With hundreds of purebred dogs, an almost infinite number of mixed breeds, and a growing number of designer breed dogs, it is difficult to decide which one is right for your family. Some dogs can be good with children and thrive on the noise and commotion of the family home. These same dogs can misbehave and be terribly sad if they spend most of their days alone without human interaction. Other dogs are quite the opposite and are content with a calm environment and overstimulate and misbehave around children.
Purebred dogs
One of the biggest advantages of a purebred dog is that, to some extent, there is predictability when selecting your dog as a puppy. Of course, not all adult dogs of a breed act in the same way. However, you can make a guess about the future appearance of the dog, health problems, and behavioral characteristics. If you are looking for a good running partner, you can find one. If you are looking for a dog that is probably good with children, you can find that too. To have the best chance of obtaining a dog that is distinctive to the breed, it is important that you obtain your puppy from a reputable breeder. While most breeders operate for profit, a reputable breeder also cares about the well-being of the dogs and treats them well. A breeder who is primarily concerned with profit can feed the dogs less nutritious food and keep the dogs in less-than-pristine living conditions. The best way to find a reputable breeder is to do a little research and visit the breeder, if possible.
Mixed breed dogs
Many family pets that have been adopted from the kennel or obtained when a dog in the neighborhood had puppies are mixed breed dogs. Mixed breed dogs are also known as strays. Pooches can be wonderful pets. However, it is important that you know as much as you can about your ancestry. If you know what breeds the dog is descended from, you will know as much as possible about its potential temperament and health issues.
Designer dogs
Designer dogs are gaining popularity. Unlike the “stray dogs” of mixed breeds that occur by chance, designer dogs are an intentional breeding of two specific breeds. The combinations of dogs that are being bred have been carefully researched and thought out. The breeding is intended to result in a dog that has the best characteristics of both parents. The thought is, for example, to produce a wonderful family dog that does not shed. Sometimes this is successful and sometimes it is not. Designer dogs are expensive and very popular right now and they can make wonderful pets if they have the right parents. However, some people who are not in favor of this determined crossing believe that these dogs are simply expensive strays.
Therefore, before welcoming your new dog into your home, be sure to consider the pros and cons of purebreds, stray dogs, and designer dogs. Everyone can be a wonderful family pet.
