We here at DOG FANCY love dogs of all breeds, shapes, and sizes. That's why when we open our mailboxes every year to reader photos of mixed-breed dogs, we know the task of choosing our favorites will be a difficult one. After sorting through all the entries for our Mixed Up Mutts Photo Contest, we've narrowed it down to the final five. Here are our picks for this year's most lovable mutts, who showed us two — or more — breeds can be better than one.

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First Place
Name: CornDog
Breeds: Dachshund-Miniature Pinscher
Owner: Amber Y.
Location: Alabama
"This is CornDog! CornDog showed up on my doorstep in 2005 tired, hungry, and in need of a good home. We quickly became best friends, and I love her sweet little personality. She loves to ride in the car, chase lizards, and be chased around the yard. She's my precious little 'Mixed Up Mutt.'"

CornDog will receive $150 worth of Purina dog food.

Second Place
Name: Cookie
Breeds: Beagle-Jack Russell Terrier
Owner: Melinda C.
Location: Ohio
"Our dog Cookie has a close attachment to my husband and spends about a half-hour each day looking out our living room window waiting for him to return from work. This picture was taken during one of those moments as she pined away for her beloved master. Cookie, a Beagle-Jack Russell Terrier mix, is also a loving, energetic puppy who is extremely loyal to her family. She loves to play with our children and take long walks."

Cookie will receive $100 worth of Purina dog food.

Third Place
Name: Monk
Breeds: Cocker Spaniel mix
Owner: Juli A.
Location: Texas
"This is Monk, a 5-month-old possible Cocker Spaniel mix. He was brought to me by a postman who found him abandoned on some railroad tracks. Monk is an extremely playful, inquisitive dust mop. Whoever dumped him doesn't know what they're missing. He just oozes love and affection."

Monk will receive $50 worth of Purina dog food.

Honorable Mentions
Name: Briar
Breeds: Unknown mix
Owner: Kate C.
Location: New York
"Reminiscent of Disney's Tramp (from Lady and the Tramp), Briar is a classic dog-pound mutt. Nobody knows quite what she is, and that is certainly part of her charm. Ruggedly athletic yet sweet and sensitive like a sighthound, with a coat similar to a goat's and coloring something like a groundhog's, she's perhaps best thought of as an Enigma Hound. And that one-of-a-kind quality is, of course, what makes every mutt special!"

Name: Tiger
Breeds: Chihuahua, Poodle, Schnauzer, etc.
Owner: Lorraine G.
Location: New York
"I adopted Tiger when he was only about 9 or 10 weeks old from a local vet's office, where he had been left by a hoarder. A year later, he is the center of my life. I am completely besotted by this little furry companion! He is one of the smartest dogs I know — and knows a dozen tricks. He can even count to four. Yes — hold up one, two, three, or four fingers and ask, 'how many,' and he will bark that many times!"

Briar and Tiger each will receive $25 worth of Purina dog food.