In your opinion, not what the textbooks say!?

Question

Does a pedigree dog have any advantages over a common mongrel except appearance and prestige? Purely as a pet as opposed to a working dog

Thanks!

Answer 1

No. They just cost more and come with papers, that's all. In my experience, mutts are the best...they try harder.

Answer 2

I think the advantage is knowing the breeding and being able to go back and look at the parents or other ancestors if you want. While there are many great mutts and I think they make excellent pets sometimes you buy a dog for a certain purpose. Perhaps you would like a dog to protect sheep, to protect your home, herd animals, you want to show the dog, or you need a dog that will stay under a certain weight. By getting a dog with a pedigree you know that they are purebred and have the bloodlines that were meant to do this purpose.

Answer 3

I really have no idea where so many people here have gotten their misconceptions about purebred dogs. It seems many people are buying their PB's from disreputable breeders. There is a big difference between a well bred puppy and a pet shop puppy.

If you want to get one from a shelter, then thats great! Save a dog!

If you want to get a dog whos size and temperment you can predict, get a PB. I love the temperment of my breed, and I know I would never find it in a cross. All breeds do not have the same temperment, there is a world of difference between some, like a Basset and an Airdale for instance.

Purebred dogs from a GOOD breeder will have the appropriate health testing done on its ancestors. Poorly bred or crossbreed puppies will not. Say you get a LabxGSD, both parents can have
hip dysplasia and pass it on to their puppies. No testing has been done and you have no idea. If you had gotten a PB with hips tested, you can be fairly sure you will not have a crippled dog.

In my (fairly rare) breed, there are very few genetic problems, and they happen very rarely. Definately one of the healthier breeds. Small gene pool, but healthy because commercial breeders have no interest in them and almost all the breeders are responsible and do test cardiac, BAER, and CERF.

If you do decide to get a PB, don't go and buy the cheapest one you can find from a lousy breeder and then complain about PBs because it isn't healthy

Answer 4

The only advantage with a pedigree dog is you have a good idea about what its going to look like as an adult, and a fair idea about its temperament and personality, allowing for individual differences.
All pedigrees are inbred; that's the point of the pedigree. Another name for inbred is 'selective breeding'. In recent years 'inbreeding' has been given a bad name and taken to mean something else and is now associated with problems. In the past a breeder would be aiming for certain characteristics in the next generation and would pick a suitable stud. Often the easiest known option would be related (eg grandparent or cousin). This type of selective breeding has been given a bad name and is now not generally discussed.
The problem with in breeding is that any disadvantages are also retained in the population, and recessive genes are more likely to be activated as both parents are more likely to be carriers. Hip Displacia, OCD, deafness, the controversial Rage Syndrome, nervousness and a nasty condition that makes the dogs eyelids turn in and scratch the eyeballs are all recent examples of health problems caused by inbreeding. Added to that some breeds cannot breathe properly in hot weather, some cannot give birth naturally.
Guide Dogs for the Blind (Seeing Eye Dogs) did a huge study into genetics and temperament, and discovered that the ideal guide dog is a first cross, or hybrid. A hybrid gains many advantages over a pedigree including increased life span, better overall health, fewer specific health problems, better rates of breeding and a more stable temperament. They are also more intelligent. Guide Dogs breed a first cross between a Labrador and a golden retriever as their ideal guide dog, recently the Labrador x poodle has been introduced for people who are allergic to dog hair.
A cross between two hybrids, or a hybrid and a pedigree is a mongrel, or mutt. All the advantages of hybrid vigour is lost, and nobody knows why. Its just one of the weird things about genetics.

So to cut a long answer short, a first cross or hybrid is the best overall pet. Unless looks are the top of your list of priorities.

Answer 5

The basic advantage to a purebred dog is that they are predictable: You can predict their temperament, physical attributes, etc. because they have been standardized and consistently bred for thousands of generations.

This is not true of the mixed breed dog.

It really has nothing to do with "appearance" (other than it's predictability -- not how other people perceive you or the dog) or "prestige" -- or, if it does, those people really need to get a life. It has everything to do with wanting a specific type of dog for a specific purpose or reason.

Mutts are no healthier than purebreds. I know everyone would like to believe that, but genetically it makes no sense, and put into practice, the is no evidence. Dog genes are dog genes, folks.

I have Siberian Huskies because I love the mischievous, independent nature of the breed. I like their look, and I like the fact that they will pull my dogsled.

