How can a knowledgeable dog person evaluate conformation in a mixed breed dog?

Question

Before saying, "You can't ... there is no breed standard for a mixed breed", consider things like: symmetry, coat, head, bite, topline, skeletal proportions, temperament, et al, all are important gauges to the overall quality of any dog.
So, if you are looking to adopt (or help someone else adopt) a mixed breed dog, specifically what physical attributes would you consider when evaluating the dog?
BTW: Cuteness factor is not a reliable way to evaluate conformation.

Of course you don't really know, but a mixed breed dog with a poor topline, and bad symmetry, is apt to have joint problems (maybe arthritis) as he grows older. My question is really derived from the perspective of helping people bring home a good quality dog, as opposed to a dog that could spend a great deal of time at the vet.
Keep the answers coming!

I hope that folks who don't understand some of the terms mentioned in the responses (eg: cow hocks, topline, pastern, etc, etc) are looking them up.

A quick note about breed standards ... All breed standards describe temperament for that breed. Therefore, a dog show judge, would have to consider temperament in the ring (as well as appearance). Temperament should be thought of as one facet of conformation in a dog.

Answer 1

I have many times when taking friends or family to see mixed litters, and when we have had mixed litter fosters.
It is sometimes GLARING what is "out of balance" in some of these!!!!!!!!!
The last litter we fostered was some kind of Shep mixes, and 3 out of the 5 had HORRID toplines and BAD cow hocks!!!!! One was OK, anf the others was very nice. Would have been the "pick of the litter"!!!!!!!!!!!
Two had bad overbites also!!!!!
Many parts of breed standards are common sense in ANY dog. Doesn't take a Rocket Surgeon to see the faults!!!!!!!

(or maybe it does)!!!! LOL!!


And I have to say, most people clearly cannot see this stuff, because...although the two with the WORST conformation were the cuter in the face.......they were the FORST to be adopted and the people saw nothing wrong with them at all!!!! Even when you point it our to them!!!! The pick was LAST to go!!!!! He did not have as "cute" a face, and no one saw how well put together he was.

Answer 2

With a few exceptions regardless of the breed(s) good structure is good structure, the thing you can't judge is type.

You need to look for a dog that is balance. You want to make sure that is isn't cow-hocked, doesn't have an east west front, isn't down in the pasterns. You want a dog with a level topline because if it is sway back you will most likely have problems down the road. Watch the dog moving, coming, going and from the side as this will often point out structural flaws.

You want a dog with a scissor or level bite since a dog with a rye mouth or one that is overshot or undershot is more likely to have problems in the future.

If the dog is going to have a specific job then you need to make sure that it is the right size, has the right coat, etc for the job. I know that you asked about conformation but a real big issue is temperament! No matter how structurally sound the dogs is if it has serious temperament issues your friend will not be happy.

Answer 3

If you watch carefully nearly all judges, even tho' they judge differently than the next judge, will judge the same way every time regardless of the breed they are judging. The reasons are simple, a slipped hock is a slipped hock. A structure judge is going to feel it the moment they put their hands on the dogs back legs, and a motion judge is going to see it the moment they see the dog being gaited.
No different with a mixed breed dog. If I can slip my hand in between the dogs chest and it's front leg from the side the shoulders are to far forward for the dog to be sound doesn't make any difference what breed it is or combination of breeds.
When I see a dog move the first thing is does the dog pace or gate properly (hate to say it but many wont even know what pacing is). Then the next is how is the dogs reach? Are the elbows in or out? There is only one breed of dog that is suppose to waddle when it walks.
The big thing is correlating the fault in the motion with the fault in the structure so that when you feel it with your hands you can verify your findings by what you see when it moves.

Answer 4

Personally, the most important thing for me would be to evaluate the temperament. I have had to do this repeatedly when I worked with Rottie Rescue. (You should see the looks when I took my 5 year old daughter in with me to evaluate their behavior towards children!)

The second thing that I would think would be important would be the coat factor. You would have to determine if the dog would shed or not, and how much. (If that is even possible, depending on the age and the mixes.)

