juststarted
When I was 9 I got my 1st dog. A purebred Shetland Sheepdog (aka Shelty, mini-collie). I loved that dog. They are worker dogs/herders. He lived 20 years, and that was with modern vet meds and vaccines. Imagine the life he would have lived at your place? How long would he have lived? He even had heartworm treatments. He was a tough little thing, let me tell you.
We used to bring him to my stepfather's farm in northern Maine in the summers and he owned that land. Even the Black Bears were scared of him. Foxes? Coyotes? Not even a threat. He was so fast. He could nip their behinds and retreat faster than they could swing their necks around. He used to run along side my dirtbike at 30 mph (I swear!). That dog had a soul, and I hope to meet him again someday. When I buy my farm some day, I will be getting another Shelty, but I sure do love the Germ Sheps too (very loyal).
But even purebreds are muts. The whole "purebred" thing is BS. All dogs are mixed from something here and something there, and bred for a specific purpose, the original dog morphed from wolves. A dog is a dog.
PB