What’s the difference between “vira lata” and “SRD”?

Many people think that “vira lata” means “mixed-breed dog” or “mutt.” But is that really the case?

In fact, the answer is a bit obvious – but we’ve gotten used to using the term in a certain way.

What is “vira-lata”?

“Vira-lata” is a street dog. The name itself makes perfect sense: it’s a dog that turns over garbage cans to look for food.

In a way, it’s incorrect to say that “vira-lata” necessarily means a dog without a breed. After all, there are purebred dogs that end up on the streets as well – abandonment doesn’t discriminate by breed.

What happens is that street dogs end up mating with dogs of other breeds, creating hybrids, mixes, and so on. So, it’s much more common to find a “vira-lata” without a defined breed.

“Vira lata” or “vira-lata”?

According to orthographic norms, the correct spelling is “vira-lata.”

“Vira-latas” is the plural form of “vira-lata.”

What is “SRD”?

“S.R.D.” stands for “Sem Raça Definida,” which translates to “Without Defined Breed.” It’s the ideal term for talking about dogs without a defined breed. As mentioned above, not every “vira-lata” is without a breed. And not every SRD is a “vira-lata”!

It’s still possible to make a distinction into categories here:

• Hybrids: These are the mix of two defined breeds, like Pug + Beagle. In such cases, it’s possible to find a name for this crossbreed – like Puggle in this example.
• Mixes: They have physical characteristics of two or more breeds. Normally, the crossbreeding occurs between a purebred dog and a hybrid or SRD, for example.
• SRD: They don’t physically resemble any defined breed, like Caju.

Everyone knows that the “vira-lata” holds a gigantic space in the hearts of Brazilians. And it’s not for nothing: these little dogs are experts at turning any environment into a more fun and loving place. But, unlike dog breeds that usually have a more well-defined behavioral pattern, the “vira-lata” is a true box of surprises. Therefore, it ends up being very difficult to know what to expect from a “cachorro SRD” (but not totally impossible). To understand how the behavior of the “vira-lata” is shaped and what can influence it, we talked to veterinarian Renata Bloomfield, who specializes in animal behavior. See what we found out!

Is the “vira-lata” a docile dog?

“Vira-lata” photos don’t lie: mixed-breed dogs are a big mix of different breeds resulting in unique animals. Therefore, there is no specific breed for “cachorro SRD”: the dog without a defined breed actually has a bit of several breeds in its genetics. This makes it much more challenging to define the behavior of the “vira-lata” without knowing a bit about its history or its parents. “There are ‘vira-latas’ that are very affectionate, but not all of them are like that. It depends a lot on what they’ve been through in life,” says Renata. So, it’s not possible to assert with absolute certainty that every “cachorro vira-lata” is docile and affectionate, but the majority tends to have a calm and loving temperament.

Another question that usually catches people’s attention when we answer the question “What’s the difference between Vira Lata and SRD” is the great variety of colors in SRD dogs. There are black “vira-latas,” white ones, ones with more than one color, and of course, the caramel-colored “vira-lata,” which represents Brazil more than samba and soccer. However, unlike what happens with cats, there is no study or scientific article that proves the correlation between the color of a dog’s coat and its personality.

Is the “vira-lata” very active or calmer?

Just as the personality of the “vira-lata” is often an unknown, the energy level will also vary from one dog to another. But contrary to popular belief, this can happen even with purebred dogs or puppies from the same litter, as the specialist explains: “You can’t say that ‘vira-latas’ in general are very active or not very active. Some are quieter and calmer, while others are more restless and energetic. This difference is not exclusive to mixed-breed dogs because sometimes there are purebred puppies from the same litter, and one may be calmer while the other is more lively. This already varies a lot even when we talk about a specific breed, so when we expand this question to mixed-breed dogs, it’s even more challenging to predict.”

What can influence the behavior of the “cachorro SRD”?

The behavior of the “vira-lata” is not shaped overnight but depends on a series of factors ranging from genetic issues to its life history. A dog that was abandoned and spent a long time on the street or was mistreated in some way, for example, may have a completely different behavior from a dog that was raised in a shelter from an early age and didn’t have to live on the streets. “In general, what matters most is everything they have experienced, everything they have been through, what they haven’t been through – whether it’s a purebred dog or not. The ‘cachorro SRD’ is a box of surprises because usually, we don’t know the parents and don’t know the breeds in there. When it’s a ‘vira-latinha’ born in a shelter or someone’s home, we can get a better idea of its behavior.”

Now that you’ve learned about the difference between “Vira Lata” and “SRD,” make your choice and adopt a little pet!