What Does Purebred Mean?

If you're looking to adopt a new pet you may run across the word purebred a lot, but may be confused by what the term means. You may also see a large selection of breeds that are listed as purebred.

  1. Defintion

    • Take a look at the animal's family tree.

      The technical definition of purebred according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary is "bred from members of a recognized breed, strain, or kind without admixture of other blood over many generations." In simpler terms, this means that the animal is of the same bloodline back through generations. Essentially, if you look at the animal's family tree, such as for a purebred German shepherd, you would see that the dog's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all German shepherds as well.

    Number of Breeds

    • Himalayan cats are actually Persians.

      The American Kennel Club recognizes more than 150 breeds of dog, and the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., recognizes 41 pedigreed breeds.

    Verification

    • Breed doesn't matter when it comes to friendship.

      If you adopt a pet from a breeder, you should receive papers validating your pet's purebred standing. If you adopt from a shelter, you still have the ability to find out if the cat is purebred. A variety of websites offer DNA testing kits for your pet. Simply order the kit, swab your pet's cheeks then send in the testing kit to the lab. Within weeks you will have a listing of the breeds that make up your furry friend's ancestry. If the test comes back with 100 percent of one breed, then you have got yourself a purebred friend.