It seems that people coming to adopt a dog from Turtle Gardens have pre-conceived notions of what mixed breed means. A mixed breed dog is not just two purebred dogs coming together to produce say a labrador retriever/german shepherd. This can happen but they are never a new breed as people who breed cocker spaniel/poodles would like you to believe. Cockapoos are not a purebred dog. They are mixed breed.

Stacy could very well be a cock-a-poo

The problem with mixed breeds is the vast gene pool available to the female running loose in season. She will breed with many males so that the ensuing puppies will have multiple fathers with many different characteristics. For instance, a lab/shep female breeds with a collie/husky. The puppies are now 4 known mixes. This pup breeds with a wolfhound/rotweiller. Now the litter is a mix of six breeds. The looks and temperaments will be so different from the original couple so as to totally confuse the potential adopter of the puppy. It may look like a collie with the temperament of the rottweiller or look like a lab but act like a husky or look like nothing familiar at all. That is possible if you know the background of the original pair. But that is often impossible with dogs that come into the shelter. Their history is known only to them and so far we cannot communicate with dogs. So we guess. With puppies the chance of making a mistake on what breed is in that particular pup is tantamount to winning the lottery. Or to say it simply - your guess is as good as mine.
Litter mates - same mom different dads.

 And that can have a devastating effect if the adoptee needs a dog that must be under 14 inches to live in a trailer court. The children will be attached to the dog who grows and grows until he is 20 inches tall. He is a wonderful family pet but he’s too big, and you did sign a contract with the landlord. The dog goes to the shelter and you start again. Or you do a smart thing and adopt a young adult already grown and under the height limit. Or buy a purebred small dog which is still no guarantee. I know of two shelties with papers, that are too tall to compete in shows.

The basis of adopting the mixed breed should always be personality and temperament. What it is, is not as important as what it can learn and whether it will fit into your lifestyle. The dog’s ability to learn and become a good family companion has little to do with what it’s breed is. Willingness is the most important factor in how a dog learns. It is so much easier working with a dog who wants to be with you than one who couldn’t care less. Time, patience and consistency are the key to any training program for any dog, purebred or mixed breed.
So the next time you see my list of dogs to adopt and a dog is listed as mixed breed because we can’t figure out what he looks like, remember that temperament should be the most important factor in a good family pet.
Margo - another litter mate from above and Kerri - a shepherd/sharpei? At first I thought rottie mix but her hind legs are shepherd shaped, she has long centre toes on he rfront feet, her ears are going up and she looks like a shepherd with a wrinkly face  like a sharpei and demodex to boot - also a sharpei trait especially from her home area!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.