OK.. why do people insist on buying pure breed animals?

Question

There are SOOO very many loving awesome animals on their death bed in shelters right now that would make wonderful pets. They are smarter than pure breeds with less health issues, so WTF? I wish I could shake people.

You all sound pretty smart. So who knows enough about genetics to know that opposite races/ breeds make a better more adapt animal/ person. The closer the genes the more apt to being mentally and physically handicap, yes this is even true for similar breeds breeding. Like some Aussies (deaf blind), Dalmations (deaf), Siamease cats (deaf), Retrievers (horrible hot spots), Pugs (neurologic, and skin problems).

Oh well youll have to read more about it to understand though, if you don't already.

Heres the link (one of many)
http://www.lhasa-apso.org/health/hellmuth.htm

Answer 1

I don't really have a problem with purebreds as I do have two purebred Persians (though both from shelters). What I DO have a problem with is the breeding of these designer "hybrid" dogs like Maltipoos, Labradoodles, etc. It's absolutely ridiculous when there's so many animals waiting in shelters - both purebred and mixed. And the prices people are paying for these hybrids. I saw in the paper the other day a Labradoodle for $1,500. A purebred Lab? $500. WFT???!!!!! Stop the madness, people!

Answer 2

Sorry, but what's wrong with getting a purebred? Sure, it's great to adopt an animal from a shelter, I volunteer at an animal shelter so I know how many poor animals end up there, but that doesn't mean there's something wrong with buying an animal instead.

Some people like to show dogs/cats. You need a purebred animal for that.

Sometimes people fall in love with a certain breed. Every breed has different characteristics, one may suit a person better than another. Why shouldn't you get the animal that will make the best companion for you? The animal isn't going to be very happy if you aren't very happy with it.

I have two purebred dachshunds, one of which is the smartest dog I've ever seen. I love my dogs, am I a horrible person for this?

The shelter I volunteer at almost never has any small dogs. I'm sure there are some that come in eventually but I have never, ever seen anything smaller than a medium-sized dog. Now, this poses a problem to people who want a dog but don't have the space for a large dog to run. A small dog is the best option for someone living in an apartment because they don't need as much room to run around. So what's wrong with people in this kind of situation buying a dog when they can't find something that suits them at a shelter?

I could go on with perfectly justifiable reasons why someone would choose to buy a purebred instead of adopting a pet. But bottom line, you shouldn't judge someone so unfairly. What you should be angry about is the people who refuse to spay/neuter their animals and let them roam around on the streets. THEY are the true culprits behind all the poor homeless animals in the shelters.

Answer 3

"why do people only want pure breed dogs and pay for them or when they are in a shelter for free they chose them right away in the country i live in they chose pure breed dogs to show off in there village and breed for money even though there is a animal problem." > Shelter dogs aren't free. > Some people want shelter dogs, some people want the predictability, working ability, etc., of a well-bred purebred. "And why do people still hunt for food when you can just buy it and it cost a lot less then a gun and bullets i mean geez we aren't cave men anymore!" > Hunted meat is healthier, it's eaten a more natural diet, hasn't been pumped full of horomones and antibiotics, and is leaner. > Hunting is also imperative to keeping wildlife populations in-check when the natural predators no longer live in an area. When a certain species gets overpopulated, it's not good on the ecosystem, and the overpopulated animals often die slow painful deaths of starvation or disease. > And the animal has lived a good, free life in the wild. Hunting is probably more humane than buying meat at a store. > And yes, hunting is cheaper than buying meat from the store. Bullets are pretty cheap, and a gun is a one-time purchase. "Why wear tortured or skinned alive animal sometimes even house pets such as dogs and cats but they say its like some cat from the jungle." > The fur industry is pretty well regulated here in the USA. They don't skin animals alive. > And fur is WARM! The two warmest coats I've ever owned were a down-filled coat and a fur coat. .

Answer 4

A purebred animal, especially one from a reputable breeder comes with several sorts of "guarantees". You know the size, color, shape the dog will be when it grows up. You know how it was raised, what hereditary issues its parents were tested for, who its parents are, what sort of temperament it is likely to have, whether it was bred to conform to what its breed was meant to do as well as a written guarantee that it is/will be healthy. You have a guarantee that you can return the dog to the breeder at any point in the dog's life and you have the breeder as a mentor.

I breed and train working dogs. It is imperative that I know how big they'll be, what sort of coat they are likely to carry and what their working abilities are. I cannot get these things from a shelter dog.

A random bred pairing of dogs without health clearances whether purebred or mutt are more likely to have health issues than the pup of pair of dogs whose pedigrees have been studied and who have health clearances.

A lab/boxer mix where both parents are dysplastic is going to yield some pups that are dysplastic.

The reality is that the trouble with dogs ending up in the shelters has very little to do with producing puppies and a whole lot more to do with idiots who take no responsibility for the pups they've produced or the dogs they have bought. If people actually bothered to TRAIN their dogs, didn't get dogs if they didn't own a house, place their dogs themselves if their child developed allergies, made sure not to get new animals that their old animals may not get on with, didn't allow their dogs to roam .. There would be a LOT fewer dogs in shelters.

