subject: Buying A Mongrel Dog – Why This Is A Fantastic Idea [print this page] Before you opt for an expensive pedigree dog, why not consider getting a mongrel instead? They are just as lovable, often more healthy, and you will be giving a puppy or an adult rescue dog the opportunity of a good home and loving family.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Buying A Mongrel Dog
Some people claim that pedigree dogs are less healthy than mongrels or cross-breeds, but although this may be true of a few breeds, it can not be proven generally. There are two reasons why a pedigree dog is a pedigree: his ancestry is known and recorded; and he breeds true, i.e. if you mate a dog and a bitch of one breed the puppies produced will be replicas of their parents (colour excepted). Because mongrels come from a much greater gene pool, they have less inherited health problems than pure-bred dogs.
One of the advantages of a pedigree is that you will know the size to which he will grow and the sort of temperament he will develop. Getting a mongrel is a bit of a lottery - unless you have background knowledge about his parents, a cute little creature at eight weeks night grow into a giant at 18 months. There is also the risk that he may inherit some nasty genes from one parent which may not manifest themselves until he is an adult, so there are risks involved. However, with cross-breeds, you may know quite a lot about a puppy's pure-bred parents and, with the breed characteristics of both sides, the chances are that he will grow up into a loving, well-behaved family pet. Every mongrel is unique with its own individual character and looks.
No matter what sort of dog you choose, a pedigree or a mongrel, he can enrich your life and will become part of your family.
