I miss old fashioned mongrels.

[Hollyhocksarenotmessy]

Particularly the medium sized black and tans with amazing eyebrows that seemed to be attached to every pensioner during my childhood.

Ddog was brought over by a U.K. charity local to me who take dogs from the U.K. and abroad and foster them in the U.K.
We didn't really intend to get a rescue from abroad but we always intended to rescue and to have a mongrel. I do honestly believe they are the best dogs unless you have some real purpose for wanting a particular breed.

I grew up in a farming community and the only people that had pure bred dogs were farmers, gamekeepers and maybe the odd Alsatian guard dog. They were definitely working dogs who slept outside in kennels and were not pet material so I guess that colours my thinking. I especially find it hard to think of collies as pets given all the slightly scary ones I grew up with.

Like this? Eyebrows and all....

If you look abroad you'll find a ton of mongrels, I have two and they're fabulous. Couldn't even begin to guess whats in them

Here's our 'collie cross' from a rescue. He's notionally a farm bred collie which in reality means he's the offspring of a farm dog in ROI and no one wanted the litter

Thank you for the pics of your lovely dogs. It's all pedigrees and designer crosses where I am, so I very rarely see an old fashioned Heinz 57.

I love a good Heinz57. Not seen one for years. But someone round here has an accident of a golden retriever/daschund: you have never seen the like

My mutt is a bosnian rescue

My husband had some sort of Lancashire Healer Heinz 75 mix growing up and seeing photos I know what you mean. We now have a pure bread terrier but do see quite a few Heinzes out amongst the Cockapoos, even though we live in a "well to do area"

@DottyHarmer

I love a good Heinz57. Not seen one for years. But someone round here has an accident of a golden retriever/daschund: you have never seen the like

One of the school mums had the most weird mix dog, I can only describe it as a mix between a Dachshund and a Jack Russell, but the poor little legs were too short so could hardly walk, it was rather sad to see. Mixes don't always go to plan....

@keely79 that's an awesome looking dog. Is it yours?

@pencilsdance - he is indeed. A proper mix of all sorts - we call him our Jack Russell on stilts

Any excuse to look through rescue dogs...here's some good rescue Heinz 57's in the black and tan vintage at Dogs Trust

A pair! www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1164776/buddy

Henry
www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1246423/henry

Heidi
www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1070088/heidi

Luna, originally from Romania :( www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1246394/luna

Oscar
www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1098560/oscar

Zelda www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/dogs/dog/filters/~384~~~~n~~/1248223/zelda

Love this thread. Our first ever dog (I was about 6) was a medium sized black-with-a-white-chest mongrel, probably some lab in her but no idea what else. She was the best, loved everyone and had the softest ears ever, had a rocky start (parvo while at Birmingham dogs home) but lived a long and happy life til we lost her aged 13 to cancer. I have rescues now, a staff who might not be quite pure staff (slim with longer legs) and a English bull cross (rescue reckoned crossed with staff but I think maybe JRT) but I would have another mongrel in a heartbeat. Off to look at rescues now so will blame this thread when explaining to DH why we suddenly have 3 dogs

Yes! I too greatly miss the Heinz 57s of old. We also had one when I was growing up and he remains the absolute gold standard of dog in both temperament and health.

The negative side effect of stopping dog roaming the streets and the increase in neutering (both of which are understandable) is that dogs are not choosing their own mating partners at all - leading to the loss of the Heinz 57.

Photo attached of my childhood heinz. I suppose hed' be called a 'staffie cross' these days?

Here's our fella. "He's a proper dog!" was the comment of DH's workmates on seeing him for the first time

I have a proper Heinz 57 mutt! She's a Bulgarian rescue, so lord knows how many breeds are in there - other dogs from the same rescue have been DNA'd and have had up to 22 different breeds identified. We think she's got some German Shepherd in her, (black and tan legs), but she looks like a collie. She also has the white bum someone mentioned upthread!

2 black, white and tan crosses here.

DD1 mostly g shepherd x with ?
DD2 all the bits the other dogs didn’t want. Small, squat, tank like body with a teeny tiny head. You wouldn’t describe him as a looker.

My Heinz 57 (I'd never heard that expression until I got him and every other dog walker called him that!!)

Can't go wrong with a scruffy mutt 😁

@Marchingredsoldiers 🤣 I know exactly what they mean! Proper dog.

Girliefriend he’s awesome!

My PILs had a rough coated black, tan and grey mongrel with eyebrows that could be seen by space. He was ace; when it rained he’d trot round like a hackney trying not to get his paws too wet.

It’s quite doggy round us: there are a few Labs, a Vizla, a JRT, a surprising number of Bedlington terriers (at least 3 that I can think of) and a small black terrier-ish thing, and literally everything else is a -poo cross.

DottyHarmer I used to know a woman with a Border Collie/Corgi cross…it looked exactly like a collie that had been chopped off at the knees.

Ah yes we had dogs like that growing up always lovely and healthy and friendly.

My mutt is definitely a Heinz 57

I saw a woman walking the most beautiful dog a while ago. I asked her what breed he was and she said he was a mongrel from Battersea. First time I'd heard anyone mention the word in decades.

@tinkywinkyshandbag - that's what the dog I met looked like. So gorgeous.