Don't call them mutts! Call them 'Xoloitzcuintli'

What do you call a mixed breed of dog? Perhaps you don't know what breed your dog really is. Most people would refer to the pup as a mutt.

But in Washington, D.C., owners are being asked to refer to them as "Xoloitzcuintli" when filling out pet-licensing paperwork with the District's health department, according to the Washington Post.

Letters explaining the name change were sent to D.C. dog owners.

Via the Washington Post:

"Our new system requires a primary breed be entered. If your dog was previously entered as a ‘Mix,' the pet is now entered as a Xoloitzcuintli (a rare, hairless dog)."

According to the Washington Post, the breed finder is used in the event a dog becomes lost. But, as the Post puts it, "it's not at all clear how listing a non-Xoloitzcuintli dog as a Xoloitzcuintli—that's pronounced show-low-eats-QUEENT-lee—will help anyone find anything."

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