One piece of advice every potential dog owner has received: get a crossbreed. With longer lives and healthier bodies, these dogs mixed from two different breeds are the obvious choice… or so we thought.
New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) suggests otherwise, finding that the overall health of designer crossbreeds is largely similar to their parent purebreds.
“The popularity of designer crossbreeds, particularly Poodle crosses, has boomed over the past decade in the UK,” said Dr Rowena Packer, senior author of the paper and lecturer at the RVC.
“However, our previous research discovered that many are purchased based on assumed characteristics that are not well-founded. Perceptions that they are hypoallergenic, good with children and have good health."
This is the largest study ever into the health of designer crossbreeds, with the team looking at the overall health of three common types (the Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo).
The study surveyed 9,402 UK owners of these three crossbreeds and their parent breeds (Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, King Charles Spaniel and Poodles). The information gathered from the owner’s self-reports was collated to give a risk of each breed across 57 common disorders in dogs.
In 86.8 per cent of these disorders, there was no difference between the breeds. Of the 13.4 per cent of disorders that did differ, there was an equal split between the crossbreeds having a higher and lower risk.
While rates of health conditions were roughly equal, there were some notable differences.
All three crossbreeds had a higher chance of ear infections. Additionally, the Cockapoo had a higher chance of itchy skin compared to their parent breeds. However, both Labradoodles and Cockapoo’s had a lower risk of slipping kneecaps compared to their parent breeds.
“This paper delves into the health of common designer crossbreeds in the UK, with the clear intent of dispelling unfounded biases towards both purebred breeds and crossbreeds,” said Gina Bryson, lead author of the paper.
“Our foremost priority should be overall dog welfare. We need to ensure that responsible ownership and good breeding practices are upheld, with owner and breeder decisions driven by sound scientific evidence.”
Based on the results of the research, the team encourage owners to focus on decisions related to specific expected health issues, the size of breeds and behavioural needs for their lifestyle.
Potential new pet parents should also focus on acquiring puppies or dogs from a high-welfare source –regardless of whether they are pure or crossbred. This includes buying puppies from breeders who allow in-person visits with the mother present, and sell puppies from the place they were bred.
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