Most of my pets have been mutts picked up at the shelter. Actually, some of them show up at our front door. We have an invisible sign that only animals can read that reads "suckers." Our dog showed up, and never left. We have four cats, all strays. Our oldest is "Powell," named after the Powell Street BART station in downtown San Francisco where my wife found him as a kitten. At 11 years old he's living a blessed and comfortable life out here in the wild redwoods of northern California. Even a turtle showed up at our house one day, but we brought him (or her) down to the river.

If you love animals (dogs), it doesn't matter whether you have a mixed breed or a purebred. Fact is, even purebreds were created out of mixed breeds at one time in their past. A dog is a dog, and all dogs are wonderful if raised properly. You love and cherish their companionship no matter what. We got a 'rescue' dog from the Cleveland dog pound (APL), who happens to be a Chocolate Lab/Norwegian Elkhound mix, and she is my best friend! I love her immensely! Her company has helped me with my high blood pressure and with the very lonely move to another part of the country.

Mixed breed are very good dogs. I have a "designer dog." I paid top dollar for a Yorkshire Terrier-Poodle mix because I wanted the best of both dogs. I wanted an intelligent dog that was small (but not too small) and did not shed too much. Dog lovers will love a dog regardless of it's pedigree. It has been my experience that people who view pets more in terms of a material possession are more concerned about the breed.

Mixed are so interesting! i love seeing the results of my fave. breeds crossed together. People are caught up in the war of cross breeds vs pure breeds, when i just say lets like both! its very cruel when people call cross breeds, curs and mutts and stuff like that, pay some respect to them! there just the same as any other dog, hearing ability and all the senses dogs have. its hard to describe personalatys of this breed, 'cause theres no certain breed of this dog. i love cross breeds!

Our mutt is healthy, quiet, obediant, and very loving. He will have a good long life with us.

quik quetion...does anyone think that pure breed dogs are more prone to cancer than mutts

I have two to go with my Aussies but it is misleading to say mixed breeds are healthier than purebreds. Most mixed breeds are the result of purebreds that do not come from the best stock. There are also less opportunities to compete with them. My first obedience dog however is a wonderful mix and I titled him with ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) and also UKC (United Kennel Club) allows mixed breeds to compete in performance events providing they are spayed or neutered.

I love all my dogs i ever had my dog now is 1/2 dachsund/pomeranian

Both thumbs up for the all american mutt! Much love to all you loyal family dogs without a pedigree. That piece of paper with the breeder's signature is often not worth a dime. Go to your local rescue, talk to the staff, find out what that adorable pup's been up to, not what breed he calls his own, and find your kids' very best friend for the next, oh, 20 years...

It really depends on what breeds are mixed...so you really don't know what you're going to get with a mixed breed. Currently, we have a sheltie mix (mixed with who knows what else) and she is a terrific dog, but like I stated before it depends on the breeds in it. With pure breds you usually know what to expect and will not have any unwanted aggression or surprises depending on the breed you get.

I have had pure breeds and now I have a mixed breed (Japanese Chin & Poodle) which is sweet,smart and loving to all. I once had a Cattle dog which was very smart and too protective. I had to give him up. Each and every dog is different; no matter if it is a pure or mixed.

Almost always a great dog; you never have to worry if it was inner-bred.

Some people think that you don't know what you're getting with a mixed breed, but you don't always with a purebred either. A friend of mine had a Lab from a puppy, sweet dog. One day, he turned around and attacked her. She has huge scars across her face. So pure or mixed, dogs are unpredictable, but mixed breeds are wonderful for the most part.

All pure breeds came from mixing different breeds to begin with. I am a huge advocate of adopting from a rescue. I have 3 dogs, 2 are rescue, 1 is a pure. I dont have a favorite, they are all unique like people. They are my heart. The only advice i would like to offer to someone who is considering a rescue adoption, is it's a gamble because you dont know the animal's roots. You should realize that going in. Ive had 2 good experiences and 1 bad. One rescue came home with us and passed shortly after. She was born with a disfunctioning liver. It cost a few hundred, and some tears because she was so quickly loved, but it was worth it. At least she had some good in her life before she passed. She could of never experienced love. We did still adopt after her, and were lucky. This taught me it is a gamble, but, isnt everything?

I have a baloney hound.

We have a a purebread Cracktown Backyard Mutt!

