed, and also give us information on the various Levels that are found and how they work.
Finding out what your cross breed is does not only satisfy your curiosity, it gives you valuable information as to why they act the way they do, explains some behaviour quirks, why some dogs are more sociable than others, why some dogs are harder to train than other, what they need to stimulate them mentally and physically, and very importantly, you can find out what health concerns have the possibility of occurring.
While researching more on the Shar Pei from a behaviour point of view some time ago, we came across an article where an inherited auto-inflammatory disease called Shar Pei Fever was mentioned. This is a common genetic condition where the dog may have odd bouts of a high temperature, and this condition can occur in about 25% of Shar Pei dogs. What had transpired is that a particular cross breed dog, that looked nothing like a Shar Pei, was taken to the vet with a high fever and initial blood tests had not found the cause of the temperature. Just as the vet was about to run more tests which would have been expensive, and also fairly invasive, the owner happened to mention that the dog had recently had a DNA test, and the Shar Pei bred was present The vet immediately realized that the temperature could have been from Shar Pei Fever and treated accordingly - thankfully the treatment was successful and the dog was soon home.
If you know the breed make-up and possible health concerns the breeds are prone to, you can learn to recognize early signs, and even have regular tests in some cases, to ensure that the condition is not present.
If considering bringing a new dog into the home, you can have a look at our Breed Compatibility to see if the breeds are compatible, plus you will get more info on the individual breeds.
What is also interesting and we mention this in our article Breed Labels; When Guesses Turn into Predictions - that one study found that the breed labels assigned to shelter dogs by staff members were wrong at least 75% of the time!
Canine Inheritance
Before we go on to give you the top 10 most common crossbreeds in SA, it is a good idea to understand how canine inheritance actually works.
As a matter of interest, we humans have 46 chromosomes, cats have 38 and dogs have 78 chromosomes.
Of the 78 chromosomes available, the pup will have inherited 39 chromosomes from the father and another 39 from the mother, so a crossbred of a Labrador and a Poodle, will have inherited 50% from each parent - the Labradoodle. Every time another breeding takes place, the breed inheritance is spread further.
The Levels as explained by Muttmix
Finding out what your cross breed is does not only satisfy your curiosity, it gives you valuable information as to why they act the way they do, explains some behaviour quirks, why some dogs are more sociable than others, why some dogs are harder to train than other, what they need to stimulate them mentally and physically, and very importantly, you can find out what health concerns have the possibility of occurring.
While researching more on the Shar Pei from a behaviour point of view some time ago, we came across an article where an inherited auto-inflammatory disease called Shar Pei Fever was mentioned. This is a common genetic condition where the dog may have odd bouts of a high temperature, and this condition can occur in about 25% of Shar Pei dogs. What had transpired is that a particular cross breed dog, that looked nothing like a Shar Pei, was taken to the vet with a high fever and initial blood tests had not found the cause of the temperature. Just as the vet was about to run more tests which would have been expensive, and also fairly invasive, the owner happened to mention that the dog had recently had a DNA test, and the Shar Pei bred was present The vet immediately realized that the temperature could have been from Shar Pei Fever and treated accordingly - thankfully the treatment was successful and the dog was soon home.
If you know the breed make-up and possible health concerns the breeds are prone to, you can learn to recognize early signs, and even have regular tests in some cases, to ensure that the condition is not present.
If considering bringing a new dog into the home, you can have a look at our Breed Compatibility to see if the breeds are compatible, plus you will get more info on the individual breeds.
What is also interesting and we mention this in our article Breed Labels; When Guesses Turn into Predictions - that one study found that the breed labels assigned to shelter dogs by staff members were wrong at least 75% of the time!
Canine Inheritance
Before we go on to give you the top 10 most common crossbreeds in SA, it is a good idea to understand how canine inheritance actually works.
As a matter of interest, we humans have 46 chromosomes, cats have 38 and dogs have 78 chromosomes.
