What is the real advantage of having a throughbred dog. As opposed to a mixed-breed, or a mut. Just for a pet?

Question

What is the advantage of having a through-bred dog. As opposed to a mut; or mixed breed? Is it bragging rights, reproduction, or habit predictibility? For a housepet does it matter?

Answer 1

If you find the ideal dog at a shelter, whether it is purebred or a mixed breed, he is absolutely the best dog in the World.

You can usually find the 'type' of dog that you need at a shelter. You may need a herding breed, or hunting/birding breed, or a long-winded dog to jog with you...the thing is, if good breeders stopped breeding, then the pool of dogs from which to choose, would be nondescript mutts, with no deffinition of special talents, or desired temperament... If you look at the dogs of the Third World Countries, you will see one dog type, or possibly two..they all appear alike, and are not bred for any special talents, sizes, or appearance...They look pretty much as a dog-coyote.

The advantage of buying a purebred is only an advantage if you buy from a reputable breeder...A breeder who breeds carefully for the lack of genetic defects, and the proper form and temperament for the breed... Then you are not buying out of a grab bag, but can look at the parents, and know just what you can expect from the new puppy.
I would rather have a Canardly Terrier (can-'ardly tell what they are), than an ill-bred purebred dog.

Answer 2

People usually have Pedigree dogs to use for breeding (because they are worth a lot and can be sold for lots of money), and for bragging rights. There isn't much difference between pedigree, mixed breed and mutt dogs, except the price. Being a better quality dog doesn't usually make any difference to the temperment of the dog. It just depends on the breed.
Example: a pure breed Doberman could be more aggresive than a Doberman x German Pointer. But this is just because of the Doberman. They are known to be aggresive.
So to choose a dog you have to know how much money you are prepared to pay. Pedigree dogs are much more than mixed-breeds or mutts.
The quality doesn't matter. The only thing you need to see about is the temperment and personality of the dog.

Example: I have a German Shepherd x Rottweiler. She is very loving, loyal and looks to have the quality of a pure breed. Tiff only cost $50.
I don't really care for quality, just the personality and temperment.
If I had of got a pure breed I would have had to pay about $300-$500.

For a house pet, quality does not matter.


Hope I helped,
Alison

Answer 3

The primary advantages of getting a purebred dog are:

You significantly increase your chances that your dog will be "true to breed" - that is, its temperament, social characteristics, size, intelligence, interests, etc. will most likely be close to the breed's standard characteristics. You can find those characteristics for any breed by visiting AKC.org.

If you have a particular interest in the breed, you may be able to contribute to strengthening and perpetuating it.

If you have an interest in conformation showing (the "Best in Show" stuff), only purebred, un-neutered dogs are eligible to compete in AKC sanctioned events.

You will be aware in advance of what sort of health issues you may expect to encounter with your dog.

If none of these are significant issues for you, there is no reason why you should opt for a purebred dog unless you really love the look of a particular breed. Purebred dogs are no more (or less) smart, affectionate, loyal or anything else than mixed breed dogs. In fact, while some breeds are prone to be smarter than your average dog, some breeds are also prone to be quite a bit dumber than your average dog. Some purebred dogs are more prone to specific health problems than mixed breeds precisely because of inbreeding, so an extremely important part of getting a purebred dog is a checkup by a good vet to be sure your dog does not have any of the health conditions that may be common to its particular breed. Other than conformation showing, mixed breed and neutered dogs are permitted to compete in any and all other AKC events such as agility, herding, flyball, obedience and so forth. By adopting a mixed breed puppy from a shelter you are helping to solve the sad problem of so many dogs being abandoned. And as a rule, your mixed breed dog will probably live a bit longer than a purebred.

I've owned and loved many dogs through my life and until the ones I have now, I've always had mixed breed dogs. When our last dog, Sunshine, died at the ripe old age of 18, we wanted to be fairly certain about the characteristics of our new dog, so we opted for a purbred - a Shetland Sheepdog, Finnegan. A year later, we added another Sheltie, Spoofendifer (Spoof). We are more than pleased with our pups. In fact, Finnegan has turned out to be a true genius. At six months he won his first obedience competition. At nine months he had his first obedience title. At ten months, he had his first herding title. He's now two and has 6 herding titles and is working on his seventh and eighth. His brother, however, is still learning to poop in the right places. But we wouldn't give either of them up for anything. Nor would we have given up any of our previous mixed breed dogs. Hope all this helps answer your question.