Let's get this straight: a mutt is NOT a breed, so this is bogus to be on here. As it is, a mutt could be anything, so you have NO idea what you're getting, until you've lived w/him a while. Which may be too late. For those who say purebreds (i.e., actual BREEDS) have inbreeding problems - which many do - consider that your mixed-up mutt can also have purebreds w/all the inbreeding problems in him. Conversely, not all purebreds are problems. I've had lousy mutts. My best dogs have been purebred German Shepherds - including the very best dog I've ever even *heard* of, much less been blessed to have to myself. The latter was my 1st registered dog, from a famous handler using totally different bloodline types, and even in health as well as everything else she could put those hearty mutts to shame. Mutts aren't inherently bad, like any dog, but you don't have a *clue* what you mite get into! And you're not guaranteed to get away from those inbreeding problems! It's more of a gamble, that's all.

I HAVE A TERRIER MIX. SMALL DOG. AN ABSOLUTE JOY

If you can't decide between getting a Lab or German Shepard, why not have both?

Breeding sucks. Adopting is a much more rewarding experiance and much more needed.

Mixed breed dogs are often smarter, better-tempered and more hassle-free than purebreds. Why are they less hassle? They are less likely to be victims of bad genes that can be seen in purebreds due to inbreeding. If you want an all-around pal of a dog, get a mutt.

Mutts are great! Unfortunately there's too many being born and ending up in animal shelters :(

I have a pomeranian/japanese chin mix and he is the sweetest thing in the world! He is extremely smart, loyal, friendly, entertaining and very aware that he has me wrapped around his little paw! I have had several canine companions in my life and they have all been mixed breeds. I thought they were all wonderful and I highly recommend them!

Better a dog with breed, but of course if one wants, a mixed breed is good also. but nothing like the beauty of a superb german shepherd for example. I've noticed that mixed breeds are horrible sometimes

I'm convinced that mutts are the best possible type of dog, and the tougher it is to tell just what their parentage or lineage is, the better they are. When I was younger, we always had dogs - we had Pekkingese (too temperamental), Pomeranians (sort of temperamental), a Geman Shepherd (too strong, coupled with too aggressive), and mutts. The best dog we ever had was a mixed breed - he was smart, extrmely loyal, a great watchdog, and never got sick. Mutts are tops in my book.

All dogs are good, it doesn't matter if they are full or mixed....They are all equally special.

I have a Shitzu-Poodle mix, what a great dog. She is a part of my family.

Whe I got married a few years ago, my wife had a dog. The dog is a mixed breed (probably terrier, sheepdog and maybe a little more) and she has a the greatest temperment in the world. She's almost 13 and the vet can't believe how healthy and energetic she is. Loyal to a fault (scored megapoints with me for not leaving my side when I had the flu a few years back). Unless you are going to do the dog show thing, I can't see any reason not to adopt a dog from your local animal shelter.

Purebred or Mixed, a dog is loyal and a great companion. I personally adore the look and personality of my favorite, which happens to be a purebred, but that would never stop me from adopting a mixed breed that caught my eye. Thankyou to everyone who's adopted their dog from a shelter and saved a life, my purebreds are both from shelters too. It's the only way to go.

Mutts are a sorry dog to have.

Though I've got a soft spot for rottweilers (I've never met one that wasn't sweet), mixed breed dogs are great! Due to their more varied gene pool, they tend to have less health problems (let's face it, "purebred" is also a fancy term for "inbred" in many cases). I find the term "cur" to be offensive (though they are of mixed breeds, they are most certainly NOT worthless nor unfriendly, as the definition suggests); since I don't judge a dog solely on its price tag or what pretty papers come with them, I'm quite happy with mixed breed dogs.

As a response to Anmalone's comment: Curs? Shut up! Cur means worthless. No living animal is worthless. Who the F*ck pissed in your gene pool?

I HAVE TWO MUTTS,AND THEY ARE NOT DUMB.THEY DONT NEED TO BE PURE BREED TO BE SMART,SOMETIMES THEY TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST DOGS EVER.'''''

Well my dog's a mix and I wouldn't have it any other way. He's just as smart and handsome as any pure bred dog. Best of all, he was free. ha

Mixed breeds are great. They cost so much less than pure breed, but are just as wonderful. They are loving and make some of the prettiest dogs.

I have three dogs; a viszla/lab mix, a cocker spaniel, a yellow lab/coyote mix. My life would be empty without them. Two are mixed and one has papers. Dogs are dogs. They love without reserve. As far as I am concerned, there is no debate. They're all wonderful, if you give them a chance.

