pure breeds or cross breeds which are better and why?

Question

i have had both pure and at the moment two cross breeds i loved my pure bred gsd but he was'nt as healthy as my collie cross who is still with me and at 13yrs doing very well,so now all i have is two cross breeds but would like to buy a westie in the future any opinions on this would help

Answer 1

That's a tough question. With a pure-bred dog, you're more likely to have an idea of what you're getting into beforehand. With most breeds, you can do a little research to find out what typical traits about the breed are (temperament, grooming needs, health concerns, size, etc) whereas with a mixed breed, you're never really sure. Not that every pure-bred dog is 100% predictable, but at least you have some guidelines that you can go by.
Westies are a good bet, in my opinion. They tend to be very hardy dogs, they love to romp and play, and don't usually have many health issues from my own personal experience (not having owned one myself, but knowing many Westie owners and having many clients who have Westies). They do require a good amount of grooming, and should be carded and/or hand-stripped by the groomer every 8-12 weeks to keep the coat and skin in optimal health. Clippering the coat is acceptable for a pet Westie, but is not acceptable for Westies in the show ring (NOTE: if clippered, a Westie should still have his coat carded to remove dead undercoat and keep the skin in good health). Westies are fun little dogs that tend to be full of energy (as most Terriers are!) and make wonderful companion dogs, as well as sporting/hunting dogs, believe it or not.

Answer 2

Definitely cross breeds! Pure breeds often tend to have inherited problems and therefore aren't likely to live as long. Personally, I think there should be a lot less pure breeding, as there are way too many strays waiting for homes. You could always try and find a westie cross - it may even be cuter than a pure breed!
PS most pure breeds ARE inbred! If you look at the pedigree, the family connection is kept as close as possible, which can cause problems. Same as humans - but that's illegal!

Answer 3

I love both actually.

Our pure bred poodle was a little terror actually, but my Border Collie/Lab cross and my Jack Russell cross are no better!!!

The only thing that has put me off pure breds is that my little poodle (who I adored) died suddenly of a heart attack aged 7 and the vet said that pure bred dogs are more prone to this sort of thing because of inbreeding. I've found crossbreeds to be more healthy in general.

On the other hand, my in-laws have a pure bred GSD who's lovely, incredibly well behaved and really trainable, unlike our two psychopaths who have barely mastered "sit" and don't even know the meaning of Recall!!

Answer 4

There are lots of different opinions on this. Healthwise, with a purebred dog you will be able to find out the medical history of the parents of the puppy. But with a cross breed you most probably will have difficulty.

Having said that, crossbreeds are normally more resilient to any disease.

Both can give lots of pleasure with lots of TLC. A westie will be lovely although I am not a small dog person - I love Goldens and GSDs.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Well personally I prefer the mixed breeds :) I have 3 mixed breed dogs myself and all are very healthy. :) A dogs breed(s) doesn't make it better than another though, they are still capable of loving their owner pure or not. As far as a Westie goes, if you would feel better with a pure go for one, but if you want a mix try www.petfinder.com and adopt one :)

Answer 6

Well in the end it all comes down to personal preference. If you prefer more of an expensive dog it would pure breeds, but I'm not really an expert but i think its what you prefer best but all cross breeds and pure are all cute!!

Answer 7

having a boxer and a collie x the find that the x collie has less health problems but it is down the personal choice just research the dog you are looking at does it fit in with your life style.?

Answer 8

Neither is better. Both can have health issues, both can have training issues, both can have temperament issues.
It is false that mixes are healthier, longer lived, easier trained or better tempered then purebreds.
The problem people often see with purebreds is that many are from irresponsible breeders, people who care nothing more tehn to make $$$$. They don't care if they breed unhealthy dogs, they don't care about conformation & breed standard, they don't care about anything..it is these irresponsible people that give purebreds the bad rep and make people think they are unhealthy/illtempered.

Answer 9

Cross breeds are less likely to have inherited health problems,often live longer and are more resistant to disease.

With pure breeds you have a better idea of what size and temperament the dog will end up with.

Take your pick

Answer 10

To be honest, its a well known fact that Cross breds live longer than pure breds as they have less health problems. but with pure breds you know pretty much what the breeds general temprement is like and you can prepare for any ailments they have.

I personally am not a westie fan, i have had a few bad experiences with them before. I think the best small pure bred you could go for would be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.