Designer crossbreed dogs may be no healthier than their purebred cousins

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-29 04:00

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'Designer' crossbreed dogs may not be any healthier than similar purebred breeds, according to international researchers who surveyed the owners of about 9,400 dogs. The team compared the owner-reported health of purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels Labrador Retrievers, and Poodles with Cavapoos, Cockapoos and Labradoodles - crossbreeds of the first three breeds and poodles. They say there was no overall clear difference in the chance of developing common health disorders between the purebred and crossbred dogs, with crossbreeds having higher odds for 7% of the studied health conditions and lower odds for 6.4% of them. The researchers say designer crossbreeds are often perceived to be healthier than their purebred versions, but this study suggests that may not be the case.

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Journal/
conference: PLOS ONE

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Royal Veterinary College, UK

Funder: R.M.A.P. (Kennel Club Charitable Trust - Research Grant) D.G.O. (Kennel Club Charitable Trust - International Canine Health Award) The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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