Choosing Between Pure Bred German Shepherd versus Mixed Breed
There is always a running debate as to whether you should get a pure bred German Shepherd or one that comes from a mixed background. The issue will never be finished, but the reasons why you acquired your German Shepherd may explain which side of the argument you fall on. For show dogs, police dogs or specialized jobs like a seeing-eye dog, a pure bred is usually the top choice. The shows are usually interested in displaying the best qualities the breed has to offer. Only specialized shows will even admit mixed breds. If the German Shepherd has a white coat, even if it is a pure bred, it will not be admitted into the shows. Some of the highly-trained acts will allow mixed breeds, but they are not allowed to win any prizes. Police dogs, drug search or general task dogs are almost always of the pure bred variety. You will sometimes see a dog that has an exceptional background, but this is rare. Most of the time, the only see a purebred dog for these roles, and their ancestors and body characteristics will be heavily evaluated before they are chosen. Some of the mixed breeds can be outstanding physically. If you cross an Irish Setter with a German Shepherd, the dog can have unusual, long hair and a sweet, loving disposition. They don’t have the tolerance for colder climates, so a mixed breed German Shepherd typically fares better up north. If the sire and dam for several generations are carefully chosen and then mixed, you can have an outstanding dog. Mixing genes from different lines will reduce the risk of disease in your dog. Conversely, if you mix sires and dams that are too closely related, you are more apt to have diseases and inherited problems. Mixed breeds explicitly state that their ancestry is unknown. Unknown can be a risky thing because you won’t know what to look for in diseases, common characteristics and more. You take on more of a risk factor. Some mixed dogs can definitely be great companions, but the odds of behavioral problems are increased because unlike a pure bred, this dog did not have parents that were carefully chosen. Purebreds can have plenty of problems as well. If the breeder has unscrupulous morals, he will just breed all possible animals to make money. Most breeders are reputable, but you can run into problems and see higher instances of Hip Dysplasia and other genetic conditions in the puppies. Having a mixed breed is a great choice for a companion, but you might have to deal with more problems that you cannot predict. Everything with owning a dog is somewhat risky, but having a mixed breed can sometimes increase your risk (don’t know which characteristics might cause problems in the future) in a way, while reducing it in another (less possibility of disease in mixing two separate animals). More Articles on German Shepherd Facts and Intro: | 