When it comes to choosing a dog to bring home, their breed is probably one of the first things everyone considers. The American Kennel Club recognizes a total of 195 different dog breeds, however, there are countless others in existence, and on top of that there are different types of mixes. This article will help you better understand the differences between purebred dogs and mixed breeds to help you have the information you need.
What is a Purebred Dog?
Purebred dogs are the type of dogs that come from parents, grandparents, etc. Who all belong to the same breed. Breeding first came around when people would pair dogs that had similar traits so that they can create offspring with specific characteristics. For example, dogs have the ability to run fast, guard property, hunt, pull sleds, etc. Then, the best puppies from the litter were selected to be the ones that will eventually breed the next litter, and so on. You might have heard of this process before, as it is also known as “cultivating varieties.”
A true purebred will have a pedigree that can be traced back to its ancestors. You have to be cautious when adopting a pet, because someone may falsely claim to be selling a purebred. You have to be sure that they will also provide you with the proper papers as well as pedigree. This is to not only prove that they are indeed purebred but to also be able to have access to other important information, for example, inbreeding (it is properly explained in the section below).
Pros of Pure Breeds
There are advantages and disadvantages that have to be considered before deciding to own a purebred dog. Probably the biggest pro of having purebred dogs is predictability. If you have a purebred dog, you are more likely to know what you are getting into when you decide to bring the puppy home. Knowing what to expect of the dog’s temperament will make your dog easier to train based on the standards of the dog’s breed group. It depends if your dog belongs to a sporting group, hound group, terrier group, working group, toy group, herding group, or non-sporting group. While all individual dogs are different, you are less likely to encounter something entirely out of the ordinary when it comes to temperament and eventual size. This also helps with grooming and medical needs.
For example, almost 20% of German Shepherds are susceptible to the skeletal condition, hip dysplasia. This can cause chronic pain accompanied by limping. Anticipating the needs of the purebred dog will better help you prepare solutions beforehand to address them swiftly. As pure breeds have heavily predictable behavior, purebreds tend to make better rescue as well as service dogs.
If you like to show off your dog, then this is another pro for you, as purebreds are the only dogs that can compete in dog shows. If participating in dog shows is something you are looking to get into, then it is best if you go for a purebred puppy.
Cons of Pure Breeds
There are a few drawbacks to owning a purebred dog. One of the most common concerns is, as hinted above, inbreeding. Inbreeding is when dogs have been bred with their close relatives for multiple generations. Though purebred dogs are sometimes mated with their relatives to ensure the offspring is also purebred, having dogs breed with very close relatives, for example, siblings can likely cause genetic defects and other issues in the future litter. They can even start to lose the traits that they were inbred for.
Purebred dogs could also be the result of unethical breeding practices, which is one of the major cons. For example, a lot of canines are bred in puppy mills which are notorious for their poor conditions as well as their inhumane treatment of dogs. Those who are selling dogs from puppy mills might be claiming that their dogs are purebred while charging high prices, without offering any proper pedigree.
While we are talking about puppy scams, there are several red flags you should watch out for. Sometimes, supposed breeders will not conduct business by phone, they will instead rely on email only to handle communications. Fake breeders fully utilize stock photos found elsewhere on the internet to advertise the puppies they are looking to sell. You can reverse-search the text as well as the photos listed to see if they appear elsewhere. Questionable breeders will also insist on using a non-secure method of payment, which makes it harder for the buyers to get their money back should the deal turn out to be a scam.
Speaking of payment, you need to understand a price that is too good to be true probably is. Make sure you do some research regarding the price range for the breed you are interested in buying, this will also help you to figure out if what the breeder is asking is at a fair market price. The key point is that you should reject any breeder’s claim to have a “breeder badge” from the American Kennel Club. Why? because the AKC does not hand out badges like those.
Last of all, purebred dogs are expensive, the cost for them is upwards of $1,500.
Conclusion
As with everything else in the world, you can see, there are pros and cons to both purebred dogs. The majority of the time, when people are considering what dog breed they want to adopt, purebreds are at the forefront of their minds. However, mixed breeds also make for great companions, if you want to take that route, they shouldn’t be discounted.
The type of dog you want to bring home, though, really depends on your needs and should be a personal decision. Before you do decide to adopt one, make sure you have assessed your wants, needs, as well as expectations and if deemed necessary, talk through them with members living with you. Hopefully, this article helps you thoroughly understand what purebred dogs are.
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