I bought a mix breed for 200.00 because my wife wanted her. Its called a peek-a-poo and it was 6 wks old. I guess. Its a cross between a mini poodle and a pekinese. She is so gentle and tiny. She weighs 6 pds full size. She doesn't shed and has a small face like the pekinese. This dog is just the best lap dog and was house trained when she was only 8 wks old. totally loyal to her family too. If all mixed breeds are like this, the paper and breed lover son't know what thier missing.

Aside from each being unique, mutts are generally in better health. Purebreds are frequently prone to genetic health problems.

The great thing about mixed breeds is that, as long as they've been well taken care of, they are usually the healthiest "breed." Overbreeding, especially of the most popular or trendy pure-breed dogs, leads to all kinds of health problems. Having a much broader gene pool allows "mutts" to often times be healthier dogs. Beyond that, there are just so many of them that need homes. For anywhere from 0-100 bucks you can bring home a companion who will love you just as much as if you'd shelled out several hundred and up for a "pure" breed. And finally, all that "mixing" produces some very interesting looking pooches. I should know--I've got 3 of the oddest looking mutts you're likely to come across.

Years of in-breeding has resulted in each breed having its own very special series of health challenges. The best way to mitigate the risk of real and expensive health problems is to go to the pound and get yourself a nice mutt. Smart or dumb they will love you as long as they live. Please have your pet spayed and neutered, their will be more dogs at the pound when yours has lived out its days here.

Depends on the breeds mixed. For example golden retrivers are usuallygood natured but can be hyper-mixed with a calmer breed can take the edge off. Lab/collie mixes, golden retriver/keeshound or beagle collie mixes are some of my favorites. Two aggressive breeds aren't always good- think pit bull/sharpei/rotweiller. Research the breeds that make up your "mix." You can get the best of both if they compliment each other. But each dog is an individual-purebred or mix. Take the time of get to know the individual before adopting.

Come ‘on Mongrels are mongrels. There is no over all traits and they certainly are the smartest. Eugenics works. Pure Breeds are the best.

Curs aren't a breed.

A friend of mine—usually a fairly bright guy—decided to get into the business of breeding Irish Setters. This was about ten years ago, and the stories of his hammer-headed purebreds continue to embarass him to this day. I have heard rumors that Afghan hounds may actually be dumber still, and have seen TV news footage of one running headling into the side of a parked car. If you want a GOOD dog, skip the status symbol and get a mutt. The mutts in my own life are the finest people I have ever met.

Purebred dogs with papers don't mean a thing. Doesn't mean the dog is better than the mutts. Always had mutts - they live longer, are smarter!

My dog was not really a mixed breed, she was a rat terrier. Some people call them feists. Anyway, her name was Delta and I had her for eleven years before she disappeared. I still don't know what happened to her. Anyway, there will never be another dog on this entire planet who will be as good as she was. Don't even bother looking.

some of the sweetest and best dogs i've known have been mixed breeds. i'd own one that's good as quickly as i would a full blood.

Six months ago I adopted a "mutt." He's a mix of a little of everything...I say he is an "Australian Water Dog" when people ask about him. He has brought so much joy into my life. He's become my best friend. People do not look at a person's background when choosing their friends, they pick them because they hold certain values that others admire. Dogs should be the same. They are providers of love and friendship, not status or wealth. If you want to show the neighborhood how much money you make, buy a car. Dogs are living creatures, they shouldn't be sold. Please visit your local shelter and save a life!

Mixed breed dogs can be the smartest and most healthy dogs.

Dogs don't have a class structure,and i'm not impressed by humans who insist on one for them.Mixed breed dogs have love and friendship to offer,no less than the prize-winning pedigree,and many are in desperate need of a good home.Three days ago,we had a new addition to our family,the first dog i've had- a stray, brought in by my work colleague, that had turned up at her door.A black medium-small terrier cross,about 5 months old we think,though with white hair under his chin making him look older.He's not been reported missing.He was terribly skinny,a scruff,with soulful,irresistible kindly eyes.Now,his coat's getting shinier,he's putting on weight,his legs prance more when he walks,and he's started to run properly.He does as he's told,is ever-so affectionate,not yappy or too excitable.He's extended the paw of friendship to our little fluffy bunny Bronwen.He has a calm,tender,noble soul.We're both delighted with him.We hate to think what he's experienced.He just wants a bit of love.Contentment is being stroked on a warm blanket.And now he seems at peace,dreaming of scented woods and meadows and the best doggy places.We hope Bryn's life will be a long and happy one.