Doggiedom

This article is very good for those that are looking for a dog - as long as it is a purebred dog you're looking for. Unfortunately, many people don't have the means to buy a purebred, and even those who do may not want a purebred.

Take us for instance, we've only had one purebred and she was a leftover from a roommate we once had (he left for 3 weeks in California and never came back). Although we loved her dearly, she had problems that are associated with that breed. She also had more problems that were caused by the original owner's inconsistant handling of situations.

We like mixed breed dogs. Why? Well, for one, a lot of times there are problems inherant within the breed that can be very expensive to deal with, or cuts the dogs life very short. Hip dyspasia is very common in some breeds (which can't be detected at a young age, as far as I know); eye problems in others (some of which can be tested for, but others can't); heart problems etc. etc. Sure, these problems can occur in mixed breeds, but the likelyhood is lessened.

We also like that a lot of mixed breeds (read: the dogs we have had) seem to be more adaptable to different lifestyles.

Of course with mixed breeds, a lot of times you only get to meet the mother, and that may not be all the information you need. Also, mixed breed puppies are usually raised by the casual household, so the veterinary care may not be up to the standards that a good breeder will have. However, most people with common sense can tell if the household where the puppy was raised is a healthy environment.

If you want a mixed breed puppy, just take a look around and ask yourself, and the owner, these questions;

1. Is the house and yard clean (remember, neat and clean are two different things)? If there isan extrodinary amount of doggie doo around, it doesn't make for a very healthy environment.
2. If there are children in the household, do the kids interact with the mother and puppies?
3. Do the puppies look and act healthy (no mucus discharges, not too skinny etc.)?
4. Does the mother look well cared for (coat not matted or dirty, not too skinny, not kept in a 5' x 5' run)?
5. Are the owners willing to talk about the veterinary care that the mother and puppies have received?
6. Does the mother have the kind of temperament that you want in a dog?
7. Do the owners have any idea who the sire was and if so, what kind of temperament and disposition does he have?
8. Does the mother have a litter (or two) every year? If so, I would run the other way because I would just be encouraging the owners to keep letting the dog breed. Ideally, this was a huge mistake that happened before the dog could be spayed.

Ask all of these questions (and any that you can think of) and if any of the answers are less than Yes (or in the last case - NO), I wouldn't look any more at the pups. The breed of the mother and father (if known) should also play an important part in the decision. If both of them are active breeds, most likely the pups will be too and your lifestyle should accomadate that. Also, remember, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is taking a puppy because you feel sorry for it. Some people pick out obviously sick puppies for that very reason - much to their (and their wallet's) chagrine.

Accidents happen. Sampson's mother was a dog that people had rescued from an animal shelter and apparently went into heat right after they got her. Sampson's mother was tied out when the family wasn't home, and they didn't know she was in heat until it was too late. As soon as the pups were weaned, and the vets said it was safe, they were taking her in to be fixed. I can relate to that story. Niki went into heat 4 days after we rescued her - fortunately we could keep her away from other dogs until it was safe to spay her. At first , I thought she had cut a pad because I found only a couple of very light blood stains on the floor, but nowhere else. After investigating for cuts or punctures, I came to the conclusion she was in heat. When I took her to the vet for her shots, on the 5th day we had her, I told the vet she was in heat. He couldn't verify it at the beginning because she really didn't exhibit the classic signs (no external swelling) and very little blood was apparent (he had to work at it to find some). But after feeling her innards, he was conviced I was correct. For someone that is not experienced with dogs, this type of "light" heat, would have been easy to miss.

I will also say that Sampson's mother's temperament was less than stellar. After learning the circumstances that she was brought up in (before the rescue took place), it was something I could understand. But I also knew how to compensate for it, by not picking the most aggressive puppy (Sampson was about in the middle of pecking order in the litter). It helped too that his sire was a Lab from down the road with an easygoing temperament. However, if you are fairly new to dog ownership, I would suggest that you steer away from puppies from an aggressive mother - or even a very timid mother - a nice middle of the road dam is what most people should look for.

Thanks to AMCGLTD for the link to the article.