Dogs in general make for wonderful companions. Various breeds have their own sets of temperments, attitudes, and personalities, so you'll want to take that into consideration when choosing what kind of dog to get.

If you are thinking about getting a dog from the pet store or a breeder, take into consideration what this will mean. Oftentimes these will be expensive animals, and while it is nice to know about your animal's background (who the parents are and so on), purebred dogs also come with another price which has a much larger affect than the initial monetary costs: because these dogs have been interbred with each other, they are much more succeptable to disease. Think about the quality of life that your dog will have, and how this will affect you as well. After all, you are getting your dog for the rest of his or her life. You need to definitely think about the longterm consequences. In addition, some purebred dogs can have nasty attitudes, so you will want to do your research if you do choose to go the purebred route.

Mutts, on the other hand, are usually dogs from the humane society in desparate need of a home. They do not cost an enormous amount and they will not usually be scarred by any past experiences; most mutts are very forgiving even if they had a hard life on the street or suffered from abuse before going to the humane society. Because these dogs are mixtures of several different breeds, they are much less likely to be succeptable to disease the way that purebreeds are. Along these same lines, mutts have fairly good dispositions and you can be sure that each one has their own unique personality! From a completely aesthetic point of view, mutts are also very cute with their different markings and features.

This is not to say that purebred dogs are unattractive or mean- I have met many lovely purebred dogs with sparkling personalities. However, they often do develop health problems at some point down the road. In my own experiences of working at vet clinics and seeing many different animals, I would definitely get a mutt over a purebred- by getting a mutt, you aren't spending excessive amounts of money, it is often a dog that really needs a loving home, and usually they will be healthier all around. Whatever kind of dog you choose, I suggest doing research on the place you get your dog from and also on the breed- but in the end, go with your gut instinct! If you fall in love with a dog and the two of you just "click", then that is likely the special companion for you.