To out or not to pug

[maypole1]

thinking about getting a pug cross but have comrade across a pure pug breed the reason I was going for a pug cross is to see off some off the health defects pugs can have .

Am I correct?

calamityKate, I think you are misunderstanding me

"I am all for hybrid vigour

A crossbreed isn't a hybrid though?"

A hybrid IS a crossbreed, I was saying that as a rule I prefer crossbreeds, but when it is a deliberate cross of 2 pedigree dogs it's not necessarily going to be as healthy as a "genuine" crossbreed (I know that terminology sounds weird, but I know what I mean!!) I am quite vociferously anti breeding of severely brachiocephalic dogs, but the ones that are already here can't help it, and I have to admit that pugs can have a very sweet nature. I do think more should be done to stop breeding many of these breeds. To my mind if a breed needs corrective surgery to allow it the simple task of breathing and cannot give birth naturally, then nature is telling you something.

OP, your shih Tzu lady does sound a bit "dodgy". Surely if you are irresponsible enough to have an unneutered male and female, and "can't cope" with the resultant 4 dogs, you rehome the puppies rather than your pet . If she has never been to a vet, the bitch will not be vaccinated, and I would very much doubt she will be neutered either. I really would advise a good rescue. there are many breed rescues out there

just coming back to say i didn't mean all pedigree dogs are quasimodos or something
i mean that congenital problems usually aren't covered in pet insurance, so if something went wrong with my dog i couldn't afford to spent thousands on fixing knee/hip/whatever the congenital condition is.

with a crossbreed that wouldn't be a problem(i hope, don't have an in depth knowledge of dog insurance)

Nope, pet insurance covers all those things, you'll just pay a much larger monthly premium for a pug (a breed known to have common health issues) than, say, the aforementioned greyhounds (many fewer health issues).

Exclusions might come into play, though, so it is sometimes the case that if your dog has surgery on one hip or cruciate ligament or whatever they might decline to cover when/if the other one goes.

Crossbreeds suffer from congenital issues as well! It's a common misconception, 'hybrid vigour' and all that.

It's a common misconception, 'hybrid vigour' and all that.

Well, yeah, because a crossbreed isn't a hybrid.

Hence quote marks - we know that, your average numpty who thinks a labradoodle is healthier than a poodle doesn't and is likely to cite 'hybrid vigour, innit'.

ive got a Pugalier she s a Pug crossed with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and she s fab

my OH wouldnt let me have a pug coz of the health problems,my dogs got a lovely nature is easy to look after and is best mates with my DS

headdesk

Whoops.

Sorry for my ignorance, but can someone explain what the difference is between a crossbreed and a hybrid?

sorry to be pedantic, but a cross-breed IS a hybrid!

definition of hybrid

I meant that the term "hybrid vigour" is more suitable to describe animals that have a wide and varied genetic origin, as opposed to only 2 lines.

Oh I see, yes I looked it up in the dictionary too hence my confusion :). Didn't want to be one of those 'numpties' mentioned who didn't know the difference!

I do actually have a pure-breed dog, not that you'd know it to look at him, I think most people assume some kind of 'novelty' cross .

Well now I need to know the answer, because for every article saying that a crossbreed is a hybrid, there is one saying it isn't, because a hybrid is a cross between two species (horse/donkey, lion/tiger etc)!

Here you are Calamity..... I can understand the confusion as "hybrid" does relate to both things, but the adjective from this website explains Jooly's point.. It also defines hybrid as a noun and that is inter-species as opposed to inter-breed which is your point. So you are both right! here

So a mixed-race child would be classed as a hybrid, even though both parents were homo sapiens, in the same way as a mixed breed dog is a hybrid even though both parents are canis familiaris?

I think the difference is the hybrid Jooly is talking about is an adjective. The inter-species hybrid you are talking about is a noun. So I suppose the answer to your question is yes, but it depends on the context IYSWIM.

I have a French bulldog and she is really vigorous and has no heart or breathing problems; she does snore, but no more than my bigger dogs, and she loves to run, faster than any of us though she is tiny. She's also brilliantly good-tempered.

I would however think very hard about buying from anyone other than a registered breeder, as most breeds do have genetically reproduced conditions - Cavs for instance can have mitral valve disease, and bully dogs of every kind can have other problems, for example with feet.