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        With a Pure Breed dog, you know what your dog will be like. Knowing the breed of dog will enable you to know what your dog will LOOK like when it matures. There are certain characteristics common for many breeds, for example, some are more prone to running, chewing, or digging, but these personality traits are not necessarily written into the AKC standard, and are not always predictable. Other habits are a product of the environment the dog was raised in, and have little to do with heritage. Advances in DNA research show both factors as significant. A purebred dog from the most docile of breeds can still develop nervous or annoying habits. Knowing the traits of the parents and raising your own puppy can give you control of the dog’s temperament to a degree, whether the dog comes from a long line of blue ribbon winners or from the local shelter. Many pure bred dogs offered for sale have negative traits from their parents that the breeders may not admit to. Some breeds, such as German Shepherds, have aggressive tendencies that may not be obvious when the owner is present.

        Pure Breeds are healthier. Health is determined by a variety of factors, starting with the care of the bitch prior to whelping. Proper care of puppies is in the hands of humans, not genetics. Actually, many pure breeds are known to pass on genetic defects that are often not common in mixed breed dogs. Ethical breeders will screen their dogs as well as requiring puppy buyers to have their dogs examined for inheritable faults. Any dog with a genetic defect should not be bred.

        Only Pure Breed Dogs can be shown. Only registered dogs can be shown in conformation classes, but there are several organizations, like OKPAWS, coming to the spotlight for mixed breed dogs. These dogs are not judged on their appearances in the ring, but are now showing off their abilities in the obedience class, as well as in tracking and hunting trials. These types of events judge a dog by what it can do, not what it looks like.

        Mutts have unstable personalities. A dog’s mental health is determined by its level of security in its environment, its state of physical well being, what its learned from past experiences, and partially on its inherited temperament. An adult dog from the pound may have a history of physical and/or mental abuse, and care should be taken in evaluating the dog for any signs of aggression or fear. Younger dogs and puppies are usually able to overcome their past hardships when taken into a loving home.

        Mutts can give the better of two breeds. A mutt needs to be judged on its personal traits. Although some mutts are impressive, crossing two pure breeds together in hopes of getting a specific mix is just not practical. In the world of dog mushing, most of the champions are all of a mixed breed status. This is not to imply that pure breeds can’t run sled races, simply that the breeders know what they are looking for, and it isn’t found in any one breed in particular. They have intentionally crossed various working dog breeds with huskies and hounds. Mushers choose dogs for their performance ability, and tracking the pedigrees for these animals is NOT based on breed standards, but on winning qualities. This type of crossbreeding should be left to the professionals because predicting a litter takes great skill.

        Pure breed dogs are probably inbred. Many pure breed dogs have had their image handicapped by the prevalence of puppy mills and uninformed buyers. Line-breeding and in-breeding are both commonly misused terms. It is common for breeders to line-breed, which is a means of strengthening desirable traits. This is not the same as inbreeding, which will eventually lead to the destruction of the line by compounding undesirable traits.

        Dogs from the pound or rescue shelters need special care. A dog that has come into a rescue situation may have had a rough past, and possibly been abused. There are many dogs in need of homes that do require special care, due to either mental or physical traumas, but there are also many whose owners simply could no longer keep them. Caring for a rescued animal is generally no different from caring for a purebred. Both require routine veterinary care, regular shots and worming, spaying or neutering. Responsible dog ownership takes about the same amount of dedication regardless of breed.

        The final preference of mutt or pure breed ultimately depends on how you intend to incorporate your new dog into your life. Every dog has it’s own unique personality. When choosing a dog for a pet, it is most important to judge any dog or puppy by its individuality, regardless of where you decide to adopt it from, and regardless of it’s breeding. Let’s not forget there are many pure breed rescue groups. You can choose a pure breed and rescue a homeless dog at the same time.

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