Do pure bred dogs or mixed breed mutts make better pets?

Answer 1

This depends on what purpose the dog has to you.

Here are the major points that you can base your decisions on -

• As a family pet?

This depends. As a general rule, mutts will excel in this category far beyond pure-breds. This is because they are mixed - therefore, they don't have any few particular strong drives or behaviors that accompany most pure-breds that are unwanted - such as aggression, high energy, etc. And if they are present, they are usually toned down due to the mix. However, some pure breeds will excel in this category as well as they have been bred to be great in a family setting (golden retrievers, etc)

• As a working dog?

For this, you may want to select a particular breed that has been bred for whatever job you need - Such as collies for herding, retrievers for retrieving, pointers for hunting, and etc However, if you don't mind spending time finding the right dog, mutts can also excel in this area (usually mutts with breeds of a particular traits/behaviors that you are looking for).

• As a protection dog?

Again, you may want to select a pure-bred, but most of the guarding potential depends on the individual dog. Pure-breds can be good, but so can mutts.

• Lifespan?

This depends on the individual dog. A dog that has been well taken care of in its life will live longer than a dog that hasn't However, with mutts you can most usually avoid breed-specific diseases and health problems. Also, remember that larger dogs usually have a shorter lifespan than smaller dogs, due to an increased risk of hip displaysia, heart problems, etc

So much of a dogs potential is INDIVIDUAL. Just because a dog is a pure-bred, doesn't mean that it is going to act like every other dog of the breed - and just because a mutt has two breeds in its heritage, doesn't mean it will act just like those 2 breeds.

Always remember that if you do choose to buy a pure-bred, buy from a reputable breeder that has good ethics, healthy dogs, and high standards for temperment.

Also, remember that when you choose to give a mutt a home, you are almost always saving its life.

Answer 2

Mutt a mixed-breed dog -a dog that has characteristics of two or more breeds.

true breeding organism, sometimes also called a pure-bred, is an organism having certain biological traits which are passed on to all subsequent generations when bred with another true breeding organism for the same traits. In other words, to "breed true" means that two organisms with a particular, heritable phenotype produce only offspring with that (same) phenotype. By way of contrast - a non-true-breeding organism can (and will, some of the time) produce offspring with different phenotypes (physical characteristics). For instance: if you plant a seed from a red apple, the resultant tree may produce only yellow apples. In this (grossly oversimplified) example: the "parent" genes of the red apple may have been Ry and yy -- the dominant Red allele from one parent overriding the recessive yellow allele from the other -- yet the genes in the offspring (the red apple) comprise the two recessive yellow alleles (which would happen, statistically, half the time) - and will thus create a yellow-apple tree. (A more common example is for two brown-eyed parents to have a blue-eyed child, which has surely led to more than a few heated arguments in the course of human history.)

Answer 3

yes mutts are better than pure breads. one: mutts are more likely to live longer. two: if a pure bread dog develops cancer after giving birth to pups they are more likely to get it. three: i have two mutts and i know every thing about their breeds they have in them so mutts are healther. but i have nothing against pure breads they all make wonderful pets. ;)

Answer 4

this is a very opinionated question but generally a mutt makes a healthier pet! they have a wider gene pool so you chances of predisposed diseases are lessened! if you looking for a "hypo-alergenic" dog (which no dog is completely hypo-alergenic) you will want to look for a purebred dog! so it all depends on your needs and wants and what your ready to take on!

Answer 5

1st Answer:

Purebred dogs are generally expensive, and many have congenital problems(from inbreeding) such as hip displacement. Hybrid dogs come from a bigger gene pool and have fewer problems. Crossbreeds can be just as beautiful as any purebred.

2nd Answer:

The purpose of having purebreds is to keep the breed pure. How sad it would be to see our regular breeds disappear if no one continues to keep the breeds pure. A good breeder wants to breed to BETTER the breed. I personally OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) certify all of my dogs on hips & elbows which show that they do not have hip or elbow dsyplasia before breeding them and if they do not pass, they are not used for breeding. This will help to reduce the occurrence of hip or elbow dsyplasia. Again this is the purpose of a good ethical breeder, to help to reduce the known genetic faults within a breed. Every one that does not know what they are talking about says that purebreds are inbred. That simply is not true. You can out cross, line breed or in breed. You can see all these faults such as hip or elbow dysplasia, eye problems, bad hearts, thyroid problems in the mixed breeds too. At least with a purebred breed in the hands of a capable and ethical breeder, they are breeding to BETTER the breed and to hopefully work at breeding out these problems. Again, you can see all these same problems just as much in the mixed breeds. I have worked as a Vet Technician for over 32 years so know what I talk about and as a breeder of Bullmastiffs since 1982.

