My Friendly Pets

Well, its Thursday evening and we’ve had a full day of travel and turkey. It was a great Thanksgiving day, warm and balmy in the Northeast, with a hint of winter wind set to come in at the end of the day. At least they had a beautiful day for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

We traveled east to my brother’s house in Connecticut. My husband, daughter and Grandma and Grandpa, “went over the river and through the woods” literally to reach our destination and it was a pleasant ride with the last of the autumn leaves falling from the trees. When we arrived at my brother’s house we were greeted with the aromas of roasted turkey and all the fixins cooking in the kitchen. We were also greeted with love and affection by the family’s 6 year old husky and lab mixed dog named Lexie. Lexie is a loving and beautiful pup with the a coat of brown and black fur. I thought Lexie has put on a few pounds, but my brother says its just her winter coat. I say that about myself all the time….lololol!

In many of my entries I have spoken about different breeds of dogs, but there is something special to be said about mutts, mongrels, mixbreeds or anything else you want to call the dog that results from parents and/or ancestors that are different breeds of dogs. I think its time to talk about these loveable dogs that can’t necessarily be “best in breed” but they often are the best in our hearts.

A unique thing about mixbreed dogs is that they look quite different from any other dog because of the mix from which they came. Also, there is no way to predict what they will look like from a puppy, because a mutt can look significantly different as an adult dog than they did as a pup. It is said that the tempraments of mutts are better than pure breed dogs because in many breeds, there is overbreeding which can cause genetic defects along the breed line. A mixed breed dog may have personality characteristics of the many breeds from where he/she has come.

Mixed breed dogs tend to be less expensive that purebred dogs. They also possess the wonderful traits that we value in all dogs. Things like loyalty, devotion, love, and friendliness are all present and thriving in these special dogs.

Our first dog was a shepard mix named Ziggy. He looked like a shepard, but his hair was a bit shorter and he was no where near the size or stature of a purebred shepard. We just don’t know what made up the “mix” part. He was a great family dog who loved everyone. He had a great personality and this dog was truly the first dog I ever saw that smiled. He would be so happy and had a grin that went from ear to ear to show it.

So next time you are thinking of a new pooch for your family, think of that cute mutt….there is something to be said about the dog that takes the good from all who made him and delivers a treasure of a pet.

Also, since tomorrow is Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, check out another great blog site called frugal mania!!!