Sunday, January 07, 2007

M.U.T.T. Manifesto, Part 1

Mutt Emblem, version 3There is a spectre haunting dog parks, the spectre of M.U.T.T.

A while back I was ranting about faceless conspiracies to deny mixed-breed dogs their due, framing the mission of Pappy's organization, Mongrels and Underdogs Together for Tolerance. Many of the good comrades of this site are purebreds of the milky-purest bloodlines, but their mere presence here indicates they feel a greater bond to dogness than attachment to any breedist heirarchies. And yet mutts continue to have issues of self-esteem, lacking a sense of common identity.

Take the Labradoodle. Five years ago even their owners would have called them mutts. Straight hair, curly hair, long hair, short hair, tall, short, fat, thin-- they're generally friendly, but I've never seen two Labradoodles that looked recognizably alike. Just do an image search to get my point. Pack a few pounds on Pappy, die him one color, and I could pass him off as a Labradoodle without anyone being the wiser.

Yet rather than glorying in their diversity-- celebrating that each could be identified separately in a crowd-- forces seek to isolate Labradoodles as a designer breed, while others in turn squabble to deny them that identity. My advice to them and everydog is to gather under the banner of M.U.T.T. and tear down breedism. It's a shame Pappy's is always napping, else we could have ourselves a revolution.

6 comments:

3dogcache said...

Why would Pappy want to be a Labradoodle, when he is already happy being who and what he is? Hmm, M.U.T.T is already a silent crowd amongst all dogs...we mere humans just don't understand the concept yet.

3dogs

Buster the Wired Fox Terror said...

MUTT is a youman concept. Dogs only see dogs. (and butts)

Bussie Kissies
Buster

Gus said...

I agree with Bussie, who is older and wiser than I. However, dogs do know male butts and female butts, or at least I do.....

Finnegan said...

I'm always ready for a revolution! Can I join even though I am a pure bred (but not white bread) Irish Wolfhound? I will put a sandwich board on and march in front of the Westminster Dog Show!!!

Talkin' 'bout a revolution yeah yeah...

MJ's doghouse said...

MUTTS RULE AND PUREBREADS DROOL...THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY...WINK WINK WINK(actually i love all dogs....but being a mutt myself...well you know pappy)

Nat said...

3Dog,
It's not so much that Pappy wants to be a Labradoodle, it's more a question of what being a Labradoodle really means.

Buster and Gus,
That's right, time to get those humans sniffing butts.

Finnegan,
Cast down your breedist notions and embrace muttism! We need every hand. BTW, saw two Irish Wolfhouds at the dog park yesterday-- you guys are HUGE!!!

MJ,
You're in at the start.