I have always deeply admired purpose bred mixed breed dogs. I am of the mind that mixing breeds with thoughtfulness and intention does not "take away" from their purebred ancestors or do their heritage any disservice but rather adds versatility and furthers potential. There are mixed breed dogs for many different purposes; there are many successful mixes being bred for service work, guide dogs, military work, personal protection, hunting, herding, livestock guarding, sports like disc, agility, flyball, and so on, as well as mixes for just companionship.
My personal criteria for purpose bred mixes are that;
I will be producing more intentional mixes going forward. The mixes I am most interested in are Border Whippets, Border Paps, Whippet Paps, and crosses within those.
I also have some interest in American Pit Bull Terrier inclusive mixes, like BullWhippets and Bullherders but those are unlikely anytime soon. These mixes may be produced within my own kennel or with outside collaborations. These would be future endeavors and I have no current plans for producing any mixes beyond those of Border Collies, Whippets, and Papillons.
Lurchers (sighthound mixes) have been created for many different jobs. Lurcher is an old English term for a cross-bred dog, specifically the result of mating a sighthound with a dog of another type, typically a working breed. The term 'lurcher' was first used with this meaning in 1668, although Lurchers can be easily found to date back to the 1300s. They are not a "new fad" or "designer mix." While Whippets were bred to hunt rabbits, Lurchers are often bred for hunting coyotes, deer, and even boar. There are also many lines of lurchers bred for sports like flyball, dock diving, and agility. One very common Lurcher is the Border Whippet, a cross between a Border Collie and a Whippet. There are a lot of advantageous reasons to cross these two breeds, including a relatively similar size and stature, but also details that compliment each other really well, like the overall health of the Whippet. As we know, Border Collies as a whole are not the healthiest dog breed and can suffer from many different ailments and diseases. And the extreme biddability and work ethic of the Border Collie can add some different drives and "listening ears" to the Whippet. Among many other things!
BorderPaps are taking the agility world by storm! This is relatively new mix, the first of them beginning around 10-15 years ago but their popularity has been on a slow rise until fairly recently, when it has been rapidly increasing due to people seeing BorderPaps excelling in the sport world, namely agility but they are showing a lot of success in other sports as well.
BorderPaps are a purpose bred cross between a Border Collie and a Papillon, resulting in a small yet robust sport dog with a lot of drive and aptitude for training. Many people are interested in them simply because they think they will be just like a little Border Collie, which is not always the case and shouldn't be your only hope going in. Their Papillon ancestry also plays a role and Papillon-like temperaments and behaviors should also be expected and prepared for. Papillons are the smallest of the Spaniels and the breed dates back to Renaissance times and have been affectionately featured in portraits of long-ago royalty painted by Europe's most renowned artists. The Papillon is a beautiful breed with lots of enthusiasm, athleticism, and versatility. Despite being a toy breed, they are known to be quite hardy and can adapt to many different lifestyles. They are well loved in the dog sport community for their drive, trainability and fun personalities. They are excellent agility dogs and are consistent winners at the sport's highest levels.
As most people are well aware, Border Collies are of the highest performing breeds in almost every dog sport. Paps are known to be "the Border Collie of the little dogs" and are highly successful in dog sports. In crossing Border Collies and Papillons, good breeders are looking to achieve a small-but-not-toy dog who is built for the sport world. They should be friendly, outgoing, adaptable and versatile, and highly trainable with an eagerness to learn. The parent breeds both compliment each other physically and we are seeing a lot of consistency even in first generation crosses.
I have been looking towards and making plans to breed this wonderful mix for many years and I'm glad the time is now because due to their increasing popularity, we are already seeing and will be seeing even more of a spike in unscrupulous breeders "hopping on the bandwagon" and breeding these special dogs for the wrong reasons. It is very important that puppy buyers are holding mixed breeders to the same standards you would want to see from any other good breeder. Health testing to each parent breeds standard, proper puppy raising, thoughtful placements, ethical and responsible ownership of the parents, etc. and in the multigenerational mixes (i.e. BorderPap x BorderPap, BorderPap x Border Collie, BorderPap x Papillon) the parents need to be tested for all of the health requirements for each breed in their makeup.
If you have any questions, concerns, or would like some support or help in finding a good breeder, please don't hesitate to reach out! I am always happy to help.
