CHOOSING A DOG

Pure Breed, Mixed Breed or Designer Breed

With hundreds of pure breed dogs, an almost infinite number of mixed breeds and a growing number of designer breed dogs, it is hard to decide which one is a good fit for your family.  Some dogs might be good with children and thrive on the noise and commotion of the family home.  These same dogs might be badly behaved and horribly sad if they spend most of their days alone without human interaction.  Other dogs are just the opposite and are happy with a quiet environment and become over stimulated and badly behaved around children.

Pure Breed Dogs

One of the biggest advantages of a pure breed dog is that, to some degree, there is predictability when you select your dog as a puppy.  Of course, not all adult dogs of a breed act the same way.  However, you can make an educated guess as to the dog’s future looks, health problems and behavioral characteristics.  If you are looking for a good jogging partner, you can find one.  If you are looking for a dog that is likely to be good with kids, you can find that too.  In order to have the best chance of getting a dog that is characteristic of the breed, it is important that you get your puppy from a reputable breeder.  While most breeders operate for a profit, a reputable breeder also has the dogs’ welfare at heart and treats them well.  A breeder that is primarily concerned with profit may feed the dogs less nutritious food and keep the dogs in less than pristine living conditions.  The best way to find a reputable breeder is to do a little research and to visit the breeder, if at all possible.

Mixed Breed Dogs

Many family pets that have been adopted from the pound or obtained when a dog in the neighborhood had puppies are mixed breed dogs.  Mixed breed dogs are also known as mutts.  Mutts can be wonderful pets.  However, it is important that you know as much about their parentage as you can.  If you know what breeds the dog descends from, then you will know as much as possible about its potential temperament and health problems.

Designer Dogs

Designer dogs are gaining in popularity.  Unlike mixed breed “mutts” that happen by chance, designer dogs are a purposeful breeding of two specific breeds.  Careful research and thought has gone into the combinations of dogs that are being bred.  The breeding is meant to result in a dog that has the best characteristics of both its parents.  The thought is, for example, to produce a wonderful family dog that does not shed.  Sometimes this is successful and sometimes it is not.  Designer dogs are expensive and very popular right now and can be wonderful pets if they have the right parents.  However, some people who are not in favor of this purposeful cross breeding believe that these dogs are simply expensive mutts.

So, before you welcome your new dog into your home be sure to consider to pros and cons of pure breeds, mutts and designer dogs.  They all can make a wonderful family pet.