question about breed characteristics

Hi guys,
As you know, I am looking for a new puppy to grace our home. I have a question and who better to ask than all of you? When you are getting a mix breed, how much attention should you pay to the traits characteristic to that particular breed it is mixed with?
For example, I just went on dogbreedinfo.com and read about the Chow Chow, which my Bear is mixed with. If I would've read that before getting him - I might not have taken him! It goes on and on how dominant, willful, and bossy they are. Well, nothing could be further from the truth for my passive easygoing Bear.
We have our eye on a sharpae/husky mix. I just read about the huskys and they say they may dig under a fence and go off hunting. Well, that would be my worse nightmare, we have a very large fenced in yard that is perfect for my dogs. I enjoy being able to open the door and let them go without worry. Having a dog that could get out would be very dangerous as I'm in a pretty busy area. When a dog is mixed is it just a toss up? What do you all think?

I have two mixes, a Canaan Dog/Jack Russell Terrier mix named Colby, and a Border Collie/German Shepherd mix named Tippy. Colby is the size and coloring of a canaan, she also has the curly tail. Basically the only physical difference is her ears are floppy. She shows a lot of terrier personality, being very weary of strangers, very hyper at times (loves to zoom around the entire house like a nutball), and if she felt COMPLETELY threatened, she would nip. Like canaans, she is a very good guard dog, she absolutely loves small kids...
Tippy is mostly border collie and that shows. She shares the breeds looks and herding instinct. She is very gentle, very quick, very sweet, loves little kids, and can herd quite well.

With Colby, it seems to be a mix-up. Many people say terriers aren't good with small children, because they are snappier than other breeds, and while I agree with that many times, we've had Colby since I was very small, and she's been around small kids a lot in her life, and she's wonderful. She seems to know that these are little people that don't understand.

[font=&quot]Although certain breeds do have characteristics, which are part of their genes, I think it also depends on the dog's personality as well as proper training on how your dog is going to behave once you get it home. For instance, our dog is a pure bred Australian Shepherd and when you read about these guys on paper it appears they are very weary of strangers. Well, this is the total opposite with Abby! She loves everyone and acts like a Lab when people approach her. She loves attention and strangers don't bother her at all. Actually, she is more friendly and excited towards strangers than to us! My point is, it all depends on the dog's individual personality and how you raise it. You see, we started introducing Abby to all kinds of people right when we got her at 8 weeks. We take her everywhere and I always make it a point to let her play with other dogs in the neighborhood too. I really think this socialization basically shot down the theory of Aussies being weary about strangers and other dogs. Not Abby!

I think you get my point here. True, some dogs via genetics have certain "traits" you must always keep in the back on your mind but I think those things can be worked on with proper training but I think the most important reflection on how they are going to behave is really an individual personality trait. After all, each dog is different.

If you love a husky mix I would not worry so much about the digging. Every dog digs. Abby digs! The lab next door digs! This is a trait in almost every dog. I think if you nip the digging in the bud right from the start it won't be so bad. There are strategies dog owners can do to curb or prevent digging in certain areas. Just do a search on Google for key words.

Here is the perfect example of my point:

Pitt Bulls are aggressive, mean, always want to fight, etc. Right? WRONG! You see how they get a bad rap? Well, this all depends on how the pit bull was raised and trained. I know a few people with pit bulls and the dogs are the sweetest, smartest dogs I've even seen. Why, because the owners took the time to train them properly and socialized them early on. One of the pit bulls named "Tini" acts like a big baby. Little dogs scare him, it's sooo funny. He could eat the little dogs up but doesn't know it. Tini's owner did a wonderful job training him from early on and now Tini is one of the best dogs I've ever seen. Calm, sweet, friendly, smart, the works! This dog would not hurt a flea.

Good luck. Go with your heart and in most cases it always wins out!

