Posted by Dinah on December 24, 2011, at 11:40:42
In reply to Re: Can we talk dogs? » floatingbridge, posted by Phillipa on December 23, 2011, at 10:19:34
As with any dog, if you buy from a breeder make sure it's a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders will check you out as much as you check them out. They'll probably have contracts saying that they will take the dog back if you can't keep it. It isn't a guarantee against problems, but you know they'll stand behind you if you have problems.
As far as mixed breed dogs being healthier, there is definitely advantages in having an open gene pool. But there's more to it than that. They've done amazing things with genetic testing lately. Not only can they test potential breeding stock for existing conditions, but many breed specific issues now have genetic tests so that long standing health issues can be weeded out by the responsible dog breeding community. Carriers can be identified, and bred carefully to noncarriers if they are bred at all.
http://petlvr.com/blog/2009/02/23/are-mutts-really-healthier/
By all means, be careful of your breeder. Do they test for hips and eyes and anything else that might be in a particular breed? Do they use whatever genetic tests are available for that breed? Do they register their results with the health registry?
All but my very first dog (a cocker mix who was a real sweetheart) have been purebreds. I like the predictability of temperament. I can be relatively sure going in that my well bred Sheltie will act like a well bred Sheltie. I generally expect my small dogs to live to be 15+ years, with minimal health issues, and my larger dogs to live to be 10-12 years or older, also with minimal health issues. I've had two sick dogs in a row, but only one was likely a genetic problem. My Sheltie was fine genetically. There was a tragic bout with an infection that came without any detectable symptoms and was gone by the time they tested her after discovering her kidneys were failing. I discovered this postmortem when I followed up with a biopsy for genetic registry purposes. It could have happened to anyone. I now get pet insurance for all my dogs.
And really, well bred dogs from responsible breeders are taken care of since before conception. Their parents are checked for genetic issues. Their mothers are fed healthy foods. They receive excellent vet care from birth. Many of the best working dog breeders (obedience, etc.) have a socialization program for their babies. Some of those programs are as well researched as Montessori for kids. :)
poster:Dinah
thread:1005423
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20111122/msgs/1005483.html