He looks like a "CASPER"

 

Awww, she is adorable!

Names...since she's a Scottish dog how about these Gaelic choices:

Bonnie - pretty girl
Kenzie - light one

I like this one too:
Kira - Latin - light

 

we went out and got a cairn terrier at the dog pound on Friday. We have younger kids so I didn't want a big dog. It is 3 yrs old, house trained, crate trained and kinda mellow. I have read that they are great dogs out on the farm or in an apartment. They are also great with kids. So far everything is great.

 

mixed breeds have better temperment

 

Or the defects from different breeds amplify. Take a dog that can be succeptible to blindness, mix it with one who carries weak hips, and you get a proneness to two issues instead of one.

I'm all for adopting homeless dogs, but you have no clue what you're getting healthwise. If you buy from a good breeder, you will not get a dog that is prone to genetic conditions. Yes, certain breeds can be prone to certain conditions, but if you can follow the bloodline back many generations, you can tell if your dog has bad blood or not.

You have no way of knowing the temperments of the parents. you don't know much of anything about that dog. That's why us stupid folks who pay $600 for a dog do what we do. We want to know we won't have to put our dog to sleep in three years or watch it go through most of its life blind due to CEA.

All dogs have the same health problems. Some purebreds are more prone to them, eye conditions are such a 'defect'. Now a breeder who cares about their breed will not breed a dog that has any history of an eye problem in its bloodlines. They have their dogs certified every year for healthiness. Looking at a dog's pedigree, you can go back countless generations and look for problems. With a random mixed breed, you have absolutely no way of knowing the health and genetics that make up its bloodline.

Some problems that are 'prone' to certain breeds are only 'prone' due to certain physical attributes of the dog, I.E. Size, skin types, etc. Take Hip Dysplasia for example--a Great Dane or a Mastiff is very likely to get Hip Dysplasia. It's a problem with large dogs. The more weight a dog has to carry around, the more likely it is to develope Hip Dysplasia. Get a mixed breed dog that is very large, it will have the same odds (probably greater) of getting hip dysplasia. With large breeds being prone to HD, the breeders are extra cautious to keep any genetic succeptibility out of the gene pool and limit the risk to simply size.

My overall point is, with a random mixed breed, you have no idea what you are getting healthwise, personality wise, or otherwise. A good breeder will not even let you breed your dog without their permission, as they don't want their bloodlines tainted. Some very bad things happen to dogs due to bad breeders. Dalmations for example are generally bad dogs to have around kids, and can also have a lot of health problems if not bred carefully. Problem is, demand for them goes through the roof everytime disney releases that movie. Opportunists come in who care about money, and not the dogs they are selling.
Heck, We can't even put either of our dogs to sleep without our breeders' permissions.

Buy a purebred dog from a bad breeder, and you will have lots of problems, and you'll be better off taking your chances with a mixed breed. A purebred from a GOOD breeder will live a much healthier life than a random mix will. A good breeder is not a pet shop. A good breeder is not someone who raises 10 different breeds. What makes up a good breeder is another thread in itself.

 

SHHH

No she doesnt, and she'd kill me if I got another dog.

 

Depends on the mix.

 

Now see...I can't, in good conscience, let Casey come live with you because your wife would kill you. And your death would make the people here on the site sad. And I just don't want your murder and the depression of the F150online members on my head. I just can't handle that kind of pressure...

* * * * * *

inbred, I understand what you are saying and I agree that getting a puppy from a good breeder will most likely ensure a good dog, however, mutts can make excellent pets too. Most of our dogs have been pound puppies. Yes, you can get some with health issues and yes, you don't know what their personality is going to be like but we have gotten some of the best dogs that way. Casey is a rescued dog, she does have a slight problem with shyness around strangers but all in all she is a terrific dog. And she is a mix, not a pure breed Husky. We think she has Chow in her because her mouth and tongue are the classic blue/black color of the Chow.

The Aussie mix we had was rescued by animal control as a puppy when he was abandoned in a supermarket parking lot. He turned out to be the smartest most well behaved dog I have ever owned (sorry Casey we love you, but you can be very hard headed!). If we had not gone to the animal shelter that day we would never have had the 9 years we had the with him.

Any dog can make a great pet or a horrid problem and even with selective breeding there can be issues. I really have nothing against pure breed dogs but I know that mutts can and do make terrific pets. Probably the biggest reason I support rescued dogs is the fact that I will be giving a home and love to an animal who may have had a pretty rough start in life and deserves a second chance. Like Casey, she was very close to being euthanized after she was rescued because she was extremely malnourished. I thank God every day that she was given a second chance and that we have the opportunity to show her that not all people are cruel and life can be great.

Bottom line...a pure bred dog can make a great pet and you will have some foreknowledge of what you are getting. A mutt can make a great pet; you may get a dud, you may get a winner...the outcome can be well worth the chances you take.

 

yeah rosie, I definately agree that a mutt or pound dog can be an outstanding pet, I just disagreed with the broad generaliztion of health care costs.

 

With all that said (rose and inbred)....

You never REALLY know how your dog will turn out.

I got my wife a Shih-Tzu for Christmas. His name is Miaghee. My mom has one too, his name is Roudy. They are brothers. Same mom and dad, BUT they are completely different in every way (personality).
Roudy is a "chilled out" dog that doesn't have a care in the world. You can tug on his ears, pull his tail, whatever you want, and he dont mind.
Miaghee on the other hand. He's a lil sum bish, let me tell ya. Attitude like I have never seen in a dog. When you call him, he wont look at you, just "cut" his eyes at you. He doesn't like to be held by anyone but my wife. growls and throws a fit all the time. That explains the name ***** ZU alright.

~Anyway~

What I'm trying to say, just because you get a dog from a breeder does not always mean your getting a "perfect, wonderful" dog. It just means your paying MORE for a dog.