Skeletal proportions would also be very important when you consider how they would grow and what the possibilities of skeletal and muscular issues would be. Such as the potential for hip, knee, and elbow issues as the dog matures.

I think the final thing that I would look at would be the amount of exercise that the dog would require. I do not have the time or energy to handle a dog with large exercise requirements. I barely have enough time in the day to go pee without scheduling it in! I couldn't handle a dog that I would have to exercise. This is something that I think most people over look when getting a dog. They see how cute it is, how gentle it is, and they seem to forget that it may have more energy than the Energizer Bunny!

Answer 5

If you had an idea of the breeds that have been mixed, then I personally would start with those breed standards and check out common genetic issues. If it's two medium to large or giant dogs, I would check out the hips, the knees, the heart, the general proportion, and the angles of the legs/hocks.

If it's small to medium dogs, I would check the eyes, knees, back proportion, fur quality (for alopecia), angles of the legs/hocks, teeth (for decomposition and bite quality), Hips for LPD, ask about seizurtes, and do a general blood test for thyroid and possible autoimmune diseases.

A lot of the time, it's just watching them walk, run, and play. Coordination is a big thing and "off gates" can say a lot. Just one second of "bunny hop" can show a propensity towards patella luxation. A limp or a slow time laying down can be a sign of early hip problems.

hope this helps a little. : )

Answer 6

Even though there are no breed standards to go on, you can tell when a dog is well put together and when it is a mess. A dog that looks solid, well proportioned and has fluid movements is going to stand out in comparison to a dog that looks like it was frankensteined together.
Even in mutts, there are going to be quality dogs that are going to be healthier and there are going to be not-so-quality dogs that are going to likely have joint issues to say the least.
Anytime you are mixing genes, whether it is in a purebred or a mutt there is always going to be the good and the bad and I think a person that is familiar with dogs at all is going to easily be able to tell the difference, even if you don't necessarily know the terms you can tell when a dog looks and moves the way it should and when it doesn't.

Answer 7

A good straight front, no paws turning out like a Pigeon and a straight rear with good angulation not cow hocks. A level or sloping slightly topline. Make sure the dog moves well, no hitch in his giddy up and no exaggerated aspects such as short legs long back.The front and rear should match, not a rear better than the front so the dog sidewinds. A good strong head with a sissors bite. BTW, I always do a temperament eval on all my personal dogs and fosters so I know what to expect.

Answer 8

Well... I would first evaluate temperament.. As a pet that is going to be most important, especially if they have kids.. But I would Want to see the dog moving.. As a pet.. conformation wise.. I think that good strong rear is important.. nice short back... no weak pasterns.. Nice tight dog.. Very square.. Nice shoulder layback... You can see it when you look at them.. Even someone that doesn't particularly know dogs.. If you line up a bunch.. the one that is very correct, stands out to most eyes.. I don't mean the little things.. tail set etc.. But the whole package, those things that make them strong and hmmm... durable I guess.. Even in a dog that is going to be going to the park and fetching a tennis ball, the dog chasing the frisbee... the dog playing in the snow with kids.. good strong correct structure is important.. Or they fall apart.. wear down quickly.. don't last and end up finishing out their life on pain killers and Glucosamine/ Chrondritin..

Oh and good snuggles and a good kisser.. eh? :)

Answer 9

Honestly, you can't. Evaluating the conformation means you are judging how well it fits to the breed standard. Good conformation for one breed might be a hinderance for another breed. Coat, head, bite, and skeletal proportions are not important for mixed breed dogs unless you are looking for a dog that can do a particular job...in which case you would evaluate the conformation based on the standards for breeds that were bred to do that job. Even evaluating a dog's temperament depends entirely on what exactly the new owner is looking for in a dog (for example, a lab-type temperament is great for some people, but would drive others up the wall).

Answer 10

That's a tough one. I would make sure he has a good bite. By that I mean nothing wrong with his teeth that would hinder him from eating. Look for bright eyes and a playful attitude. Long or short hair? Do you plan on having him groomed? There are so many varibles. Really in a mix breed you need to look at possible health issues more than anything else. And there is no breed standard for a mixed puppy :)