Of the 78 chromosomes available, the pup will have inherited 39 chromosomes from the father and another 39 from the mother, so a crossbred of a Labrador and a Poodle, will have inherited 50% from each parent - the Labradoodle. Every time another breeding takes place, the breed inheritance is spread further.
The Levels as explained by Muttmix
Level 6 - 100%
This category recognizes a single breed match. There was only 1 breed found at a high level in the DNA of your dog. No other breeds were present. Many dogs will not have a breed in this category unless one or both parents were purebred or had 50% of this breed.
This category recognizes a single breed match. There was only 1 breed found at a high level in the DNA of your dog. No other breeds were present. Many dogs will not have a breed in this category unless one or both parents were purebred or had 50% of this breed.
Level 1 - 61 - 99%
This category recognizes a majority of one specific breed in your dog's DNA (61-99%). A dog will only report with a Level 1 breed if they have a high match percentage to this breed in their DNA. A highly mixed breed dog will not normally have a breed in this category.
Level 2 - 40 - 60%
This category represents breeds that may be easily recognizable in your dog, found at the 40 - 60% range. Dogs with a mixed ancestry will often have breeds at this level and it is also possible one parent was purebred or had at least 50% on one breed in their DNA.
This category represents breeds that may be easily recognizable in your dog, found at the 40 - 60% range. Dogs with a mixed ancestry will often have breeds at this level and it is also possible one parent was purebred or had at least 50% on one breed in their DNA.
Level 3 - 26 - 39%
This category represents breeds with DNA in the range of 26 - 39%
This category represents breeds with DNA in the range of 26 - 39%
Level 4 - 10 - 25%
This category represents breeds that represent between 10-25% DNA. Dogs with large mixes may have several breeds in this category. These breeds are passed down from grandparents and even up to great, great grandparents.
This category represents breeds that represent between 10-25% DNA. Dogs with large mixes may have several breeds in this category. These breeds are passed down from grandparents and even up to great, great grandparents.
Level 5 - 10% or less
This category represents breeds that make up 10% or less of your dog's genetic makeup. These breeds still appear at a low and measurable amount in your dog's DNA and were likely carried over from several generations.
This category represents breeds that make up 10% or less of your dog's genetic makeup. These breeds still appear at a low and measurable amount in your dog's DNA and were likely carried over from several generations.
Level 7 - Trace DNA
These breeds were found as trace DNA amounts in your dog - this is the lowest possible amount of DNA identified in your dog.
These breeds were found as trace DNA amounts in your dog - this is the lowest possible amount of DNA identified in your dog.
The 10 Most Common Cross Breeds in SA
These results are based on just shy of 10 000 samples in SA, on the Muttmix database. These are the top 10 breeds found in mixed breeds, from highest to lowest.
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1.
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German Shepherd Dog
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2.
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Jack Russel Terrier
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3.
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
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4.
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Rottweiler
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5.
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Poodle
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6.
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Labrador Retriever
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7.
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American Staffordshire Terrier
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8.
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Border Collie
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9.
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Chow Chow
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10.
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Yorkshire Terrier
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No matter what breed or cross breed our dogs are, one thing for sure is that we love them just the way they are!
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Refs:
https://www.muttmix.co.za/ : https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/genetics-basics-modes-of-inheritance : https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/genetics-for-dog-breeders/
https://www.akcchf.org/educational-resources/library/AKCCHF-Understanding-Breeds-as-Populations-002.pdf : https://www.quantamagazine.org/puzzle-answers-about-sexual-inheritance-and-mixed-dog-breeds-20200731/
https://www.muttmix.co.za/ : https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/genetics-basics-modes-of-inheritance : https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/genetics-for-dog-breeders/
https://www.akcchf.org/educational-resources/library/AKCCHF-Understanding-Breeds-as-Populations-002.pdf : https://www.quantamagazine.org/puzzle-answers-about-sexual-inheritance-and-mixed-dog-breeds-20200731/