Positive Points To Owning A Mixed Breed Dog

The majority of the time it seems like most people looking for a pet, who are looking for a dog in particular, want to find full-blooded dogs. Full-blooded dogs, such as a cocker spaniel or a labrador retreiver can be wonderful addiitons to your family, but you could also be happy owning a cocker spaniel/labrador mixed canine.

The cocker spaniel is a breed of canine that craves attention, loves to play, and can be somewhat hyper. A labrador retreiver also craves attention and wants to sit by your side or be next to you all the time. They are great hunting dogs, they love the water, and just attention in general. I happen to own a cocker spaniel/labrador retreiver mixed breed. I have had my dog Sandy for over two years now, got her when she was a little larger than my two hands, and she has been one of the best dogs I have ever owned.

As a small puppy, when I took Sandy to the vet's office for the first time, people thought she was a full-blooded Labrador. I explained she was a mixed breed of lab and cocker spaniel and they were amazed. When mixed breed puppies are small, they seem to favor one or maybe two breeds. They look a certain way when they are small, but once they begin to grow, you can begin to start seeing the other breeds within their features.

Sandy was a very playful puppy, just as though I had a full-blooded cocker spaniel or Labrador Retreiver. She was a healthy puppy, never seemed to have any serious issues. Although cocker spaniels are known for having issues with their ears or eyes and other problems, Sandy seemed to develop traits from both breeds. Although Labrador Retreivers are known to have hip problems, I have not seen that becoming an issue with Sandy. Her ears favored those of a Labrador, even though they did have a slight tinge of curl to them. Her feet seemed to favor those of a Labrador, but once again, there was a slight bit of cocker spaniel in her feet, as some curly hair was seen on the back of her legs. When she was around three months old, I could see her changing as she began to develop more features from the Labrador. Her mom was a medium sized cocker spaniel and her father was a larger Labrador.

When choosing my puppy, I saw that most in the litter looked like Sandy, however, some were black in color as the mother of the litter was a full-blooded black cocker spaniel. The Labrador was a light brown color and was very friendly with those visiting the litter. One thing that is important when picking out a mixed breed puppy is that the mother and father of the puppies are friendly. Sandy's parents wanted me to play with them more than Sandy, so I knew I had chosen the right dog for me.

It all depends on what you are looking for when you are thinking about getting a mixed breed puppy. I was fortunate as I was able to get Sandy from a friend whose cocker was expecting puppies. I was given Sandy free of charge and she has been a wonderful dog. Always remember though, if you want a dog or any other animal, you need to be a responsible pet owner and make sure to keep them healthy with regular vet visits.

You might not be able to find someone who wants to give you a puppy, but another good point about getting a mixed breed dog is that for one, you could save it from the shelter (like I did), and if you have to purchase one, they seem to be a lot less money than paying for a full-blooded dog with papers. It all depends on what made you think about getting a dog in the first place. In my experience with Sandy, she has been a very loving dog. She wants to play, she wants all the attention she can get, and when they are puppies, they love to play all the time.

When looking into owning a mixed breed dog, don't forget to consider what breeds they are mixed with and just how big they might get. With my dog, she reached a medium size, a little taller like a Labrador, but still maintaining a few traits of the cocker spaniel. She is the size that most cocker spaniels become, so this mix gave me just the right size I was looking for in a dog. With other mixes, the size and height will obviously vary, you might end up with a larger dog if, let's say the dog was half greyhound and half collie, but you might have to be the judge on that one. It all depends on how big the parents are and then it is all up to you.

Owning a mixed breed dog was one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you get the chance to own a dog and can own one, maybe from a shelter, or just from a litter that a neighbor's dog just had, give it a chance, they can make great dogs.