To think there’s nothing wrong with cross breeds?

[sophialagiraffe]

There is nothing wrong whatsoever with cross breeds, whether that’s lurchers or cockerpoos. People are allowed to like what they like.

What DOES matter is where the dog comes from. But all this sneering about “mongrels” is fucking nasty and says more about the poster than the dog.

Most people don’t want a Crufts champion, they want a pet.

I have a crossbreed. I got him in 2020 after the first lockdown. He's so great! Better than my last cross breed and possibly slightly better than my fantastic 'pedigree' dog was. I don't care if other people think he is substandard because he is slightly less inbred than a pedigree. I think he is great and I would prefer to not get a pedigree dog again as I think the artificial and deliberate limiting of the gene pools is cruel and out of control. Mongrels, true Mongrels, that have genes from all different types of dogs are the healthiest, the most natural and the most full of character dogs. If only humans had not tried to breed dogs in the manner they have we wouldn't need health checking before dogs gave birth.

I have a crossbreed. I got him in 2020 after the first lockdown

Where did you get him from though? Do you know for definite it was a reputable breeder? Hard to find, especially in the last year...

All dogs are cross breeds.

We've only had 'rescues' and they've all been beautiful with lovely temperaments. All mixes, 'nature mixes' we call them - two of the three were lurcher types, one GS-cross.

I'd never have a pure breed because I don't trust breeders; not all of them do it for love of the breed and I wouldn't want my heart broken if/when the dog has congenital health problems.

We hope to have more dogs this year, we haven't any at the moment. I want 3 or 5.

It is a very interesting subject - most 'pedigree' dogs were manufactured by the victorians by inbreeding. You can replace the word pedigree with the word 'inbred' and it doesn't seem quite as appealing does it? Whilst there were some working dogs which were a 'breed' even these have been over inbred - and this is seen in the health problems such as hip dysplasia in large breeds such as German Shepherd dogs. It is so sad to see some of the results of this inbreeding - pugs gasping for breath, dalmations who are deaf (I had a rescue deaf dalmation, lovely dog ), King Charles spaniels with epilepsy .. boxers with heart problems. The list is endless. Whilst I do hate the idea of 'dog breeders' and people buying dogs (this is my personal opinion) I do think that these 'designer cross breeds' are at least healthier for being crossed.

I personally have my funny mongrel and couldn't be happier with him - literally the healthiest dog I ever had, obviously he has some staffie in him but is a bigger dog - would be interesting to know his background but to me he is one of the family and it is nice that he was in a rescue centre and we have given him a loving home. There is a lady who walks her pedigree dog near us and she only lets her pointer play with other pedigrees - some dog walkers are offended, I just think it is quite bizarre!

There is a lady who walks her pedigree dog near us and she only lets her pointer play with other pedigrees - some dog walkers are offended, I just think it is quite bizarre!

That is bonkers!

I find an awful lot of 'designer dog' owners, the small cockerpoo types don't like my Golden Retriever getting too close to them. She probably doesn't look 'fluffy' enough.

YANBU.

It's stupid.

Buying a purebred dog is no guarantee of health or good temperament.

And lots of working dogs, and working animals generally, are crossbreeds. Because they often perform better. Agricultural animals are often crosses - farmers tend to keep purebreds in order to cross them as much as for their own sake. Many working horses, hunters, dressage, etc, are crosses. Sled dogs for racing are usually crossbreeds. Lurchers are crosses. Even in greyhound racing, you get cheaters who illegally cross in some other dogs to improve racing times.

Purebred dogs are actually likely to have more health problems and more temperamental defects. Which is why testing is recommended to such a degree among purebred dog breeders, it's not nearly as important with mutts.

@NuniaBeeswax

There's nothing wrong with mutts, but there's plenty wrong with intentionally crossbreeding and then charging exorbitant sums of money for the pups just because the "breed" they've come up with has some whimsical name.

But isn't this identical to what happens with purebred dogs?

Why should a cocker spaniel cost more than a cockapoo?

Most of the registered dog breeds were developed from crosses anyway.

People like cockapoos because they hope to have a spaniel like temperament (although those can be dodgy they are often nice dogs) with the intelligence and hair texture of a poodle.

How is that less rational than the reasons people want poodles or spaniels?

There are many advantages to mixed breed dogs one being many are less likely to have health problems.
The other is their pet insurance tends to be cheaper!😂

I have a long dog mixed breed which most people have never heard of but it's basically 2 sight hounds. So she's a greyhound/saluki cross. Unless you put her next to a pure greyhound and pay particular attention that she's slightly shorter and different in the face ever so slightly you wouldn't know.

We have always had mixed breed dogs growing up my parents lurcher lived til she was 19!

Better a cross breed then a dog which has such horrendous inbreeding it can't breathe properly or walk properly which is sadly a lot of what you see now with designer status dogs!

It's racism prejudice and unacceptable to look down on a dog because it's a "halfling" non pedigree or a bit disabled/special needs those people are evil mean bstards.. but then again some breeds are crossbred unethically and shouldn't really be allowed to carry on french bulldogs and those fluffy pomskinwotsits for example but they are cute and it's not their fault it's a bit like having a baby with a genetic disorder doesn't make them any less of a human same as being a pug doesn't make you any less of a dog people should stop being such meanies

People like cockapoos because they hope to have a spaniel like temperament (although those can be dodgy they are often nice dogs) with the intelligence and hair texture of a poodle

Statistically this isn’t going to happen in most cases.

