The Great Debate: Purebred or Crossbred?

I would dare guess that anyone who has ever been in the market for a dog has considered and discussed the question, "Should I get a purebred dog or a crossbred dog?" It's actually a very good question! The conclusion will likely be different for each family or individual. It's not a mathematical equation with a right and wrong answer, but rather a weighing of pros and cons.

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I am a teacher. I have worked both in the classroom and for a university writing curriculum. I work mostly in science and agriculture. I'm always watching for real-life scenarios to illustrate concepts commonly taught in classrooms. Every middle and high school student learns about genetics and heredity. They will learn about:

• Gregor Mendel and his discoveries and experiments about the inheritance of genetic traits

• How to use a Punnet Square to calculate the chance of inheriting a trait

• The difference between selective breeding and natural selection

• The concept of hybrid vigor

 

Guess what? All of these middle school and high school science concepts are (or should be) applied in a good dog breeding program. An educated puppy buyer would also do well to have a refresher course as they consider the pros and cons of purebred. 

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Selective Breeding

Natural selection, also known as "survival of the fittest" places favor on animals who can thrive in nature and therefore pass thier traits to offspring. For example, animals that are the same color as their surroundings are less likely to be eaten by predators... therefore the color trait will naturally prevail. Selective breeding is the opposite of natural selection. Selective breeding is controlled by humans who select breeding animals based upon their merits in the areas they have identified as important. This is how a purebred dog was created. A breed standard was identified and only animals with those characteristics were bred long enough (many generations) to fine-tune the genetic pool so that all of the offspring inherit the desired breed characteristics. In genetics, the term "breed true" is used to indicate that the offspring will exhibit the traits.