Answer 6

The Advanatges

-The temperament of a purebred animal is more predictable than mixed-breeds, hence you can look for a pet with the personality you want.

You can find the right breed for your lifestyle based on its temperament, energy levels, exercise requirements, etc. For example, the Labrador Retriever is a great pet for those looking for an addition to a family with young children. Those who want a more independent animal can consider a Persian. There are also numerous breed selectors/quizzes that give you an idea of what breed of animal should you get. Of course, animals of the same breed can have different personalities, but in animals with unknown ancestry this is almost unpredictable.

-You have an idea of what your purebred animal will look like when it is full grown.

Most purebred animals have a breed standard that gives you a basic idea of what they'll look like. Mixed-breeds, however, can come in any size and colour! The full-grown size of a young mixed-breed is also unknown, although larger paws usually indicate a larger animal.

-You can acquire a breed that is capable of a specific skill in a job it needs to do.

Different breeds of animals have been bred for different tasks. If you need a dog for herding livestock, you may consider a Border Collie or an Australian Cattle Dog. Some horses are also better at racing, such as the American Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred.

-A purebred animal can be shown and registered with animal associations while mixed-breeds are usually ineligible.

Usually only purebred animals can be entered at breed specific shows as they have a standard to be judged upon. Some reputable animal associations also only register purebred animals to keep track of their ancestry and mixed-breeds cannot have 'papers'. There are exceptions, of course. Some cat shows have a non-pedigree class, although the results are subjective.

The Disadvanatges

-Purebreds are much more prone to genetic defects.

This is due to small genetic pools and inbreeding. It is found that all the top 50 popular breeds in the UK suffer from a genetic defect of some sort. Animals from pet shops in particular have an inbred history, resulting in a shortened life span and expensive vet bills.

-Many purebred animals have extreme body features that caused suffering.

Many breeds of domestic animals have been bred to look extreme without awareness to the health problems it leads to. For example, Dachshunds have long backs, resulting in spinal disorders. The wrinkly skin around a Shar-Pei's eyes may also lead to eye infections.

-Purebreds may have 'working instincts' which are less commonly seen in mixed-breeds.

This can be seen in particularly dogs. Sighthounds have a strong desire to chase moving objects and animals, and pastoral dogs often 'herd' children and nip at their heels. These behaviour problems will often result in these dogs being abandoned.

-Purebreds are generally more expensive than mixed-breeds.

More purebred dogs and cats will cost more than US$300. Some mixed-breeds can be adopted for free.

In conclusion:It is up to you whether you want a purebred or a mixed-breed, yet it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making you decision. If you are considering a purebred animal, it is recommended to acquire it from a reputable breeder and conduct health test on it in veterinary clinics.

Of course, it you don't mind about acquiring a purebred or mixed-breed, it will be nice to adopt a mixed-breed animal in your local animal shelter. Many mixed-breed animals are put to sleep each year as they can't find forever homes. They make lovely pets like purebred animals and deserve a second chance at life.As the ASPCA said, "If you can't decide between a Shepherd, a Setter or a Poodle, get them all ... adopt a mutt!"

Answer 7

Technically all dogs are mixed, since they were all originally descended from wolves and other wild canids.

However, purebreeds are breeds that have been bred to a specific standard for many generations. A standard is a very detailed, written guideline that describes what an ideal dog of that breed should look like. For example, the AKC standard for the Rough Collie includes the following guidelines for the muzzle and jaw:

"The end of the smooth, well-rounded muzzle is blunt but not square. The underjaw is strong, clean-cut and the depth of skull from the brow to the under part of the jaw is not excessive."

There are Rough Collies who do not have a muzzle and jaw exactly as described, because the standard describes the ideal dog, so what a breeder should be breeding for.

Mixed breeds, on the other hand, are a combination of two or more purebreeds, and since the combinations are almost endless, they do not follow any single standard.