When you get your first dog, it’s always a tough choice. There are so many choices to pick from and you should realistically start from what you’re looking for in a dog. My first suggestion is that you’re probably better off not getting a purebred dog. By definition, a purebred dog typically refers to breed that is selectively bred only with dogs of its own breed, resulting in them sometimes breeding with their own relatives which can cause a lot of genetic diseases in the long run. Instead of getting a purebred, you should consider getting a mutt. Mutts are dogs in their natural state. Even though humans have lived with domesticated dogs for over ten thousand years, purebred dogs didn’t even exist until about a hundred and fifty years ago. It’s honestly kind of cruel what has been done with all of these purebred dogs. Humans like to play god with them and shape them into whatever we deem fit and it’s starting to become a problem. Statistically, 60% of Golden Retrievers die of cancer because of all of the genetic diseases caused by generations of inbreeding. Breeds like the bulldog are one of the best examples of selective breeding gone wrong. Their noses are so squashed that they can barely breathe. Their heads are so big that they almost always have to be born via C-section. Their tails can become ingrown, they basically all have hip dysplasia, and their average life expectancy is only six years. Being alive for these dogs is a form of suffering. If you want the best for your dog and your family, get a dog that has mixed breeds as that’s usually the healthiest dogs.
“Evolution of the Dog.” PBS.org. Public Broadcasting Station, 2001. Web.
Beck, Melinda. “When Cancer Comes With a Pedigree.” Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 4 May 2010. Web.
Denizet-Lewis, Benoit. “Can the Bulldog Be Saved?” New York Times Magazine. The New York Times Company, 22 Nov. 2011. Web