the lab and cocker spaniel mix some call spanador

only just found that out today lol

my one is four now and i love him to bits big floppy ears and brown eyes so cute

Isn't that what used to be called "a mongrel"?

it is indeed

or a cross breed. don't like this trend of people coming up with the names

there is that much unpredictability in what comes out in litters of cross breed dogs, some people may start thinking oh, a (stupid name) that'll have long legs, curly hair, three ears and know how to dance the macerena

where as there could be some that come out with dreadlocks, short legs, twelve ears and the best they can manage is a hotch potched version of the hoaky koaky

First generation cross-breeds (two pedigree animals as parents) are often fairly predictible - indeed they are a vital part of breeding cattle, sheep and plants because the outsome is often pretty certain, and they have hybrid vigour - but once you get to crossing cross-breeds and producing mongrels all sorts of things can come along.

However there needs to be a reason for doing the cross. For example, hill ewes with a Blue Leicester ram. The male offspring get eaten, the females are (usually) excellent milky thrifty mothers that have a high percentage of twins. They are bred to a terminal sire (Suffolk maybe) to produce animals for meat.

Possibly some of the problems in dogs is people producing cross-breds from animals that shouldn't be used for any kind of breeding.

And the amazing thing is, these 'mongrels' can cost a fortune!!

I know someone who bought a SPRINGBATT (Basset crossed with a Springer} and paid £800 for it!! It's like a longish legged Basset with shorter ears and no sign of a Springer, no feathers, short hair and tri coloured like a a Basset!

When did this business start of cross breeding and charging a fortune for them? They used to be cheap!!

To be fair to the OP, he's had the dog four years and only just found out there is a poncy name for it LOL.

A true mongrel is of an unkown breed or multiple breeds over the years , and they trend to be the stronger healthier dogs.

The new , well not really so new but recognised breeds (recognised by breeders but not by the powers that be who prefer pure bred even if they are ill due to it ) such as Cockapoos and Spanadors are the interbreeding of two different breeds from two pure pedigree dogs to create the new dog. So the new dog is not so much mongrel as an unknown breed but it will be that bit stronger and healthier than a pure pedigree of one breed.

i know there mongrels but i hate that word

spanadors not much better

And so the myth continues If the two pedigree breeds that some spanner mates together, share the same health issues eg eyes, hips, heart problems etc then the cross bred offspring have just as much chance of inheriting the same problem. Fancy crossbreeds are simply an opportunity for ill-informed people to sell puppies to ignorant (of the individual health issues) puppy buyers who most responsible, pedigree breeders would have turned away.

We called ours a btisa.....little bits 'a this and little bits a' that

As long as you love him (and weren't charged over the odds for him) is the main thing ...I've never had a pedigree myself (although my groomer thinks Danny may have come from good stock by the look of him) as all my dogs have been rescues of one kind or another..but they have all been loved.

Only crossbreed I have ever liked is an english bull/staffie bull cross. It had the looks of the english but the obedience training capacity of the staff. Coulda been a disaster if it had been t'other way though.

I'd imagine they have 'hybrid strength' and less problems medically maybe than some purebred dogs. I also think it's poncy giving them names as if they were recognised breeds and charging the same amounts of ££ as you'd pay for a dog with a proper pedigree that's KC reg.

In the 1960s my dad had a non-speyed english bull bee-arch who escaped when she was in season (irresponsible dog owners in the 1960s!) and had it away with the neighbour's purebred boxer. Them pups had feet like dinner plates but looked like bullies. We gave them away. Think we missed a trick - coulda called them Boxullies or BullBoxes and charged a bomb for them to naive yuppies.