We need to start teaching responsible ownership. And I personally feel duty bound as a breeder to work with the purebred rescue for my breed. I've rescued wayyyy more dogs than I'll ever produce. I also feel that we need to encourage more people to learn how to train their dogs.. I offer a $50 rebate if a pup I produce passes a beginner's obedience class. I believe in passing what knowledge I have on to the next generation.. and so try to be tolerant when people don't understand.

Good breeders require their pet pups be spayed/nuetered unless they are proven stock.. they guarantee their dogs and they have a "return to breeder" clause in their contract if the dog should need rehomed.

People buy from pet shops and breeders because they don't want a shelter dog. If they wanted a shelter dog they would go to the shelter.

I have issues with those people who buy from backyard breeders, petstores and puppymills... and then are shocked that their purebred is nowhere near as smart, sweet, well-constructed or trainable as my dogs/pups.

Answer 5

Both of my dogs were strays, but in defense for purebred dog owners, sometimes there is a need for a breed's instincts.

It is hard to target a dog in a shelter that has a lot of cow sense and would make you a good herding/stock dog, yet you can be assured that a Border Collie, for instance (especially one from working bloodlines), would assuredly work your livestock no problem.

The same goes for many other working breeds, like Retriever-types and Pointers.

Answer 6

Because sometimes you like a certain breed and you may have had that kind(breed) before and you know what to expect from that Breed !! I love boxers and I have owned a boxer before, so I wanted another full breed Boxer !! If i got a mixed boxer then i don't know for sure what its mixed with? I wouldn't know how its tempermant would turn out to be? I wouldn't know how big it would get? So you see there would be just to many Questions That couldn't be answered!! But if i have a Full breed boxer then I know Exactly what I am getting !!!!!!!!! I know about the breed and how that breed is !! Because breeders breed ONLY what is in that specific breed!!! If its a mixed dog or a so called designer dog then you don't know what all your getting! A mix of two dogs and you don't know what part your new puppy will have !!

Answer 7

"Smarter and less health issues" - that is very elitist and not very researched.
If I buy a dog from a breeder I know that she has invested a lot of energy into his long-term health. Usually though several generations.

If I buy a pure bred dog I start off with a certain amount of predictability.
I know how big he is going to get
I know what health problems he may be prone to
I know what his temperament will be like. (is there a tendency for it to be dog aggressive, how well do they handle children, are they aloof or do they bond with everyone, etc)
I know that I have gotten a pup that's as healthy as it can be.
I know what the dogs energy levels will be.

I don't doubt that shelter dogs make good pets. But for me, I want a purebred. I like the predictability.

Answer 8

Because in most cases there is a reason those dogs are at the shelter. For example, Escape artist, Dog aggressive, destructive, people aggressive, not potty trained, and too hyper. People that get purebreds want a breed that fits their personality and that they don't want to take the chance of getting a bad dog at the shelter. And people all want to start fresh with a cute puppy thinking they will be able to handle it. Many dogs that are at the shelter are actually purebred but people who had them didn't take the time to train them. So many purebred rescue organizations rescue them and charge a huge adoption fee. The dogs that are on death row getting euthanized are the ones that have aggression problems and severe health problems. As those dogs are a risk to society. They rarely euthanize a friendly adoptable dog. They have adoption events monthly at pet stores and dog events at the park. And many get adopted out this way because they are not in a cage.

Answer 9

I've owned both pure-bred and mixed breed dogs that were equally intelligent, loving, and wonderful.

While I've known people who've had good luck adopting pets from shelters, I have not had equally good experiences. Shelter pets I've adopted have been prone to both behavior and health problems. My worst experience was when I adopted an adult cat that nearly killed one of my dogs. I suspect the cat's habit of biting without provocation was the reason it ended up in the shelter in the first place. I will never get another pet from a shelter, but will continue to encourage people to have their pets spayed and neutered.

My three wonderful, healthy, intelligent, and well trained pure-bred dogs are all spayed and neutered. People buy pure-bred dogs so they can at least make good guesses at how large the dog will be when it's full grown, how much it will shed, and approximately what personality traits it will exhibit. Knowing these things can be important, particularly in the working and hunting breeds.

So get off your smug little pedestal of superiority.

Answer 10

Normally I suggest people try to find one thru rescue or shelter.. sometimes its not feasable. Sometimes you want a certain breed that isnt very common. If you are looking for a working dog, I think its best to seek one thru a reputable breeder.

When I bought my first purebred crested, there werent many of them available for adoption.. none in Ohio.

I wanted a hairless crested, not a large breed mutt. I had a personality and temperment in mind that suited my lifestyle, and I wanted a small dog, and a crested was it. So I researched and found a reputable breeder and bought a crested.

They are more common now, and there are more available in rescue.. my other crested was a rescue.

Sorry, but a mixed breed dog is not always smarter or healthier than a purebred. Depends on the breed, and whether or not health testing has been done on the parents. My Crested from the breeder has a better chance at health than any mixed breed dog of unknown ancestry... why? His breeder OFA's and CERFs all of her dogs to assure they are free of genetic disease.