Scott
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i know what you mean before i came to this site, i didnt think chowchows were usually very nice, and had alot of cons but then i talked to a lot of people who have chowchows and children , so i would generally go by what is known about each breed but not specifically

If the husky mix gets under the fence if you buy it, you should get at least 3 long backyard leashes and connect them together.Actually, it really depends on how big your yard is.If it is very big, get like, 10 leashes.Just make sure he or she is safe, and is he/she gets under the fance, they cant go very far with the leashes on.

We've concluded Princess has lab in her reguardless of what the 1st owner says who is friends with the breeder, but does have alot of chow. She has certain traits from each. Princess digs. From what I read Chows arent normally diggers. She has great athletic skills, she cant hold back her excitement when company comes. Wants to play with every dog and person she sees. All things that arent the normal Chow trait. But then she is very stubborn, she puts on the deaf ear when she wants, she cant stand water, although she loves everyone I still am her main pick. I could go on and on. I'm just trying to say that even though a breed is known for certain things doesnt mean that mix will show that trait of the breed. Just work with whatever you pick, socialize it and enjoy it.
Oh and just to add a little note. The past couple of days when we've had company, Gracie has ran along with Princess to the door wagging her tail. So happy to see that!

i think breed discriptions should be taken as a loose guideline at best. In Mary's litter there were 8 puppies..with 8 different personalities..i couldn't for the life of me find a guide that would fit them all. I think u should let your heart speak to you. When you look at a pup or dog and that special connection is made..that is when u know this is the one. When i found Vic's pic on petfinder.com i just knew..even when i got there an he looked about a thousand times worse than his pic, was all ribs and feet flying. I still trusted my first instinct..the same one i had when i opened Mary's little amniotic sac..i said this is my gurl....funny thing when GG went to the hospital to visit Mypy after she had my grandaughter Hyia..i heard my mom say...hand me my baby...see she knew. and Hyia is and always will be GG's baby.

That could be very dangerous, unless you're supervising every second. A dog can get strangled or hung by leaving it unattended while attached to a line.

When thinking about getting a dog, you can list the characteristics you like. Then think about what the dog was bred for. Is is a dog who works closely along side his owner? Is it a dog like a huskey who pulls and wants to go, go, go and does a lot of his own thinking for his job? Was the dog bred to be a companion, like a lot of the toy breeds. They make great companion dogs. Look into various breeds which you guess might fit the bill and then search for a mixed breed (if that's what you want) which would have most of that breed you like. But, chances are that you'll mainly find the breeds that are quite popular....Labs, Shepherds and some others. See if those breed traits are compatible with your lifestyle and preferrences.

I have very specific preferrences and know exactly what I want in a dog. So, I've recently gotten purebreds. I have a Doberman because I love their intelligence, their intense desire to stay close to their master and quickness to learn and tendancy toward being very obedient. I love their sense of humor (huge) and sense of fun, but their ability to protect and be serious when needed. I love their atheleticism and handsome looks. They are not a breed for everyone, as they take an incredible amount of involvement, time and training. They are demanding and needy (velcro). But they give back many times over what you put into them.

I love my little Chihuahuas too.....fantastic little hiking buddies and companions, very perky, affectionate and just plain cute.

I had a Lab whom I recently pts. But she was a sweetheart. She did tend to want to wander, explore and visit neighbors and that is one thing I don't like. But what a great dog with kids and such a tolerant disposition.

So, there are all kinds of breeds out there. Just keep doing your research and see what appeals to you. Visit breeders with that type of dog and see how you like them in person. Go to shows. Those are just some ideas to help you get a feel for different breeds and their traits.

Good luck.

Remember, too, Irish, that the older dogs will teach the younger dogs. Your dogs aren't going to let the new pup spoil their lifestyle!

Also, relying on the lineage description from the shelter is iffy at best. When I got my Bear they told me he was a full German Shepherd . . . no GSD has a tail curled over his back or has that unique undercoat that you see on an Akita! Make your own call. Listen to your heart is the best advice of all.

thanks everyone, I knew you'd all be a big help! Now there's another pup whose caught are attention. He is a boxer/shepard mix and he's in a foster home right now not far from us. I just filled out the application today. Thanks again!

Let us know !!!!!