top of page
Writer's picturegawlerveterinaryservices

Crossbred Dogs


Crossbreeding of dogs is a controversial subject in the dog owning community all over the world. Some dog owners and breeders would prefer that dog breeds be kept pure, while on the other hand the crossbreed followers see the practice as mixing the better features of breeds into a designer dog. There is no correct answer as it comes down to personal preference.

The difficulty arises when the mixed breed offspring need to be classified with the name of the breed. Here we find some very ingenious ideas for the naming of the crossbred puppies using parts of the original breeds. There is no regulated naming protocol in use so any name can be made to fit. The popular breed currently used in the crossbreeding practice is the poodle, thus we have breeds with oodle in the name (Labradoodle, Cavoodle, Groodle to name just a few). The same crossbred mix can be known by different names in different locations.

It used to be recognized that crossbreeding of animals resulted in stronger offspring with the enhancement of beneficial traits and the reduction of defects. This is not true in every case and the reverse can apply. In many cases however there can be benefits. The mix of the Poodle and the Golden Retriever can result in a dog which has a very low allergy factor combined with the personality of the Retriever. Some of the extreme defects seen with short snout breeds (Brachycephalics) can be mitigated by mixing with a breed with a better functioning breathing apparatus (thus the Pugalier). The heart problems very commonly seen in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can be somewhat mitigated when mixed with the poodle breed (thus the Cavoodle).

Crossbreeding of dogs is not the silver bullet when breeders look to reduce or eliminate the common defects seen in pure breeds. The dog breeding community still has the responsibility to improve the breeds they love so much and to stop the unreasonable quest to achieve extreme features in their breeds. Some common breeds have been bred for their extreme features to the point of cruelty with the dog destined for a life of pain or respiratory distress or other debilitating defects.

Please research your puppy purchase wisely with the welfare of the new family member in mind.

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page