I have Longhaired Standard Dachshunds because I like their tough little bodies (small, but not easy for a Siberian to knock around), their hunting skills, and their beautiful, long coats.

It's reasons like these why you want a purebred dog. If you just want a dog to love, with no intent on a specific function or concern about traits, then go to a shelter and save a mixed breed dog's life!

On the other hand, I adopted a Cattle Dog mix from a shelter because I wanted a dog that would stick around when loose, and protect my vehicle when I was travelling (since the Siberians are no good at that). I thought that, since he was a herding mix, that would fit the bill. 8 years later, he's sweet but about as dumb as a post, a spaz and afraid of everything down to plastic grocery bags. Not what I was expecting, and probably not what I would have gotten if I'd found a purebred Cattle Dog.

Answer 6

Depends on the dog and what you either need or expect from a dog, some breeds have advantages over others, but mongrel dogs, if purely for a pet, are great and often have more stable health and better personalities. Some of the pedigrees are so over-bread that unless you pay a serious amount of cash, you are getting the rejects and could face a lifetime of behavioural problems and expensive vet bills, only to have the poor thing suffer much of its life because it can't breathe properly or walk at all.

Answer 7

There are advantages to every breed of dog, it depends on your personality and what you are looking for. There are pedigree dogs that are for people who are usually allergic to dogs, who can enjoy a dog in their family with a specific breed. Some pedigree dogs are trained for specific work,like water rescue, these dogs have specific coats that repel water. Mixed breed dogs make wonderful pets in many cases and some are very healthy due to the mixture of the gene pool. Pedigree dogs make wonderful pets too, especially when you are looking for a specific type, personality or size. Of course just like humans, personality can be influenced alot by life experience as well as genetics. I hope this helped. good Luck!

Answer 8

It matters what you're looking for in a dog. Breeds were originally bred for a specific purpose, some were bred to be mean, some to be loyal, some to run after small animals into their holes for hunting, et cetera. Thus, we can almost safely assume that a dog that was bred for what you're specifically wanting will probably be more effective at that task. Also, you must be wary of mongrels because sometimes people are idiots and will breed a very violent breed of dog with a very disobedient kind of dog and what you may end up with is a dog that likes to disobey you by attacking people, go figure.

Answer 9

Hi, in my opinion, mongrel dogs are a lot sturdier and are less likely to pick up infections or illness as quickly as a Pedigree, due to the mixed genes. They are also known to possibly live a bit longer than Pedigrees. This is because Pedigree dogs are bred to have certain characteristics such as with boxers or bulldogs to have much shortened nose - which causes breathing problems during hot weather, etc. Having said this you can get some lovely Pedigree dogs - but they can be very expensive to buy. With a mongrel, you don't know what you are going to get - which can be quite exciting!

Answer 10

The only advantage that I know, and I have owned pure- bred dogs with pedigrees as long as your arm and mongrels whose parents were totally unknown, is that with a pedigree puppy you have a good idea of the eventual size, shape and behaviour traits of the breed.

A mongrel puppy, even a first cross, is an unknown quantity - you just don't know what they are going to look like when they are adult.

However, even your aristocratic dog can look and behave differently from what was expected and watching your mongrel grow and develop and guessing what he is going to look like and what his parents were is part of the fun of owning one.

If you acquire an adult mongrel you will have chosen him on looks and/or personality so he must be what you want any way.

A slight advantage might just be that with a pedigree dog you might be aware of certain inherited faults, diseases and conditions which you can deal with easier if you are fore-warned.

You will have no idea of the genetic pool that produced your mongrel so any inherited condition may come as a shock - although mongrels are supposed to be more healthy and less prone to genetic abnormalities

As pets there is absolutely no advantage - pedigrees, cross-breeds and Heinz 57 - they are all a joy to own.

Answer 11

Well, it depends on your point of view... I like my pure-bred dogs because they do have a distinct set of personality traits. It still differs some from dog to dog, but the different breeds definitely have their specific qualities. (Boston Terriers are nothing like Alaskan Malamutes, for example...)

On the other hand, I had a mixed breed once that turned out to be the best dog I could ever imagine, and the smartest dog I've ever seen. She can never be replaced.

The biggest difference, I would say, besides the medical issues, is that with a pure-bred dog, you usually have some idea of what you are getting. With a mixed breed, you don't. With pure-bred dogs, you also have an idea of what health problems to watch for...

And most importantly, it still depends on the genetics of the individual dog, pure-bred or mixed. Just like people. Nice dog + nice dog usually = nice dog. That's terrible generic, but know what I mean?