The world's Dog population consists of mainly mutts, also known as cross or mixed breeds. Yet it is interesting to find that most people and even Dog owners talk only about purebreds exclusively and forget about our mutts totally. Purebred enjoy recognition and prestige while mutts are generally uncared for and vastly neglected.
Purebreds are dogs that belong to a documented and acknowledged group of unmixed lineage. They are bred carefully with dogs from the same ancestry to ensure that they maintain a certain standard for that particular breed with similar temperament, characteristics and appearances. In order for a dog to be recognized as a true breed, it must be proven that its parents are of the same ancestry such that they will pass on their exact temperament, characteristic and appearance - this is known as breeding true.
For people involved with professional breeding, there is a huge difference between purebreds and mutts. Some mutts might actually be purebreds but have no documentation proving that they are so. If you are looking for a pet and have no interest in entering competitions with your dog, this might be a viable option for you and the cost is considerably lower too.
Breeding of purebred dogs is selected with care. The pair is tested for every possible disease which includes having all the information regarding the pair's ancestors and health records on file. Should there be no problem in the history of the pair, then the breeding can begin. During testing, should the pair is not compatible due to diseases that are common in a specific breed, another dog will be selected as a match instead.
There are many options as to where you can buy a dog, in pet shops, kennels and shelters. If you insist on a purebred, it is recommended to find a reputable breeder in your area to get the best breed puppies with no problems.
Cross breeds in contrast are likely to have been bred out of experimentation to produce a better, stronger and healthier breed than its parents. It is also very likely that they are the results of accidents. On the whole, cross breeds are so different it is almost impossible for anyone to list down their various characteristics in details.
When it comes to the dog's health, purebreds could encounter lesser problems because the breeder has done a good job in screening and getting the best and healthy dogs to breed. On the other hand, a relatively common issue with purebreds is that they face higher chances to inherit health problems from their parents; eye diseases that cause blindness, bone and joint disorders that cause lameness, sudden heart disease that causes early death, epilepsy, seizures, or immune system diseases, just to name a few of the over 300 genetic health defects documented in dogs.
The chances of a purebred being infected with inherited health issues is much higher due to 2 primary reasons:
1. The AKC makes it compulsory for all purebreds involve in the breeding process to be dogs that are registered with them, only then will their offspring be recognized as purebreds. This rule take off the large majority of other dogs that could have been available to breed. Because of this reason, most purebreds are bred on a close gene pool with similar ancestry. Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes in to the breed in the long run, purebred dogs suffer from "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to dogs with inherited health problems.
2. There are instances where certain breeders are more concerned about financial gain rather than the welfare of the animal. This is particularly true to unscrupulous breeders who bred dogs to make money and not follow the strict rules of proper breeding, therefore breeding inferior dogs in the process.
To avoid getting a dog with inherited health problems, you should always look for responsible breeders who make their dogs go through medical tests as proof of good health. Some of the health tests are - Cardiac test to detect certain heart diseases, Ophthalmic test to determine the presence of PRA and cataracts, X-rays to detect hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Bear in mind that not all tests are required as certain inherited health problems are present in certain breeds only.
Mixed bred dogs on the other hand are surprising generally healthier than purebreds. Cross breeds tend to enjoy better health and vigor because of their wide range of genes diversity. This is mainly because their genes are usually unrelated, chances are high that the parents of a mixed breed puppy will not have the same defective genes. Studies have shown that inherited health problems are often due to the pairing of dogs with similar defective genes.
Some dog owners has a tendency to like purebreds more than cross breeds. The primary reason is that it carries a certain prestige with it, often glamorized by television, movies and breeders. Purebreds are also exclusively featured in dog shows where mutts are not allowed to join without a convincing reason.
These incidents led the public to believe that the cross breeds are inferior dogs when compare to the purebreds, therefore they create lesser interests and awareness from the public. It is a shame to see most of them being round up frequently and left to die in animal shelters.
In short, purebred dogs offer owners predictable temperament, characteristics and appearances when they grow up, but stand higher chances to suffer from inherited health problems.
Cross breeds are more likely to be healthier on the whole, nevertheless, you have to accept the fact that your dog has the chance to grow up into something that is not predictable, including his appearance and temperament. The only option is to make smart educated guesses by observing its parents closely. Nevertheless, you also know that your dog is truly unique and one of its kind.
To bring a dog into your life is a long commitment and possibly a life changing decision. You should avoid making a decision to get a puppy solely on the fact if it is pure breed or not. In fact, the more important aspect is to consider getting a dog breed that suits your lifestyle and family.
Moses Wright is a dog lover and owner of Dog Obedience Training site. He loves to help dog owners with their dog problems and do so by consolidating his years of dog ownership experience into a free book filled with simple yet powerful dog training tips: Free Dog Problems Book
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