The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the UK has undertaken the world’s largest study into the health of designer crossbreed dogs. The study revealed that the overall health of three common designer crossbreeds (Cockapoo, Labradoodle, and Cavapoo) is largely similar to the health of their parent purebred breeds. These findings debunk common public beliefs about the superior health of these designer crossbreed dogs and provide important information to assist potential dog owners in selecting their future dog.
Designer crossbreed dogs are created by the intentional crossbreeding of longer established ‘purebred’ breeds to create new ‘designer’ breeds, such as the Cockapoo (a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle). There has been a significant increase in demand for these designer crossbreeds over the past decade, particularly since the pandemic, with many designer crossbreeds now surpassing the popularity of their parent breeds. For example, in the UK, there were more Cockapoo dogs (653,597) owned in the UK in 2023 than either Cocker Spaniels (562,951) or Poodles (105,369). Much of this public demand for crossbreeds has been driven by a widespread belief that designer crossbreeds are a healthier option due to somehow breeding out of harmful health effects caused by inbreeding that is common in purebred dogs.
The study
The study was led by Gina Bryson, a master’s graduate; Dr Rowena Packer, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science; and Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology, all at the RVC. It 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:
- In 86.6 percent of the disorder comparisons, there was no difference in disorder risk between these three most common designer crossbreeds and their purebred parent breeds.
- Of the 13.4% disorders comparisons that did differ, these were almost equally split between designer crossbreeds having a higher risk of 7.0% and a lower risk of 6.4%.
- 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 a higher likelihood of itchy skin than their parent breeds, a disorder often caused by allergies.
- Both Labradoodles and Cockapoos had a lower risk of patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) than Poodles, yet the Cavapoo did not differ in odds from either parent breed.
These findings show that the risk did not differ at all for the majority of disorders between the designer crossbreeds and their parent breeds. Based on these results, when considering purchasing a dog, the researchers encourage owners to instead consider other factors such as the specific expected health issues, suitability of the breed’s size, behavioural and care needs for their lifestyle, and likely temperament to decide upon their chosen breed. Additionally, owners should focus on acquiring puppies or dogs from a high-welfare source regardless of whether they are pure or crossbred, including only buying puppies from breeders who will allow visits in person prior to purchasing and who sell puppies from the place that they were bred with their mother present.
Read the paper here:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306350
