Laurie's Blogs.
Nov 2024
Are cross-bred dogs healthier?
This blog is a short and sweet review of a recent research paper.
Bryson GT, O’Neill DG, Brand CL, Belshaw Z, Packer RMA (2024). The doodle dilemma: How the physical health of ‘Designer-crossbreed’ Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo dogs’ compares to their purebred progenitor breeds. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0306350.
“[The] study aimed to address the current knowledge gap on the relative health of common designer-crossbreeds in the UK by exploring owner-reported health differences between designer-crossbreeds (Poodle crosses: Labradoodles, Cockapoos and Cavapoos) and their relevant purebred progenitor breeds. The study objectives were to estimate and compare the prevalence of common health disorders reported by UK owners between the three designer-crossbreeds and their relevant progenitor breeds aged up to five years using an online survey format. The study hypothesis was that in dogs aged up to five years, designer-crossbreeds have more reported disorders with reduced odds than increased odds compared to their progenitor breeds.”
Fig 1. A graphical representation illustrating how some current breeds were created from crossbreeding between pre-existing breeds.
Many of today’s purebreds originated from crossbreeding between different pre-existing purebreds. The Silky Terrier, Golden Retriever and Bullmastiff were products of intentional breeding between different pre-existing breeds and therefore, could be considered ‘designer dogs’ that later gained purebred status. The Irish Wolfhound originated similarly but later on, and necessitated crossbreeding with other breeds like Great Danes in order to keep the Irish Wolfhound from disappearing altogether.
The researchers surveyed 9,402 UK owners of the three most common designer crossbreeds (Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo) and their parent breeds (Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Miniature, Toy and Standard Poodles). The owner-reported health information was then collated and the risk of each breed having the 57 different most common disorders found in dogs was compared.
Key findings include that:
- There was no difference in disorder risk between these three most common designer crossbreeds and their purebred parent breeds in 86.6 per cent of the disorder comparisons.
- Designer crossbreeds had a higher risk of 7 per cent and a lower risk of 6.4 per cent of disorders.
- The risk of dietary indiscretion, vomiting and diarrhoea was higher in all three designer crossbreeds compared to their shared parent breed, the Poodle.
- All three designer crossbreeds had a higher chance of ear infections than their non-Poodle parent breeds. Additionally, Cockapoos had higher likelihood of itchy skin than their parent breeds, a disorder often caused by allergies.
- Both Labradoodle and Cockapoo had a lower risk of patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) compared to Poodles yet the Cavapoo did not differ in odds compared to either parent breed.
- Of the 13.4 per cent of disorders comparisons that did differ, these were almost equally split between the breeds.
These findings show that the risk did not differ at all for the majority of disorders between the designer crossbreds and their parent breeds. The findings also largely debunk beliefs held by some people that designer crossbreeds are somehow damaged or defective by not having the ‘pure’ blood of purebred dogs and must therefore be less healthy than the parent purebred breeds.
Secondary resource:
VetCompass. New RVC research debunks belief that designer crossbreed dogs are healthier than purebreds. Aug 28, 2024.
