My mom said something about purebred dogs' genes being too close (perhaps relative + relative), and mixed breeds having a chance of being more diverse and smarter. Is it true?
2006-11-18 10:31:40 · 17 answers · asked by ? 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
genepool diversity is what any species need in-order to survive. That diversity helps repair problem areas within their genetic makeup. If you take a copy of a copy of a copy.. you're gonna' get errors..
Purebreds don't get that..
I don't know if you've ever met an amish lady, but I swear they're all identical. Hardcore rednecks, and their stereotypical IQ's are also directly related to genepool diversity.
I've found many purebred dogs to be partially insane at times..
2006-11-18 10:42:26 · answer #1 · answered by Deadguy71 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
For the sake of argument let us just assume the breeder of the pure bred dog is good and doesn't harm the breed or do anything he/she is not supposed to do. Taking that into consideration, I think the pure bred dog that comes from a very reputable breeder is most likely and will probably be the most intelligent dog. There are good and bad to both, of course, but given a choice, I will take the pure bred dog. The pure bred is bred for certain qualities and standards. That is what you are going to get when you purchase the dog. That is why you spend money on this dog. You are paying for what you want out of an animal. When you get a mixed breed, you don't know what you are getting. It could be good or bad. That is the chance you take. You could get the best of both breeds or the worst. If you purchase a pure bred from a breeder and anything is wrong or something bad happens you can return the dog within a certain amount of time. They stand behind their dogs. I want to know what I am getting. I don't like surprises when the dog (s) are living in my house and sharing my life.
2016-05-22 01:38:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, there is no truth to this at all. Mix breeds aren't any healthier or smarter then a purebred is. They all have the same training abilities, same health issues.
Being a trainer I've trained many, many dogs and being a vet tech I've seen many different health issues in many different dogs.
2006-11-18 11:27:45 · answer #3 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have more than a few books on the subject of dogs that have stated that there is evidence that the "mutt" may be smarter than purebred dogs just for the reasons your mother was speaking of.
2006-11-18 17:23:43 · answer #4 · answered by ct_girl02 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While all purebreds are pretty much inbred, its exactly that which makes them what they are. Mixed breeds are healthier. Eventually purebreds develop health problems, sometimes severe ones. As for smarter, do you really want a dog to be smart enough to realize they don't have to do as they're told? Some purebred dogs get that smart, but its not a trait most people want anyway.
2006-11-18 10:44:32 · answer #5 · answered by relaxed 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No, they are not and what your mom said is wrong. Breeders know what they are doing when they pair dogs to breed and if the dogs were going to have problems why would they bother. Did it occur to your mom that mixed breeds are produced the same way, especially the new "designer breeds".
2006-11-18 10:44:13 · answer #6 · answered by Shepherdgirl § 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No - it's not necessarily true. Every dog is different. A mutt is just a couple of purebreds mixed together....or many if it's down the line.
There is also a difference in intellegence and trainability which many people confuse. Golden Ret and Labs are easy to train, but it doesn't make them the smartest - just happy to please and quick. Other breeds are considered stubborn and stupid, but they just aren't interested in pleasing you...they were bred for other things - like hunting. Many consider hounds to be "not smart" it's just a different type of smarts.
2006-11-18 10:41:35 · answer #7 · answered by dobes 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It could be, depending on the dog. Mixed breeds are often healthier because they don't have the possible genetic fragility that some pure breeds do. May I suggest you make a trip to the pound. A lifelong friend is waiting for you there.
2006-11-18 10:39:02 · answer #8 · answered by beez 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. that is just like saying that mutts have no health problems because they are mutts.
What if you took the two DUMBEST dogs on the planet..of two different breeds...and bred them. You probably would get some smart ones and some stupid ones.
I have known some pretty dumb mutts.......in fact I have a Heinz 57 that takes the cake in that department.
2006-11-18 10:35:54 · answer #9 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't really matter, because if you compare a German Shepherd pure-bred with a chihuahua mutt, the German Shep. is much smarter. But compare a German Shepherd/Poodle mix, and the purebred chihuahua is nothing!
So it always depends - and all dogs are smart a different way. :-)
2006-11-18 10:42:58 · answer #10 · answered by wbd! 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