6 must-meet marvelous mutts

Raquel the dog's face while wading in some water

Get to know the painted ‘goofhound’ and giant ‘scrufflefluff’ this National Mutt Day.

By Sarah Thornton

July 28, 2022

At the risk of stating the obvious: Dogs are good. No matter their shape or size, our favorite canine companions are masters at making us smile with their goofy grins and full-body tail-wags (or nubbin wiggles, for those without a tail). And they really do come in a whole lot of shapes and sizes.

National Mutt Day on July 31 is all about celebrating those wonderfully unique pups and the reasons why they are such fantastic furry family members. You’ve probably heard of some of the more common mixes: labradoodles, yorkipoos and puggles. There are so many marvelous mutts out there that naming all of them could take a while. That doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with it, though.

So, for National Mutt Day this year, we’d like to introduce just a few of the one-of-a-kind dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Yes, their breeds are totally made up, but they don’t care about labels anyway. They’re also available for adoption, in case you or someone you know is looking for an extremely rare blend of pup.

Royal acute point(er): Lannister

Lannister has been called an English pointer mix. And with his sleek lines and angular face he’s certainly point-y. So, let’s call Lannister’s unique special mix a royal acute point(er). (What a cutie!)

Painted goofhound: Cholula

Speckles are wonderful and Cholula’s look like they were lovingly finger-painted on as he was getting a particularly delightful full-body pet-down. He’s a painted goofhound, if ever we’ve seen one. It just takes a little warming up to show his silly side.

Giant scrufflefluff: Halpert

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering just how charmingly scruffy one dog can be, Halpert has your answer. This giant scrufflefluff (not to be confused with the smaller scrufflefluff terrier) is exactly what we’re looking for in a snuggle buddy.

Bat-eared couch potato: Burgundy

No bones about it: Burgundy, the bat-eared couch potato, is the perfect companion for an afternoon in. He’s always ready to lend an ear to a friend in need.

River cattlyena: Raquel

You can probably see Raquel’s cattle dog origins, but she’s also got a look to her that reminds us of a very cute, friendly hyena. And she’s a water dog through and through, never happier than when she’s half submerged in a pool, pond, lake or stream. River cattlyena feels right.

Silver swift-stilt: Hinata

Hinata is an athlete. Hiking, agility, swimming, fetch: She does it all and her energy is never-ending. Plus, those long legs of hers make every stride count. She’s a classic example of the silver swift-stilt.

Those were just a few of the magnificent mutts you can find at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which means there is a whole lot more naming to do. It’s pretty fun, too. Perhaps you’d like to try your hand at coming up with a few new dog breeds of your own?