Buying a puppy- should I get a purebreed or a pound/humane society mutt?

Question

All opinions and facts appreciated. I can't decide if I should be noble and get a mutt or should I get a pure breed that is more likely to be healthy. Help me decide which is the smarter, realistic and "better" choice. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Both make GREAT PETS.

Whether a mixed breed from a shelter or a purebred from a breed rescue, the odds are that it will be an adult. In that case, you know what its temperment and health conditions are. At 12 months, 18 months or 2 years, you can tell what you are getting - shelter and rescues have already assessed the dog for its health status. If you are really worried about things like hip dysplasia, arrange to have the vet take some xrays. (Like having the mechanic check the used car you are thinking about) Xrays can be shot as young as 6 months for a preliminary look.

The really scary risks for future health problems are puppies from some backyard breeder who doesn't check for hereditary health problems (more than a physical) and just breeds what they have on hand. Mixing breeds willy-nilly (those stupid "designer dogs') or breeding whatever pet comes to hand. You have no idea how those puppies will turn out with respect to hereditary health conditions when adults.

Contrary to the urban myth (and all these idiots posting up above with their "I heard it on TV" knowledge of genetics) that mixes are healthier, breed any dysplastic dog to another of a different breed, and you will get dysplasia. Dysplasia (hip and elbow), patella problems, cardiac conditions, eye conditions and thyroid impairment exist in virtually EVERY BREED. What do these idiots think - that if a Lab with dysplasia gets bred to a Rottie with dysplasia that the genes for the condition automatically disappear????? FOOLS. With a small number of hereditary conditions, it makes the diagnosis harder because they occur primarily in certain handful of breeds and if the vet can't tell if the dog is carrying that breed....

(We won't even think about pet shops which sell puppy mill products. NEVER EVER buy from a pet shop. Those puppies came from puppy mills where the parents are locked in cages, bred until they literally die from it, never vaccinated, never wormed, fed just enough so they don't quite die of starvation, live in filth, never bathed or groomed or cared for, are typically of very poor genetic stock both physically and often mentally. The puppies are shoved off to pet stores with no vaccinations, no worming, no socialization or handling... You are buying nothing but heartbreak at a price higher than what a responsible breeder charged for a pet puppy.)


Now I have two sprawled here watching me:

(1) 2 year old by a Westminster winner (#1 show dog in the breed and #1 sire by his kids winning) out of another AKC Champion, double nephew of a dog who was #10 of all show dogs in the US, and the grandson of a Westminster Group placing dog and also the grandson of the late #1 sire in the breed. And of course health screening exams up the kazoo on the whole family.

(2) 15 year old Australian Shepherd/Chow/Keeshond(?)/ mommy was a tramp out doing the bars and daddy was passing through town, and taken in literally off the street at around age 2 (Humane Societies LOVE her - she is their "poster child" for what a mixed breed stray can do.)

What do both dogs have in common? They are BOTH Service Dogs, one of the most difficult and demanding jobs, both physically and mentally, a dog can do. (Okay, the 15 year old is now a "retired" Service Dog.) And they are both perfectly healthy - the 15 year old has me beat by miles!

Now do you want a puppy or an adult? If an adult is fine, go with breed rescue or the one you fall in love with at the shelter. (And you don't have to deal with puppy pee puddles or chewing up you shoes...)

Do you want to compete in obedience or agility or tracking? Go with breed rescue. Even if the dog doesn't have its AKC registraton but is obviously a member of a breed, you can get an ILP number from the AKC and compete.

You can find breed rescues here:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm


If you have your heart set on a puppy, I would go with purebred BUT ONLY from a reliable responsible breeder (as a backyard pet breeder won't have done any of the health screening tests - not at $600-1000 for each parent! and have the reocrds for such testing back several generations):

. A well-bred pet puppy may not be a candidate for the show ring (that nose being 1/8th of an inch to long or something else very picky) but they will be very healthy, the parents carefully screened for hereditary health problems, and from a breeder who has devoted a great deal of time to understanding the breed and bloodlines. A responsible breeder will have a written contract with a health guarantee for hereditary problems; require that if for any reason you ever have to give up the dog that it comes back to them; and always be available for help, assistance and advice about your dog. Such a breeder will tell you if they don't think their breed is right for you based upon your needs. They want a perfect forever home for the puppies - not the money. (In 43 years in the dog show world, I have never known a breeder of that caliber who has made a profit on their dogs - it is labor of love.)

A puppy from such a breeder costs no more - and often less as poorly bred dogs tend to have very high vet bills over the years - than from a backyard breeder who doesn't do the health checks, knows nothing about the breed or bloodlines, doesn't give a guarantee, never wants to hear about the puppy again and has breed from mediocre or poor quality dogs.

You may find the breeder who has the type of dog you want but no litter on the ground at the moment. Most good breeders have waiting lists -get on it. You may find the breeder and puppy you want but at a distance. Among the really responsible breeders(members of the club) shipping a puppy is quite normal -they want the best possible home for the dog and the written contract is very extensive.

You can find them here:

http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm

GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 2

OK Well lets look at the pros and cons. Pros to a purebred is that you will know their background, you know what they will look/act like for the most part, and you will have a health guarantee as well as long as you go to a good quality breeder. You can also show if you decide you want to (which is lots of fun). On the other side of the coin, shelter dogs are very special and very often you can get purebreds and puppies. You won't know much of their background but you will be told where they came from and if you can rescue one that has been abused or neglected there is no shortage to the love these dogs will give. They know what they have been rescued from I'm convinced of that. The only reason I plan on getting a purebred is because I want to show her. If not for that I would definitely get a shelter dog. And depending on where you are I would ask to see the dogs that are on their last day. That way you really ARE saving a life.