My personal criteria for purpose bred mixes are that;
- The dogs being bred are fully health tested to each breeds requirement and when entering multigenerational mixes that the individuals are tested for every breed in their make ups requirements.
- The dogs are good examples of what their mix is being produced for and have reason to believe they will pass on desirable traits.
- The dogs are stable minded and suitable for breeding - purebred or mixed.
- The dogs have functional structure for their intended purpose.
I will be producing more intentional mixes going forward. The mixes I am most interested in are Border Whippets, Border Paps, Whippet Paps, and crosses within those.
I also have some interest in American Pit Bull Terrier inclusive mixes, like BullWhippets and Bullherders but those are unlikely anytime soon. These mixes may be produced within my own kennel or with outside collaborations. These would be future endeavors and I have no current plans for producing any mixes beyond those of Border Collies, Whippets, and Papillons.
Lurchers (sighthound mixes) have been created for many different jobs. Lurcher is an old English term for a cross-bred dog, specifically the result of mating a sighthound with a dog of another type, typically a working breed. The term 'lurcher' was first used with this meaning in 1668, although Lurchers can be easily found to date back to the 1300s. They are not a "new fad" or "designer mix." While Whippets were bred to hunt rabbits, Lurchers are often bred for hunting coyotes, deer, and even boar. There are also many lines of lurchers bred for sports like flyball, dock diving, and agility. One very common Lurcher is the Border Whippet, a cross between a Border Collie and a Whippet. There are a lot of advantageous reasons to cross these two breeds, including a relatively similar size and stature, but also details that compliment each other really well, like the overall health of the Whippet. As we know, Border Collies as a whole are not the healthiest dog breed and can suffer from many different ailments and diseases. And the extreme biddability and work ethic of the Border Collie can add some different drives and "listening ears" to the Whippet. Among many other things!
BorderPaps are taking the agility world by storm! This is relatively new mix, the first of them beginning around 10-15 years ago but their popularity has been on a slow rise until fairly recently, when it has been rapidly increasing due to people seeing BorderPaps excelling in the sport world, namely agility but they are showing a lot of success in other sports as well.
BorderPaps are a purpose bred cross between a Border Collie and a Papillon, resulting in a small yet robust sport dog with a lot of drive and aptitude for training. Many people are interested in them simply because they think they will be just like a little Border Collie, which is not always the case and shouldn't be your only hope going in. Their Papillon ancestry also plays a role and Papillon-like temperaments and behaviors should also be expected and prepared for. Papillons are the smallest of the Spaniels and the breed dates back to Renaissance times and have been affectionately featured in portraits of long-ago royalty painted by Europe's most renowned artists. The Papillon is a beautiful breed with lots of enthusiasm, athleticism, and versatility. Despite being a toy breed, they are known to be quite hardy and can adapt to many different lifestyles. They are well loved in the dog sport community for their drive, trainability and fun personalities. They are excellent agility dogs and are consistent winners at the sport's highest levels.
As most people are well aware, Border Collies are of the highest performing breeds in almost every dog sport. Paps are known to be "the Border Collie of the little dogs" and are highly successful in dog sports. In crossing Border Collies and Papillons, good breeders are looking to achieve a small-but-not-toy dog who is built for the sport world. They should be friendly, outgoing, adaptable and versatile, and highly trainable with an eagerness to learn. The parent breeds both compliment each other physically and we are seeing a lot of consistency even in first generation crosses.
I have been looking towards and making plans to breed this wonderful mix for many years and I'm glad the time is now because due to their increasing popularity, we are already seeing and will be seeing even more of a spike in unscrupulous breeders "hopping on the bandwagon" and breeding these special dogs for the wrong reasons. It is very important that puppy buyers are holding mixed breeders to the same standards you would want to see from any other good breeder. Health testing to each parent breeds standard, proper puppy raising, thoughtful placements, ethical and responsible ownership of the parents, etc. and in the multigenerational mixes (i.e. BorderPap x BorderPap, BorderPap x Border Collie, BorderPap x Papillon) the parents need to be tested for all of the health requirements for each breed in their makeup.
If you have any questions, concerns, or would like some support or help in finding a good breeder, please don't hesitate to reach out! I am always happy to help.