Do you prefer Pure breeds, or Mixed? Dogs and cats

[aknif]

I'm partial to mutts myself. Growing up, we had Buddy who was such a Heinze 57 dog that even the vet didn't know what all he was! His vet forms all just said Terrier/Beagle mix. He was the sweetest dog ever and lived a long and healthy 17 year life.

Now, my parents just have Peanut, who's a little brown chihuahua terrier mix that we got when I worked at a pet store. Someone brought her in saying they'd seen her walking in the road and I took her home. She's 14 now and still going strong even though she's got no teeth left! HA!

My Dingo dog is also a mix. We got him from a puppy rescue. He came from a farm out on the Colorado / Kansas border. His markings are all cattle dog, but he's too tall and leggy and he's got a screwy tail that curls up over his back when he gets excited. His vet says he's 90% Aussie Cattle Dog and 10%, uh, something else, possibly an aussie shepherd. Now, at age 6, he's got retinal atrophy and will probably be totally blind by the end of this year.

I will say though that my hubby and I had our hearts stolen by an Afghan Hound puppy at a friend's BBQ once.... I have a feeling one day we might have to track one down, but if we do, it'll be from a rescue... not from a breeder.

 

[CatLover]

Right now, my mom has an Australian shepherd who is a Champion retired show dog. He was given to her. He is the sweetest dog I have ever had or ever met. He has had a few problems- came with hookworms that for a very long time showed no symptoms, then appeared months later. Now he is seven years old. He was five when she got him. He is also about the prettiest dog I have ever seen, even after going to many dog shows. He is her third pure-bred aussie.

My cat is a rescue. Got her at five months. She was born at the shelter, and had never been outside of the shelter. She is now about four. Never had any health problems. She has a little crook in her tail that sometimes indicates in-breeding. She is the best cat I could ever hope to own. (as if you can actually own a cat)

She is an orange- not really tigerstripe - more spotted.

My mom really believes in pure-bred aussies because they are carefully screened for hip problems, eye problems, etc.Picture of Flash as a juvenile dog

Flash's hair is much longer now, and is owned by my mom, not the other lady

 

[sky.eyes.woman]

sky eyes, how big was that cat?

At her biggest Pearl was 14lbs. Once she grew out of the kittenish 'gotta-climb-everything' stage she was a real joy to have around. My favorite of her 'quirks' was her willingness to tilt her head down for me to kiss whenever I said, 'Pearlie, gimme a kiss!' I still miss her terribly. :sad:
I had her cremated so I can have her buried with me.

 

[OrionGirl]

S.E.W.--when I say 'give me a kiss' to my cat, he stretches up with his paws on my front and rubs his nose across mine. Not the most hygenic of things, but sweet, none the less. Just had to learn not to ask for a kiss if there are any birds sitting on the skylights--he gets too excited and bites my nose instead of just rubbing it. Sigh.

 

[jazzbass]

I always associated neurotic, borderline, wacky behaviour with purebred cats and dogs. My mother had siamese cats, and those cats were pretty nasty. My brother had a dalmatian.... talk about moronic dog!

My cat was a stray that I adopted... orange tabby with white underneath, huge hindquarters and a 3/4 length tail. Sweet, loving cat that shed and drooled a lot.

And then my neighbor has famous English bulldogs which have a very well-documented lineage. She trains them to ride skateboards and pull carts. Right now, she just has one, and that one is an amazing animal. She is so gentle with little kids... lies down on her back if she senses that the kid is scared. And once, when my kids went running farther away toward the road, she jumped up, barked to alert us (me and my neighbor), and followed them to make sure they didn't go out of the yard.

But, with allergies in the family, I personally stick to my fish tanks and a couple of box turtles.

 

[fishyaddict]

I've had luck either way. Currently we own a German Shorthaired Pointer, of course I got him for free because one of my friends became very ill and could no longer take care of him (kinda a rescue prior to SPCA shipment). He's wonderful, active of course, but did great with nuetering, and shows no early displays of any hip problems. On the other hand, my last dog, whom I couldnt keep when I moved to an apartment that we couldnt have animals, was supposed to be a husky/lab mix, although looked like she had akita in her. She was sweet, but had bad allergies (to grass or something), and also was anemic (found out when she got spayed and almost didnt make it). This was all before she was even a year old, so down the road it could get even worse and more costly. But growing up we had a wonderful st. bernard/german shepard mix, he was wonderful and lived til he was about 13. My sister was only a year old when we got him, and we have pics of her putting her arm in his mouth with him being as careful as if he was her father.

As far as kitties go, I think they are all great. Havent seen much difference. I had a Siamese before, and she was great too.

So I have to agree with the others, that cats it doesnt matter too much. But dogs, its all about being careful who you get them from, and I think a lot of luck...... :fairy:

 

[jennypenny]

Personally I like the idea of rescuing a dog from a shelter or society. This may mean the dog is a mutt or a pure bred. Everything else being equal I think it is preferable to buying an expensive pure breed.

However, I grew up with pure breed dogs that were gifts from my uncle who is a breeder. I have to admit I love these breeds and would be tempted to get another under the right circumstances (like if my uncle wanted to give another away for little or no cost). Just a personal sentimental attachment. I travel a lot so a dog right now is not a good idea, but in the future who knows where I would get my puppy from.

Plus, not all things are equal. I know many people who get a pure breed (or purposely breed mix) because of allergies or size requirement. If you do not have a big house and yard, it may not be a good idea to pick up a puppy that could reach any size. Some stick with certain breeds that are more likely to get along with children. I also know many people who keep dogs for herding, hunting, or some other sporting reason. I am not saying that pound puppies cannot not fill any or all of these requirements, but a pound dog is more of a wild card. The wild card part can be reduced if you pick up a full grown dog of course (versus a puppy).