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Health & Fitness

Purebred vs. Mixed Breed: Which One Is Better?

The debate over whether purebreds or mixed breeds make better companions has been argued among dog lovers for decades, and while we think almost any dog can make a great furry friend, here are a few pros and cons to decide if a purebred or mixed breed is right for you:

Purebred Puppy Pros

  • Dogs that belong to a particular breed generally share basic behavioral and physical traits, taking some of the guesswork out of your dog’s appearance and habits.
  • Buying a dog from a reputable breeder will give you access to your pet’s family medical history, which can help ensure that your pet doesn’t suffer from any crippling genetic health issues.

Purebred Puppy Cons

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  • Purebred dogs’ shallower gene pool makes them susceptible to certain hereditary diseases.
  • Purchasing a quality purebred puppy is incredibly costly.
  • Poorly managed breeders are encouraged to sell inferior purebred puppies to unassuming owners in an attempt to fill demand for less expensive purebred dogs.

Mixed Breed Pros
  • Mixed breed puppies’ larger gene pool makes them less likely to develop any diseases that might be lurking in their ancestral breed line.
  • “Mutts” are significantly less expensive to adopt, making dog ownership a less costly endeavor.
  • Adopting an animal from a local rescue saves healthy dogs from being unnecessarily euthanized and clears space in overcrowded shelters.

Mixed Breed Cons

  • A mutt can have so many mixed breed lines that it nearly impossible to trace its ancestry. This makes it difficult to predict the dog’s adult size, temperament, etc.

Read more at West Hartford Pet Sitters Blog.

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