Q: When is a mutt not a mutt?

A: When it's given a fancy name by backyard breeders trying to make some quick cash.

I read this story today: http://bit.ly/2R5xba and thought of W.C. Fields' old "There's a sucker born every minute" line. The consumer in this story is complaining that her mixed breed isn't a mixed breed, but is, instead ...wait for it.... a MUTT! I am aghast. No, hang on a sec. Isn't a mutt a mixed breed?

Yeah, it is. You can call them puggles or goldendoodles or cockapoos, I don't care. They are all mutts. The only difference between these "designer breeds" is a) the ridiculous price, and b) the fact that they don't come from shelters.

If you want a mixed breed dog, go to a freakin' shelter. Not only will you be saving a life, but you'll be spending hundreds of dollars less for one.

My husband's favorite expression is "It's aaaaallll Marketing." How true. Maybe if shelters and animal rescue groups renamed their dogs' breeds when advertising, there would be fewer dogs in need of homes (fewer GREAT dogs, I may add).

A spaniel/beagle/lab mix? Now it's a "spaglab". A shephard/rottie/chihuahau mix? We'll call them "sherot-huahua". See where I'm going with this? We could shut down puppy mills for good and get thousands of dollars to place dogs whose only mistake in life was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But then, who would we market to? You can't possibly get a good dog in a shelter or rescue org, can you? Yeah, you're right. Silly me.