Edit. The number of stupid people on here is appalling! Mixed breeds are NOT more healthy than purebreds. Mixes are twice as likely to have health problems because you double up on problems. This would appear obvious but I guess it's not.

Edit0.1: I forgot to mention that you can also rescue dogs from breed specific rescues. The LRC has a rescue (Labrador Retriever Club) as does the Siberian Husky Club. If there is a certain breed you want, look these guys up on the net and and rescue a dog from them. The dogs are usually fostered out and are wonderful animals. And they are almost always spayed or neutered so you won't have to worry about that either.

Answer 3

Definately from a shelter or a pound. Purebreeds are more likely to have physical problems because of their over breeding. Also they are more likely to have temperment issues, more aggression, etc. A mutt will be stronger physically and mentally, for the most part. Plus why pay 1000 for a dog when you can get one for a 100 or so and save its life in the process.

Answer 4

I have a chow and a german shepard, but they were bothe runts and are often put to sleep if the breeder can't sell them. I use to have mutts and there is nothing wrong with them. My german shepard has hip dispasia and chows are know for bitting (which mad my home owner's insurance sky rocket). I think mixed breeds are best because they have less medical problems. Go to the humane society first I'm sure if your an animal lover you won't be able to pass up a puppy there (exspecially if you know they will be put to sleep if they don't get a home). But, if you do decide you want a purebreed they will need to come from a reptuable breeder (any dog breed will be over $500) or your risking a lot of medical issues as well as bad temperment.

Answer 5

First off, I definitely recommend adopting a dog! There are 27 million unwanted pets turned into shelters each year! http://www.petfinder.com is a great site. You can search for pets by breed, sex, age, location, etc. For the small adoption fee you will pay the dog will be fixed or you will get a coupon for them to be fixed. I cannot say which breed would be right for you as you didn't mention anything about your lifestyle, but things to consider would be -size of your home, do you have a fenced yard, do you walk alot, do you have any young children, do you plan to have any kids, will the dog be left alone alot, are there size limits for pets where you live (some estates have requirements), do you feel you can control a dominant breed or a more submissive breed better. They say that dogs of the opposite sex are more loyal, I cannot say that is completely true since I have a male and a female and they both like me the best :) Mutts make great pets , but if you get a puppy from a shelter they may not know too much about the pup and cannot be sure how large it will become. http://www.akc.org you can check out each breed. it will tell you the size and how much exercise they should have daily and about the temperaments. Thanks for considering adopting!

Answer 6

Just because a dog is a purebred, doesn't mean it'll be healthy. IMO purebred's seem to have more problems that are passed down through their traits/genes, usually from inbreeding somewhere down the line. And, you can look through the answers here, been lots of stuff about new purebred pups with problems/illnesses. With a mutt, you don't generally have that problem-no inbreeding. I've always had pound puppies, and wouldn't have traded them for anything. You'll be saving a life as well. And, I've seen lots of purebreds at the pound if you still want one. My choice, go with a pound puppy, plus they're a heck of a lot cheaper too.

Answer 7

Since you really don't seem to have a preferrence, I would suggest going to the pound and finding your new friend. You will be saving a life. Getting a purebred does not guarantee a healthy dog, or a smart dog. Some of the best dogs are mutts. Good luck in your search.

Answer 8

A cheap purebred puppy ($200-$600) is more likely to have inherited health problems. This is because the breeder usually cares little for the breed and is only trying to make money selling "papered" puppies.

A puppy from the humane society ($60-$150) will likely not have any inherited health problems, but may suffer from a variety of disease or behavioral problems brought on by such a terrible start in life.

A puppy from a responsible breeder ($700-$1,800) is by far the most likely to be healthy. These breeders only breed dogs that have tested negative for a variety of inherited health problems and have been proven through dog shows and performance events. They also provide quality care and socialization for the puppies as well as lifetimes supprt to those who purchase a puppy from them.

Answer 9

depends on the breed you are looking for...there is nothing wrong with dogs at the pound and they're not always mutts...anyway if you have 500 for some ugly, unintelligent pure breed then thats for you to decide...if you'd rather pay 100 for a so called mutt from the pound that will probably love you that would im sure be better

Answer 10

If you aren't picky about wanting any specific breed, then I would definitely suggest adopting a shelter/rescue dog. There are soooo many that need a good home and you would be saving a life.

If you decide you want to go breed specific, be sure to research breeds to find one that fits your lifestyle before you get one (a shelter and/or rescue will be able to help you there with a mixed adopted dog too). Far too many purebreeds are given up because the owner didn't realize what they were getting into and that the dog needed excessive amounts of excercise, or very specific training, or were simply a stubborn breed that they didn't bother to train at all.

Answer 11

Get a mutt from the Humane Society. They are all screened for health, given shots that are due, and neutered or spayed before going home.

often, mixed breeds are HEALTHIER than puredreds. The years of inbreeding that happens for purebred dogs carries along congenital diseases and conditions that often don't occur in mixed breeds. Things like hip dysplasia, and rare diseases that can be fatal.

please consider giving a dog a home, instead of supporting an industry that creates more pets, and leaves others on the street. If you aren't interested in showing or breeding your pet, adopting a dog from the Humane Society is the best way to go.

Whatever you do, do NOT get a dog from the PET STORE. These dogs are usually bred in puppy mills, with no consideration for their parents, and ARE the most likely animals to be sick when you adopt them, AND carry inbred diseases. Do NOT support puppy mills by buying dogs from pet stores.