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All the things I wish I knew before I got my first ever puppy!
Mixed Breed Myths: Image
Nowadays mixed breed dogs are almost as popular as purebreds, it’s very rare that I go on a walk and don’t come across a dog with some kind of ‘doodle’ or ‘poo’ in the name! There are pros and cons to mixed breeds and the most fair thing to say about them is it’s a mixed bag!
Obviously the idea of a mixed breed dog is to mix the best parts of 2 breeds together to hopefully produce the perfect hybrid. For example, breeding a Labrador and a Poodle, you might be hoping for the labradors temperament with the poodles hypoallergenic non shed coat. However, it’s not always the case, you might end up with puppies with a poodle’s temperament and a labradors allergenic forever shedding coat!
As a family pet this might not make too much of a difference, especially if both breeds are similar in temperament and personality, however if you intend on using it as a working dog, it might be a different story.
If you buy a pure bred dog you are, for lack of better words, buying a dog that has been specifically manufactured for a purpose. They will inevitably have specific traits and performance characteristics related to that particular breed (Assuming they have been bred responsibly). For example a border collie will inevitably be a highly active and intelligent dog which unless trained and handled properly will be a right handful!
If you buy a mix breed dog, you’re going to be getting genetic diversity and more balanced characteristics. This may be ideal for some, but if you need the characteristics of a pure bred Border Collie, you will be less likely to get them in a Border Collie mix.
I think by far the biggest myth about mixed breed dogs is that they are healthier. There have been a lot of studies conducted about the health of mixed breed vs pure bred dogs and there has been no evidence so far that mixed breeds are healthier or live any longer than pure bred dogs.
It’s almost impossible to predict the size or life span of a cross breed, especially when a large and small breed dog are combined. I have a friend with a Labradoodle which was bred from a Labrador a toy poodle- yet is the same size of a Labrador. Yet from the same litter, some of the puppies have not grown much bigger than a toy poodle. A lot will probably settle in the middle size wise, but if size is an important aspect for you then buying a cross breed puppy is going to be a gamble.
The temperament of a mix breed can also be unpredictable. If you’re getting a rescue dog and can see their temperament then this isn’t such an issue, but when choosing a puppy it’s hard to see what kind of temperament they will have as it grows older. Obviously every dog is different and even in a pure bred, a breed is not a guarantee of a good or bad temperament. But unwanted aspects of a breed might show through, such as dominance and territorial behaviour.
It used to be that cross breeds were cheaper to buy but from what I’ve seen now it’s not so much the case anymore as the price of all dogs has sky rocketed. Long story short, if you’re buying from a reputable breeder then you’ll be paying more. There are however a larger number of cross breeds up for adoption in shelters if that is an option that you’re willing to look at!
But anyway, instead of rambling on anymore, to summarise the myths:
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Not guaranteed to get the mix of characteristics that you want.
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Not always healthier.
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Not always cheaper than pure breeds.
This wasn’t intended as an article to put anyone off buying a mixed breed dog, they often make amazing family dogs and depending on the breed mix, can be the ideal dog for first time owners due to having more dialled down temperaments than a pure bred. This article was purely designed to let people know that it’s not all sweetness and light, and like with any dog, there are no guarantees on anything!
Mixed Breed Myths: Text
Mixed Breed Myths: Sports Articles
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