Pet shelters are the place to go to if you are seriously considering getting a mixed breed dog for a pet. There has been countless debates on whether or not getting a mixed breed is a good decision. It all comes down to preference. However, the sad truth is that preference can be influenced by so many factors, one of which is prejudice and biases against the mixed breed in general. This notion stems from the perception that they are hard to train because they are ill-tempered by nature. This is one of the many myths that needs to be broken because its giving mixed breeds a bad name.

It is important that the public be educated about these breed so that they would not think of them as stray dogs or mongrels who are overly aggressive and will attack anyone on a whim. It has to be realized that there are different categories for non purebreds. They are:

Cross-breed – These are dogs born from cross-breeding 2 purebreds.

Mixed Breed – These are dogs have mixed heritage where 1 parent is a purebred

Mongrels – These are dogs whose heritage are unknown.

Of course, nowadays, any non-purebred are most commonly referred to as mixed breeds. Perhaps it is the most politically correct term since mongrels have a bad connotation.

Myth 1: They have poor health in general

Answer: This is not always the case. They can turn out to be healthy dogs and it will all depend on how these dogs are treated by the owners. The good thing is that they can inherit the strong characteristics of their parents, thus making them a lot better than purebreds.

Myth 2: They can be high maintenance due to additional medical costs

Answer: Mixed breeds can be acquired for less than $80 and this already includes general check up and vaccinations. The cost of upkeep will be more or less the same if you are taking care of a purebreed. And owners are not pressured to buy fancy accessories or gourmet dog foods for their dogs, unlike their exalted counterparts. So, if you put those in the equation, the maintenance cost will be a little lower.

Myth 3:They are difficult to train

Answer: This is not really the case. In fact, they are highly trainable and any behavior problem can be solved by proper dog training.

Myth 4:They are overly aggressive or overly shy

Answer: This will depend on the heritage of the breed. It can exhibit the bad traits of the parent, however, not ALL are on the extreme side.

These are just some of the known myths about mixed breeds that are making it difficult for people to understand that crossbreeds can be awesome pets.