What if they get the temperament of a poodle and the hair texture of the spaniel?

This is what people don’t think about.

And as many posters have said, it isn’t the dogs we have a problem with. They are lovely, good pets, and if people choose one that’s fine.

It’s the fact that crosses are more likely to be puppy farmed, and that many owners think they’re getting a spaniel with a poodle coat and haven’t done the research to know this might not be the case..

There's nothing wrong with mongrels. They're healthier on the whole than pedigrees. When I was a child almost every dog we'd see was a mongrel, and nobody loved them any the less for it.

I had a mutt, his breeder tried to convince me that he was a lurcher. The bitch was a mutt and was bred from quite a lot, all told she had 30 pups over her life time.
He had german shepherd, greyhound and whatever small breed his mother came from.
He was a robust hound and was never ill, bouncy until the day he died at 19, although as he got older he bounced lower and less. Nobody believed that he was as old as he was.
As far as I'm concerned, if I have another dog it will not be pedigree or a cross because mutts don't have so many issues.

I had a mutt, his breeder tried to convince me that he was a lurcher. The bitch was a mutt and was bred from quite a lot, all told she had 30 pups over her life time

You knew this and yet you still bought a pup from him? Please don't ever get another animal. Ever. From anywhere.

I bought my crossbreed dog specifically for a number of reasons but mainly because I wanted the dog not to shed hair and to have the good bits from both breeds.

The health issues thing is a ridiculous point to make!!! My crossbreed is so much healthier than my neighbours pug that can hardly breathe and my other neighbours dachshund who's feet point outwards!

But @RiverMeadow what if the dog had inherited a shedding coat and the worst of both breeds?

I've not known any dog to shed hair that's been bred with a poodle (not saying this doesn't happen but of the dogs I know, they all have the same coat) I did so much research on both breeds and would've been happy with either temperament, both quite intelligent sort of laid back dogs. I couldn't find a pedigree dog that compared.

We had a collie cross back in the day due to a lot of unfortunate circumstances she got pregnant by a very determined cross breed the results were spectacular to say the least she had pups ranging from lurcher types to terriers it really was the long and short of it

Ok I have a pedigree chihuahua (thanks to teen) who I love with all my heart. But the most lovely dog I have ever had with the kindest sweetest heart in the world was my Beryl. Collie cross rescue dog. She died years and years ago. Best personally ever!!!

It's the emperor's new clothes though isn't it? People fall for the 'designer' label that have been given to these crossbreeds/mongrels and think they are on to something elite when they really aren't. You couldn't give crossbreed/accidental litters away a generation ago, now they're highly desirable because of the designer label marketing. Irresponsible, repeated breeding of bitches means that the puppies are often unhealthy. No one asks for KC papers (and all the paperwork/testing that this requires) as they are not purebreds so aren't even expected. I think you've got a chip on your shoulder about people 'sneering' about crossbreeds for snobbish reasons. They just don't buy into the sales patter and silly names these crossbreeds/mongrels are given.

As far as I'm concerned, if I have another dog it will not be pedigree or a cross because mutts don't have so many issues

I’ve always had yorkies, the last one lived until nearly 20 and was a robust little dog.

I wonder if it’s because as show dogs it’s the coat that is the focus, the actual dog underneath hasn’t changed much from the ratters in the bradford mills. Excepting the ridiculous breeders of “teacups” and the like, which can’t be shown anyway because they don’t meet minimum size.

My mum has a cross, it’s always at the bloody vets. It’s got a congenital liver abnormality, and develops benign tumours which need removing.

I don’t think you can make statements about pedigree vs cross, as some crosses are unhealthy, as some pedigrees are. But there are pedigrees that have minimal health issues- poodles being one.

It’s about doing your research, questioning the breeder, whether pedigree or not, and making sure the dog you are buying comes from a quality source.

My current dog I tracked down through the pedigree of my last, so I knew the breeders and lines he, and his ancestors came from. I asked millions of questions and knew the type of yorkie I wanted.

@TheoriginalLEM

Lots of issues actually.

Backyard breeders making money out of dogs when they don't know what they're doing

Puppy farms

People paying £££s for puppies and crying to the vet they can't pay their bills when the pup gets sick.

But no, there is nothing wrong with crossbreeds as such.

All of this can be said for purebred dogs too though. The idea that all purebred dogs come from reputable breeders is laughable. The idea that all owners of purebred dogs have money to pay for vets is also ridiculous.

@Wolfiefan I've not known any dog to shed hair that's been bred with a poodle (not saying this doesn't happen but of the dogs I know, they all have the same coat) I did so much research on both breeds and would've been happy with either temperament, both quite intelligent sort of laid back dogs. I couldn't find a pedigree dog that compared.

I must say I know the lady personally who I bought my dog from and it was 6 years ago so nowhere near the prices they charge now. I've known the mother of the puppies her whole life and she's only ever had the 1 litter. I wouldn't ever condone buying from puppy farm etc but in my experience it was all absolutely fine.

@RiverMeadow they don’t all have the same coat.
I grew up with a lab/setter cross. My mum researched the very worst each breed could be and decided if she could cope with that.
A cross isn’t predictable.
And many many breeders of cross breeds don’t do the health testing. I would always avoid. I would rather rescue or wait for (one of the rare as hen’s teeth) decent breeders.