AnimalShelter.org Advice on dogs

Description: Many people consider mixed breeds to be the lower caste of pets, acceptable for a first dog maybe, but those who aspire to become serious pet owners think they should ?trade up? to a purebred dog that fits certain stereotypical situations. Thus the Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever is the ultimate family dog; the Rottweiler the penultimate guard dog; the Sheltie the perfect little girl?s pet; the German Shepherd the best child?s protector, and so on. However, dog owners should feel no shame in announcing they own a mixed breed pet, for these dogs too can be perfect for the family, the apartment, the children, the jogging father, the stay-at-home grandma ? you name it, a mixed breed can do it.

The trouble comes in when people perceive the mixed breed as a single breed, as in ?Mixed Breed dogs are healthier than purebreds, aren?t as high-strung as purebreds, are friendlier than purebreds, live longer than purebreds, etc.? Recent attempts to denigrate purebreds as genetically unfit animals bred by greedy exploiters go overboard in extolling the virtues of mixed breed dogs and muddy the waters. The truth is, mixed breed dogs can be healthy, loyal, friendly, protective, yappy, fearful, sickly, aggressive, gentle, easy to train, hard to train, aloof, too big, too active, too hairy, sweet, obedient, beautiful, or stubborn ? just like purebred dogs. An individual dog should be considered on his own merits without regard to his parentage.