Answer 4

There is No Advantage...Full bred dogs Cost more..Have more Genetic problems from years of inbreeding.You cant Always tell how a dog is going to act just because of the breed he is...Just like people some are Nuts! Mixed breed dogs have the better qualities of all the dogs that are mixed in with them, They are less prone to some of the passed down *breed* problems Its all just what a person wants..Shelters are full of Full blooded as well as mixed bred dogs..They ALL need homes..Its up to the person

Answer 5

Unless you want bragging rights, there is not really an advantage. In fact, unless you select your breeder *very* carefully, there are *disadvantages*. In many breeds, certain characteristics are prized, and in the attempt to breed for those traits, health problems have been introduced. Many breeds have "typical" problems that are common to most of the dogs of that breed.

This makes the dogs miserable, and it adds to your vet bills. If you don't have the time to search for a breeder who is careful to do everything possible to avoid or reduce these traits (and in some breeds, they are so common, all any breeder can do is strive to reduce them), or you don't have the money to buy one of these dogs (which usually cost quite a bit more than less carefully bred examples of the breed), you are better off going to a shelter to adopt a "mutt".

You will save money, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you rescued a dog in need, you will have avoided subsidizing the breeders that perpetuate misery for the sake of profit, and you will still have a loyal pet. If you still want a purebred dog, look into the various "breed rescue" societies. For example, there are societies that rescue greyhounds when they are done their racing career and would otherwise be put down.

But those greyhounds do have more health problems than many family dogs. So if you decide to rescue a purebred, look into the breed first; most rescue societies would require you to do this in any case. They *want* to help people find the right dog for them; they haven't accomplished anything if the dog comes back to them in six months.

The most important trait in any house pet is that you pick an individual animal whose personality, physical needs, age, and so on make it a good "fit" for your household. You don't want to get an aging dog if you have young children, or an active puppy if you are elderly and want a quiet companion. You don't want a huge dog if you have a tiny apartment, or a dog who will require a lot of exercise if you have no time to give it that exercise.

Answer 6

Doesn't matter - it's personal preference really. Some feel more secure that they've bought a dog that's pure-bred because they believe they'll get exactly what they paid for.

I've had both, it's all about finding a dog that's suitable to your lifestyle. If you're interested in a cross, look at what it's crossed with - do your research and it will give you some of the primary personality traits inherant with each of the breeds, then you can determine if that type of dog will work with your activity level, household activity level, etc.

You need a dog that's a good fit with your life.

Answer 7

the only thing i can see to give pure breed dogs a up on hybrids is that the insurance is cheaper depending on the breed of dog (because you know it dont have any known visiose breeds in it) and that you can make a bundle on the pups. I personally have owned two prue breed dogs and all the rest have been hybrids thou one of my hybrid dogs breeds was eventually reconinised as a pure breed. right now i own a chipoo (chiwawa/poodle) and a border collie (border collies are one of the few hybrid breeds of dog to eventually get prue breed reconision) I think if you are looking to get a dog you should go to several websites and research all the different dogs to see what charcteristics you prefur and which ones fit into your lifestyle. if you are a lade back type of person you wount want a frisky dog. if you like to run and are very active you wouldnt want a lasy dog. If you live in a small apartment you probly wouldnt want a dog that will get big. and if you dont have much money you wount want a dog that is high matince or has known medical problems with their breed. One advantage to a hybrid dog is most of the time they are cheaper to buy. some pure breeds can run you thousands of dollers. and over all if you are a kind loveing type of person and whould like to not only own a dog but help one as well visit your local pound/ animal shelter and adopt a pet who really needs a home. remember if you are a dog lover pounds have to kill about 90% of the animals that they get cause no one adopts them. enjoy your dog search and get a pet who gets you. oh and dont forget to get your pets fixed.

Answer 8

I don't see any advantage. I have had my share of pure breeds and they are more of a pain than mixed breeds from the pound.
Pure breeds are also expensive to begin with....and are more susceptible to rare diseases than mixed breeds.
I have had a lot of pure breeds and mixed breeds and I have found that the mixed breeds I have rescued from shelters have been better pets than those I paid alot of money for.
:)

Answer 9

I have one of each. Both dogs have distinctive personalities. I can't say that one is smarter than the other, as both dog is very smart, and was easy to train. As for looks, the mixed breed dog is beautiful, as is the pure breed dog. They are both wonderful pets, and I wouldn't want to part with either of them.

Answer 10

There is no real advantage to owning a pure breed dog.

There is evidence that, due to hybrid vigor, mixed breed dogs are healthier and live longer.

The only disadvantage to owning a mutt is that you can't compete in dog shows.