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I work at a shelter and i think im going to start coming up with designer names for all of our shepard mixes and lab mixes!!!Maybe people will want them if theyre told they are a special breed!!!
haha i read a book about a woman who took care of a feral cat colony in brooklyn, and she talked about a woman she knew growing up who did that with stray cats she found. she'd put ads in the newspaper advertising purebred cats of made up breeds. they were all super clever, and i can't remember any of them!
i think the book's called "an unlikely cat lady". it's a pretty good read.
I just realized the OP first posted in April, so I doubt my input will be considered.....but I would have suggested the PBGV. I have met former Basset owners who have "downsized" to a PBGV....smaller dog, with a low shed, rough coat, and adorable appearance. If you liked the basset, and the hound personality, you would probably like the PBGV.
Mixed breeds often are far healthier than purebreds...pure bred simply means a concocted breed that has been produced to specific type standards for a very long time....those standard have nothing to do with health and often include increases tendency to hip displeasing, poor breathing, eye problems, and even higher tendency toward cancer. Purebred simply was a designer dog of its day decades ago that became acknowledeged after years by the kennel club.
Most vets will tell you a responsible bred mix or mutt is a healthier choice.
OK, if you breed a golden retriever which is prone to cancer, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, ear infections, allergies, itching/skin infections, hypothyroidism etc. to a poodle that is prone to Addison's disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, PRA, skin issue, etc. which makes a MUTT, where is the guarantee that it is healthier than a purebred?
Every breed of dog comes with some sort of health issue. Good breeders do health screenings for diseases common in their breed of choice. It's not a guarantee but it at least shows they care and are trying to improve their breed.
Mixed breeds often are far healthier than purebreds...pure bred simply means a concocted breed that has been produced to specific type standards for a very long time....those standard have nothing to do with health and often include increases tendency to hip displeasing, poor breathing, eye problems, and even higher tendency toward cancer. Purebred simply was a designer dog of its day decades ago that became acknowledeged after years by the kennel club.
Most vets will tell you a responsible bred mix or mutt is a healthier choice.
Not necessarily. I had a friend who got a mixed breed from a shelter and that dog had cushings and severe allergies. She spent thousands in vet care. I told her the dog won the lottery when she adopted her. Both pure breeds and mixes can have health issues. It's a roll of the dice.
We aren't allergic that I'm aware of, but my 8 year old son has asthma so I try to avoid anything that would trigger a reaction so the visiting is a good idea. Our Bassett shed a lot and from what I've read the Shi-Chon shed very little. Thank you for responding.
There are several small breeds that shed very little. No need to pay huge dollars for a designer dog.
I gather that a lot of possible genetic problems in breeds are recessive traits, so cross-breeding or random breeding would lower those risks. At least, that's how I understand it.
Just to be clear most people are allergic to dog dander (skin flakes that shed naturally) not dog hair. Just because you have a "non-shedding" (actually all dogs shed (unless it's a hairless breed), some just shed less than others) dog doesn't mean it's hypo-allergenic. You will still have dog dander in the house. It may not trigger your allergies because there's less of it but there's no guarantee that you won't be allergic to it too.
....... increases tendency to hip displeasing, .........
I've never been displeased by the hips on my purebred dogs. They've all had many generations with every ancestor hip x-rayed and scored so that no dogs with bad hips are in their pedigrees.
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