While we're on the subject of dogs, let me remind you that when you want to get a new member of the family, adopt him or her from your local Humane Society or from a reputable breeder. Whatever you do, don't buy your new friend from a big-box pet store like Uncle Bill's or ANY place in the mall. When you purchase animals from those types of retailers you are supporting backyard-breeding and puppy mills. These are horrific environments for your new best friend, and you're usually getting the lowest quality animal possible.
Backyard-breeders and puppy mills breed animals in the quickest way possible, which involves a lot of inbreeding. Do you ever wonder why your Mastiff has hip-dysplasia or your Cocker is prone to episodes of rage? It's because purebred dogs by nature are inbred just a little, and people who want to make money off of breeding animals usually take every shortcut possible, including breeding a good specimen with his mother.
Keep in mind that your average purebred's life-span is 8 years, but the average mixed-breed dog lives 11 years. The average mixed-breed's vet bills will also be lower, as they don't generally suffer from the inbreeding-related health issues that purebreds suffer from. That's 3 more years of love from your (healthier) best friend.
Editor's Note: The statistics on breed life-spans are anecdotal (at best) and from my memory of a report I read while working at a Vet Laboratory, and from witnessing firsthand how long mixed-breed animals can live (Bash). If you don't like it, find me some better stats, or even some to disprove these.
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