What is it with Purebreds?

While walking my dogs, I often run into people who admire my dogs. "What beautiful dogs!" they say, "They're so well-behaved! What kind are they?"

I'm always proud to say that they are mutts. I'm partial to mutts and don't mind saying so. Mutts are known to carry the strongest characteristics of whatever breeds they are composed of; they are therefore healthier and more balanced than the average purebred of any breed. The whole idea of *purebred* dogs has always smacked of racism to me; left to their own devices, dogs don't seek out others like themselves to mate with. Research indicates that mammals (yes, us too...) are attracted to the pheromones most different from our own. We instinctively seek diversity, so that our offspring will be strong. And the idea of people manipulating dogs and deliberately mating them to others to create a certain look has always seemed... well, kind of pervy to me.

But anyway. People often express disappointment that they are not some specific breed. The funny thing, to me, is that my dogs are about as different from each other as dogs can be. There is an old Warner Bros. cartoon about a coyote and a sheepdog who go to work together and punch a clock. The coyote tries to catch the sheep and the sheepdog tries to protect them. I believe their names are Sam and Ralph. Well, those are my dogs. Yes, they are about the same size and they sometimes walk side by side but it has been many generations since they shared anything like a common ancestor. Yet people are forever asking me if they are siblings. Sometimes it cracks me up.

So, MOSTLY my dogs are really good. Really well-behaved and obedient. And when people ask me how I achieved this, I say, "Diet and exercise" which is ironically, my answer to many other questions as well. But it's true. If dogs get adequate exercise, (which, I'm sorry to say, only working dogs get; most need many hours a day) they will be well-behaved. UNLESS you feed them dog food, which for the most part is garbage filled with poisonous chemicals and allergens. But my point is, that it's not that they belong to some magical BREED that makes them act wonderfully. People seem to be always looking for that; Oh, we wanted a dog that would be good with our kids, so we got a Golden.

As an aside, I've seen a Golden so out of control that her owner had to muzzle her on walks. That dog never got off leash because she would viciously attack other dogs. And they got her as a puppy. Explain that, purebred enthusiasts.

It's not the breed. It's what YOU do with the dog. Dogs need lots of exercise. Dogs need nutritious food.

I don't have a flock of sheep to occupy my dogs, nor do I have the inclination to spend all day preparing fresh food for them, so despite my strong opinions on this topic, my dogs too get less than they need to be perfect. But when they do something "wrong" at least I recognize that the fault usually lies with me. Dogs really do want to please us but first their basic needs have to be met. And I have yet to meet a purebred more eager to please than my two mutts.