A Purebred Puppy Or A Mixed Breed Puppy?  

by Mitch Endick

Which is better, to choose between a pure bred puppy and a mixed breed puppy. Which is the best choice? There are lot of factors in this decision.

A pure bred puppy will cost more. A mixed breed puppy is often free or cheaper in cost then a pure bred. A pure bred puppy will often have a higher level of care associated with it. Unless purchased from a puppy mill, pure bred dogs are often pampered, wormed and have their early shots. Pure bred puppies may have congenital problems associated with inbreeding unless care was taken in the breeding. Buying a purebred with accredited credentials from the American Kennel Club or other such breed clubs helps keep track of several generations of parents. The American Kennel Club offers pure bred dog registrations for both puppies that you eventually want to breed and puppies that are not to be used for breeding. Generally, the breeder you purchase your puppy from will charge more for a puppy if you want to eventually breed and have the puppies registered. This makes the breeder more money and helps keep out competition for that breed of registered puppies in the future.

I have personal experience in both pure bred and mixed breed dogs. I have had 4 different mixed breed dogs and all were lovable, healthy and great pets. One of my dogs, Shadow, I have had for 14 years. She is a mix between a Rottweiler (her mother) and a Golden Retriever. She looks like a wide black lab. I was hoping that she would retain some of the characteristics of both breeds. I wanted a friendly dog since we have three children, but also a dog that guards us at night. Well, it turns out, that she is a black Golden Retriever. She is all sweetness. There is not a trace of watch dog in her. We had good friends show up recently, at night. They let themselves into our house with their key and walked right past our lounging Shadow to greet us. Shadow never barked when they arrived and just considered this a non alarm. Our friends visit about once a month and I'm sure that she knows the sound of their car engine. But I would prefer a bit of dog warning. She is a wonderful dog and just to look at her would scare most people with bad intentions.

On the other hand, I have a pure bred white German Shepherd puppy about eight weeks old. She is already acting like a watch dog at this early age. This is a trait that I was looking for. It is obvious that this instinct to guard is hardwired into her. I needed a dog that is highly intelligent, protective of my family and a watch dog, and large enough to wrestle with my son and I. I know that I found what I was looking for. My point is this. If you want a better chance of choosing a puppy that will grow to a certain size and exhibit certain characteristics, your best choice is going to be a pure bred. All you need to do is decide what size of dog you desire and choose the characteristics that you are looking for and then research the breeds. Do your homework and you won't be sorry. I usually wind up with a dog because it is available at the time. This was the first time that I actually chose the puppy I wanted, and even ordered it before it was born.

To be fair, many people own mixed breeds and love them including me. It is a good deed to save a puppy from the pound or save the dog that is obviously looking for a home. But if you are looking for specific characteristics, consider a pure bred.

Lastly, if you are looking for a purebred, try not to buy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills breed purebred dogs by the dozens. The dogs get little care or socialization. The dog moms are abused. Puppy mills often sell through chain pet shops, the internet and even local classified ads. This is not to say that all chain pet store, classified ads and internet ads are bad. When we purchased our puppy ( I found our puppy on the internet) I chose a breeder as close to home as I could (3 hours). I questioned the breeder as to how many dogs she had to be sure that it was not a large, impersonal operation. I visited the breeder and found out that she socialized each puppy in her home and the puppies even had a chance to be socialized with cats. I wanted to be sure that we had the best chance of buying a great puppy, and we did.
About the Author

Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular pet site: http://www.petpages.com. He provides informative advice on all pets including dogs, puppies, cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs. Petpages.com also has an extensive pet classified ads section.