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Choosing Your Dog:What Kind Do
You Want?
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If you want to have fun with your dog, be careful to choose the right breed. Dogs do some things better than others. If you wanted a dog who retrieves balls and sticks, but your dog never fetches anything, a terrier probably wasn't the right dog for you. Dogs can do lots of things, but their heritage does determine whether they can do some things better than others. |
Some dogs instinctively dig, and some don't. Terriers really like to dig. |
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Dogs
can be divided into two kinds:
Purebred Dogs and Mixed Breed Dogs
One
is not better than the other. Both can make great pets.
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Mixed breeds are also called mutts or mongrels. Mixed breed dogs have parents and ancestors that are of different breeds. Advantages
of mixed breeds: |
Purebred dogs have parents and ancestors that are all from the same breed of dog. Advantages
of purebreds:
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What do you get if you cross a beagle with bread dough? dog biscuits |
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Thanks to Julie, age 6, of New York USA for this great riddle!
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When you are shopping for a dog, you may choose from these groups of purebred dogs listed below. Or you may decide you want a mixed breed combination of different breeds of dogs. |
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were bred to hunt game without feathers. They hunt mammals like deer, fox, and rabbits. Some hound dogs are the Greyhound, the Basset Hound, the Dachshund, and the Rhodesian Ridgeback. |
were bred to serve man. They pulled sleds, were police dogs, war dogs and search and rescue dogs. Some working dogs are the Boxer, the Doberman Pinscher, the Rottweiler, the Alaskan Malamute, and the St. Bernard. |
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were bred to hunt feathered game like pheasants. Some sporting dogs are the Cocker Spaniel, the Pointer, the Irish Setter, the Labrador Retriever, and the Golden Retriever. |
If you know what your dog was originally bred to do, it might give you an idea about its personality and information about how it will fit into your family. For instance, a terrier who likes to dig might not be a good idea for a family that has prize- winning gardens in their backyard. |
were bred originally to herd sheep. They were good watchdogs. Some herding dogs are the Collie, the Old English Sheepdog, the Shetland Sheepdog, the Welsh Corgi, and the German Shepherd. |
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were bred to dig into the ground to hunt animals in burrows. Some terriers are the West Highland White Terrier, the Norwich Terrier, the Fox Terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier, and the Welsh Terrier. |
were bred to be companions to people. They were considered portable because they could be easily carried. Some toy dogs are the Pug, the Chihuahua, the Pekingese, the Pomeranian, the Toy Poodle, the Yorkie, and the Shih Tzu. |
are very smart and can perform many different kinds of activities. Some non-sporting dogs are the Bulldog, the Chow Chow, the Dalmatian, the Lhasa Apso, and the Poodle. |
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Visit these pages!
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 When
you are deciding on a kind of dog, be careful to choose a dog whose background
matches your
needs. What dogs do will make a difference in your
happiness: yours and the dog's. |
You
asked for it! Here's the quiz
that
will let you know if you're ready
for a dog.
