Crossbred Dogs Tend To Be Healthier
"Crossbred dogs tend to be healthier.
All dogs have defective genes. In fact, all living creatures do, including you and me! But often a defective gene doesn't cause any problems unless you have TWO copies of it – one from your mother and one from your father.
A purebred puppy has a higher risk of inheriting two copies, since his parents belong to the same breed and share so many of the same genes, including the same defective ones.
But parents of different breeds (assuming those breeds are not similar to each other) tend to have different defective genes. This minimizes the risk of their puppies getting two copies of the same bad gene. That's good.
Not only that, but the greater variety of genes that a crossbred puppy inherits tends to result in a stronger immune system and better physical and mental health. It's called genetic diversity and it is a healthy thing.
Should you get a crossbred dog?
So now you might be thinking, "Yup, a dog with a moderate appearance, moderate temperament, and good health is exactly what I'm looking for." You're ready to head off and buy a crossbred dog. And that might be a huge mistake.
Because I haven't told you yet about the Disadvantages of crossbred dogs.
Oh yes, there are disadvantages.
Also we haven't talked about the misleading hype that many crossbred breeders have spread across the Internet.
You need to know how to pick your way through this minefield of misinformation, or else you're going to end up with a crossbred dog who does NOT have a moderate appearance, moderate temperament, and good health.
My book, Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams, picks up where we left off, with my insider advice on finding a good crossbred dog."
