Mexidogs

Its hard enough to tell when they are a known breed from dog sport lines and well socialized. Just playing puppy roulette and grabbing a random street puppy might be an exciting way to get a pet, but not the best way of picking your next dog sport partner.

i was so surprised! i questioned it of course, but they are always identical, and most have been surrenders so i have to assume the owner told them the breed. it would be an odd one to just guess out of nowhere, and i'd assume they'd guess it as an Ibizan mix, before a Podengo, just given which is known more.

There's no way to really know but she does fit the CD general checklist except for a few unknowns (heat cycle, puppy-rearing) *shrugs*

the ones i've seen have mostly been closer to the larger Podengos. the only small one i saw was listed as a Podengo mix.

@Aleron -- I don't know. She scratches little holes and sticks her face in them but whether she's just trying to get a better sniff of something or wants to eat something or whether it's a formal "snout pit" I haven't the foggiest.

The medium and large ones are pretty uncommon, so it would be really surprising that there would be multiples at a shelter in your area. Is there a local breeder who's producing a lot of litters? The small ones I have seen are all kind of dwarfy looking - very short legs. I've seen quite a number of the small ones but just a handful of medium and large ones. Years ago, their breed club's website used to recommend not owning one if you have an aversion to using a bark collar or debarking and live in town.

I'd personally still take my chances with a young puppy, if I decided a Mexi-dog was what I had to have Of course, I wouldn't just be taking a "random puppy". I'd look for the things I always look for when I get a puppy. To me, the early phases of puppyhood are just too important to pass up.

I'd personally still take my chances with a young puppy, if I decided a Mexi-dog was what I had to have Of course, I wouldn't just be taking a "random puppy". I'd look for the things I always look for when I get a puppy. To me, the early phases of puppyhood are just too important to pass up.

That's what I did - I didn't want a random street dog, I gave RD a long list of requirements.... and she did a great job at meeting those requirements. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten her.

these street dogs are melting my heart!!

i am a HUGE fan of the Portuguese Podengo and for some reason there are actually a significant number (and by that i mean i've seen about five in two years) in rescue here. i thought maybe it's because i'm so close to such a major city now and not out in the sticks of the world, comparatively. the pariahs are in my top three of types to own no matter what my boyfriend says (he is forever stuck on Frenchies, complete opposite end of the spectrum indeed!). i only worry that i could potentially be doing these dogs a disservice based on my location. that's not to say anyone who owns these dogs in a likewise cold climate is doing their dogs a disservice, but it would be very new to me to own a dog like that where the winters are so cold.
what sort of precautions do you have to take with these dogs and the cold, in general? would a sweater and jacket really be enough in -25C weather with some snow on the ground?

I'd personally still take my chances with a young puppy, if I decided a Mexi-dog was what I had to have Of course, I wouldn't just be taking a "random puppy". I'd look for the things I always look for when I get a puppy. To me, the early phases of puppyhood are just too important to pass up.

My point being is that if someone like Grace has a puppy in her care it will be getting socialized. If as it gets older its traits improve or stay what you want then its safe. I know many a well educated dog person has picked a young pup from proven lines and still gotten in wrong. This is just adding more variability.

But um isn't that an argument for never getting a puppy under 6 months regardless of breed/source?! If all of them are crap shoots, then does it really matter the lineage?! And can't a knowledgable dog owner do the same socialization at home, with a younger puppy?

For reference, I've gotten my current 4 dogs all around 3-5 months of age and all have been exactly what I expected (tho Snipe is still in process lol), if not even more awesome, and three are mutts not bred for anything particular. 4 for 4 isn't just chance imo.

I also think it depends on what you are looking for.

For most people, if you get a young pup without major issues and work hard at it, if the dog is physically capable and has any drive at all upon which you can expand, you can get a decent obedience/agility/etc. dog. More than adequate for a casual competitor anyway.

I mean Kim came scared, malnourished, and with a very strong "flight" response to all things unexpected (which is probably the reason she was the one pup to survive after being abandoned til rescue was called), and with really no interest at all in people (other than as possible threats or sources of change), etc. and after massive informal socialization and training with a total (mentor-less) rookie with her first dog, much less first competition dog, she was nationally ranked in rally, titled in obe, and is now going for her MACH and often placing in classes of 20, 30+ dogs many of whom are in the top 5 for their breed nationally.

I'm not that special. I'm not that great of a trainer. And I'm not even that lucky. Dogs are just really resilient, in general, and it's amazing what they are capable of given a chance. Even ones with crappy starts to life.

Now if you are looking for the next NAC/NOC, the parameters start to change. You ideally want a dog with abnormally high drives but stable...excellent structure...strong social drive...mental resilience...things that probably won't show up as a very young mystery pup in a reliable way. But honestly when people on a forum ask if a type of dog would be great at agility or whatnot, I generally interpret that as whether the dog would be able and willing to play at agility on a locally competitive level. Because if they were looking for that NAC/NOC dog, if they were serious about it, they probably wouldn't need to be asking the question, or at least not on a general forum like this