Breed of the Month – the Bitza

We’re cheating a little here, but so many Aussie homes have ‘Bitzas’ in them, we figured we had no choice…

Usually, we feature a specific dog breed for our ‘Breed of the Month’ section, but because so many Dog Diaries members have mixed-breed, cross-breed and what we euphemistically refer to as ‘lucky dips’ for their canine companions, we decided it was time to do a feature on that loveable scallywag: the Bitza. We’re not speaking here about designer dogs – those that have been intentionally ‘created’ to incorporate certain traits or qualities from two or three particular breeds, but the good old Aussie mongrel, often an accidental cross resulting from a flurry of usually forbidden passion between two star-crossed pooches.

Obviously, this presents some problems. Because the mixed-breed dog can be made up of several different breeds, there is no breed standard, no particular temperament type and no particular physical traits. It’s difficult to pinpoint what it is about the mixed-breed dog that presents such a loveable picture. Perhaps it’s the Australian spirit of the underdog (no pun intended) that has created such a soft spot in our hearts for these Mr Potato Heads of the canine world.

Health
Although there are obviously no guarantees when you are unsure of the breed origins of your Bitza, many owners of cross-bred dogs believe that their pets are somewhat sturdier, healthier and more outgoing than their purebred counterparts. This, it turns out, is not simply a case of bias, but a much-contested concept called ‘hybrid vigour’, which assumes that cross-bred animals, as a group, will be healthier than purebred ones.

The reason this is so highly contested amongst dog owners and breeders is that one school of thought believes that hybrid vigour in dogs is a myth, due to the fact that they believe a proper ‘hybrid’ animal must be born of two different species (i.e. the horse and donkey, or the ‘liger’, the recent lion/tiger hybrid created in a Thai zoo).

According to Dr. Anne Fowler, of the Australian Veterinary Association, ‘while hybrid vigour does exist for cross-bred animals, genetics remains largely a “numbers game”’ . Nonetheless, many dog lovers whose furry friends are mixed breeds remain convinced that the ‘mix’ of their pet makes it a healthier one. And it appears PetRescue Australia agrees:
‘Mixed breeds offer several advantages over purebreds. When you adopt a mixed breed, you benefit from the combined traits of two or more breeds. You also get a dog that’s likely to be free of genetic defects common to certain purebred dogs. Mixed breeds, in fact, are often considered the more “natural” dog. When you adopt a mixed breed, you adopt a unique companion.’

Temperament
Again, the temperament of any dog varies greatly depending on its parents, circumstance and upbringing, but this is compounded when there’s a mix of temperaments in its breed origins. However, if you are considering adopting or buying a mixed-breed pup, research and education into its origin breeds will give you as good an idea as any other dog owner about what you might be able to expect from your new pet. The thing to remember is that any dog’s temperament can vary depending upon how he is raised – give your pup love, guidelines and lots of socialising and you are giving it every chance possible of a happy, well-balanced life.

•    To further celebrate the loveable mutt, we’d love to hear your stories about your mixed-breed. Do you know the origins of your pooch? What characteristics does he have? Tell us a story about your ‘lucky dip’ pet!

Images sourced from: wikimedia.org, wikivisual.com, dogtime.com