I thank you all in advance for your answers.
I am a dog-lover and I'm going to adopt my first dog in a few weeks (I couldn't do so before because of lack of time and space)
Now I'm wondering if is it OK to adopt a pup from farmers who live in villages and their dogs are clearly from no specific breeds and their parents have been herding shepherd dogs in our local environment? (Western Iran)
I want to bring the dog to a small (60-70 SqM) apartment.
My main concern is the behavior. Can they be trained like a purebred? (Labs, Goldens, Border Collies, Aussies,...)
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do you know what the mix is or the size? I can give you a better answer with more information.– Rebecca RVTCommented Jun 20, 2017 at 19:26
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As a matter of fact, I'm rather sure that they belong to no specific breed. Not the parents nor any ancestors. They are completely local and naturally bred. about the size, they are almost as big as a Border Collie– SocialGadFlyCommented Jun 21, 2017 at 0:36
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and actually, it is one of my biggest wishes to somehow do a thorough work in finding out what kind of dogs they are, How smart they are, and so on.... all I know they are very very kind and loyal and never ever vicious.– SocialGadFlyCommented Jun 21, 2017 at 0:42
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1Please also keep in mind the issues in genetic health of purebreds vs mixed-breeds. Although a purebred may be more expensive, which may lead the layman to expect that they are "better" in every way, they are more likely to have medical issues: instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/…. So if you can train them equally to a purebred, but expect many more years of life out of them, you have greater overall benefit of your training (and their companionship).– NicholasCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 20:32
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2 Answers
First of all, dogs are dogs. The all have the same basic needs. And every dog can be trained. And even dogs of the same breed can be really different in behavior and character. But, you are right, not every breed is equally suitable for every task or life circumstances and the purebreeds are known for unique qualities.
I want to bring the dog to a small (60-70 SqM) apartment. My main concern is the behavior. Can they be trained like a purebred? (Labs, Goldens, Border Collies, Aussies,...)
These breeds you mentioned are really different. Border Collies and Aussies were bred for herding tasks. That means, they are highly intelligent, very sensible, need very much exercise, and are really self-confident. If you let them, they are working, running or playing until they die. They don't give up. They recognize every motion far away, because they were bred to see, if any sheep is running away.
Labs and Goldens are bred for waterfowling and hunting. They are intelligent as well, need exercise and are self-confident. They were bred to hunt the birds or other animals, but bring them to the hunter without hurting the prey. So they are really soft with their mouth. And they are much more calm than the herding dogs and not as sensible. So they are known for being excellent family dogs.
So all the breeds you mentioned are not made for small apartments, but they can be happy there, if the owner has the time and knowledge to handle their needs.
Another thing is, you can't compare "the purebreeds" with "the mixed breeds". Every breed has its qualities, things they easily learn or like to do and their weaknesses or possible problems because of the history.
And keep in mind, every dog is unique and can vary from the characteristics their breeds are known for.
Now I'm wondering if is it OK to adopt a pup from farmers who live in villages and their dogs are clearly from no specific breeds and their parents have been herding shepherd dogs in our local environment? (Western Iran)
The dogs are for herding purposes. So they are middle sized, I guess, because they need to be strong enough to handle the herded animals, but I think they will not be too big, because they would need to much to eat and wouldn't be as agile as middle sized ones. Because they are mixed breeds, they may not as specific in their behavior and character as the purebreeds. So it is more likely that one puppy is calmer than another one,or one loves to hunt while another loves to do circus lessons, one is really attentive and sensible while the sibling is a little bit sleepy. But they were used for herding, so the may be alike the Border Collies and Aussies.
It is often said, that mixed breeds are intelligent and really loyal as well. They are easily trained. And some are convinced, that they are healthier than purebloods, because of their mixed genes.
So if you have the time, the space, and the knowledge for a pureblood herding dog like a Border Collie, than you should be able to adopt and train a mixed herding dog as well.
People adopt mutts all the time, so I don't see this as much different. In which case, you try to make an educated guess as to the dog's needs, and home it appropriately. However, knowing the parent dogs gives you more information about what the dog's needs are. Since the parents are used as herding dogs, I would say a small apartment will not be an appropriate environment for it. In order to be an effective herding dog, the dog must be fairly intelligent and have a lot of energy. It's very difficult to keep such a dog exercised and entertained in a small apartment.
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Yes, it can be true mostly. it "is" one of my concerns that they naturally need farms and a wide sight when waking up in the morning... another thing is, as the "idiots" believe that their God has said "dogs are unclean" (!), there has never been any kind of breeding in my country for hundreds of years and the only two breeds which can be recognised as "breeds" are Salukis and Kangals, which are nowadays quite rare here in their motherland!... Commented Jun 21, 2017 at 0:55