Whether you are purchasing your first dog or your fiftieth, it's never too late to give a mixed breed a try. While mixed breed dogs will often perform these working dog duties if asked, the instinct is typically weaker, resulting in fewer problems if you just want your dog to hang out and be a part of the family. A problem often arises when purebred dogs bred for a hyper specific purpose are stripped of their jobs and asked to be companions instead of workers. Over the last several thousand years, humans have developed dogs to perform a number of tasks including hunting, herding and providing protection. The further in the past your dog has purebred. Many dogs descend from other dogs that were themselves mixed breed. These long identical stretches of DNA are more likely to reflect recent ancestry. Find a reputable breeder and one of these mixed breeds might be perfect for you and your family. What is Supermutt Our ancestry algorithm works by finding long identical segments of DNA between your dog and purebred dogs in our reference dataset. Oh sure, they've got fancy names like Labradoodle, Peekapoo and Puggle (and often a price tag to match), but make no mistake about it, these dogs have all the advantages of a mixed breed dog. With a little bit of care, a lot of love, and a solid training regimen, your mixed breed dog will become an important part of your family, even if they turn out a little different than expected.Īre you the kind of person who always has the latest phone, car and clothing? Do you enjoy being on the cutting edge of everything new and hip? If you answered yes, now is the perfect time to get a mixed breed dog. However, watching your puppy grow into an individual is also part of the fun of owning a mixed breed. Purchasing or adopting a mixed breed dog can be a little scary, especially if you haven't met one or both of the dog's parents.
©istockphoto/Anasalazars They're Full of Surprises Owning a mixed breed dog doesn't mean the dog won't need care or will never develop health problems, but the chances of your dog having a genetic defect are lower. Available in a range of colours and styles for men, women, and everyone. They are also less likely to exhibit temperament and intelligence issues often associated with interbreeding of purebred dogs. Shop high-quality unique Mutt Meaning T-Shirts designed and sold by independent artists. Mixed breed dogs have lower chances of developing genetic health problems such as hip dysplasia, cataracts and hypothyroidism.
Your mixed breed dog won't win any AKC show championships, but this is certainly not a case of "you get what you pay for." The initial cost of a dog is a very small portion of what will be spent over her lifetime on feeding, veterinary care, and incidentals, but it's still tough to shell out hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a pooch when a perfectly good mixed breed companion can be had for a fraction of the price. By adopting a mixed breed from a shelter, you are not only getting a companion, but ensuring that your new friend will not meet an untimely end. One of the best places to find a mixed breed dog is your local animal shelter.
Here's a few reasons to love mixed breed dogs and why, when the time comes to find a new best friend, you should say "Make mine a mutt." From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Related topics: Animals, Pets mutt /mt/ noun countable informal a dog that does not belong to any particular breed SYN mongrel Examples from the Corpus mutt These drooling mutts get into all sorts of trouble during their free time on the streets. The same goes for mongrel, but to lovers of mixed breed dogs, these terms are badges of honor. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.To some, the term mutt has a negative connotation. Window.FB.Event.subscribe('xfbml.render', function() (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'))