Tag Archives: mutts

A recent New York Times article, “It’s a Bone of Contention: Mexico and Brazil Are Arguing Over Dogs” caught my attention. This article highlights an ongoing “argument” between Brazil and Mexico over which country can rightfully claim the Caramelo dog as its own. The Caramelo dog is the typical street dog of Latin America. A recent genetics study determined the dogs are neither exclusively Brazilian nor Mexican but a mash-up mutt descended from dogs brought by Portuguese colonial settlers and, later, by immigrants from Italy, Germany, Spain and Japan. Since the New York Times article did not come to a conclusion regarding the nationality of this canine cultural treasure, I decided to ask experts on dogs to weigh in on the Caramelo. I spoke with two of my colleagues from the World Small Animal Association’s Oncology Committee, one from Brazil and the other from Mexico. Here is a condensed version of our conversation.

With National Mutt Day just around the corner on July 31, it’s the perfect time to explore our favorite mixed-breed companions. A mutt is a dog of mixed or unknown breed heritage, and there’s a common belief that mutts are healthier due to “hybrid vigor.” Hybrid vigor is the improved health of offspring due to the mixing of parental genetic traits. But how true is this claim? I’ll try to answer that question in today’s blogpost.