Mixed breed dogs share genetic characteristics with two or more different breeds. For most of these dogs their genetic background is unknown and they often tend to be called by many different names. Just a few these names include random bred dog, mongrel, and bitzer.
Even though a mixed breed dogs have several advantages over purebreds, most people still seem to prefer purebreds. However, one of the advantages of mixed breed dogs is that they tend to show a higher intelligence on average than most purebreds.
Also, it has been shown that these dogs on average are healthier and live much longer than purebred dogs. This is due to something called hybrid vigor which happens when you mix two or more breeds together. Purebred dogs often carry genetic problems with them and these are often passed on to the next generation.
Another big advantage of mixed breed dogs is their unique appearance. Here, no two dogs are the same because of a random recombination of genes, therefore you have a very unique dog, something that cannot be said for purebreds.
Also, these random bred dogs often have superior reproductive traits. These dogs are often superior mothers and produce more milk and give better care to their offspring. Because of this better care, they also have decreased mortality of their puppies.
The pedigree of a dog is sometimes looked upon as a status symbol, but most people, if you asked them, would rather value their dogs unique appearance and personality. Something a purebred dog cannot touch.
These types of dogs can make superior family pets, and tend to get along very well with children. The one main disadvantage of a mixed breed dog is that it is hard to tell how big they will grow. But if you know who their parents are then you can have a good estimate about what their adult size will be. In general their adult size will be the average of the two parents.
