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We have a springer and a cocker - had the springer for nearly 11 years (since I was 10 and my brother 5!), he was (and is) great. We "rescued" a cocker a couple of years ago and as much as we all love the springer my parents have both said if they could go back that's what they should have got to start with as he's slightly less hard work 😛
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cross breed all the way for me, all pedigree dogs are massively inbred, the clue is in the title. Some more dangerously inbred than others.
My Kea is 3/8 greyhound, 1/4 whippet, 1/8 bedlington, 1/8 boarder collie and 1/8 bearded collie... 100% brilliant.
cross breed all the way for me, all pedigree dogs are massively inbred, the clue is in the title.
garbage, as previously discussed. proper research is required any time you want to buy a dog. back yard breeders can be avoided.
I suggest a working dog, Springer, Cocker, Lab, they can be great
I don't know if I would agree with this, as whilst they are easier to train, the also need a hell of a lot more exercise/stimulation, as they have been selectively bred for their intelligence and stamina, which makes them a bugger to wear out, and a dog which isn't tired and a bit bored can be destructive and difficult.
So unless you want to do a lot of training/walking, which would be at least a couple of hours a day, when they are young (upto 5-6) you could find that a bit of a nightmare, especially if you have other commitments.
I wanted a dog for running/cycling/mountain walking etc, and mistakenly thought I wanted a working dog for this, but I didn't and I have to walk mine for at least 2 hours a day, unless I want to watch him empty the contents of the house out onto the lawn.
I don't see why you shouldn't get a pedigree to be honest, if you research breeders properly.
Nothing against mongrels at all, used to have one.
I don’t agree with the logic that crossing Breed X that may have numerous health issues with Breed Y that may also have numerous health issues = one healthy dog with no health issues a little difficult to come to terms with.
Or that crossing one breed with another automatically means you get the best of both worlds and not the worst? Labrador Poodle crosses (at least the ones ive met at agility) seem to be quite a handful, so big and powerful, and a bit wired.
Where are the stats that support this theory that mongrels are healthier?
how do mongrels stack up against many breeds that live to well into their late teens?
Does this mean mongrels live into their 20s?
And what genes if any are responsible for it?
What about other factors in longevity such as health tested breeding stock (are the parents of mongrels all health tested?)?
Size – smaller dogs tend to live longer, leaner dogs tend to live longer
Environment
Medical care
Etc etc etc
So how are the variables broken down in order to demonstrate that mongrels do in fact live longer and healthier lives than pure bred animals?
I would be interested to know.
Are there stats to show the average age of a mongrel as there are for purebreds?
Pure breed dogs suffer due to lack of genetic diversity, limited gene pools don't help a species and usually lead to there extinction.
So whilst your may be breeding one apparently healthy dog, with another to fine tune certain attributes you are increasing the risk of unwanted side effects, as we simply don't know what genes are linked to what.
For example, who would have thought that spot density and size in dalmatians is linked with deafness, or that breeding foxes for tameness causes them to change menstruation cycles and fur colouration.
Its well worth reading the greatest show on earth, if you want to find out more about about gene pools and there impacts on a species as this is a very well researched area, and pedigree dogs are used for reference a lot as they provide excellent data on restricted gene pools due to the artificial genetic islands they effectively live on.
Mongrels get around that as there gene pool is pretty much limited to every dogs of the opposite sex that isn't neutered and they can catch; so they have a smaller chance of the less desirable genes surfacing as there gene pool is so much bigger.
As for information on do they live longer this site has some stats
http://knol.google.com/k/canine-health-dog-lifespans-which-breeds-live-longest-and-why
[quote=rockhopper70][b]rockhopper70[/b]
We have reserved and booked to view a black bitch miniature labradoodle pup due to be ready mid-jan.
We have a 17 month old medium doodle. He's a lovely dog, with a superb temperament.
Great with the kids, and can either be as lazy as you like, or completely full on and nuts. Does have a very strong prey instinct for birds though (naturally, since he is basically a gun dog).
Very smart breed, easy to train & loyal, if a little aloof at times (poodle trait).
What breeder are you looking at?
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