Cross Breeds

Isit true that mixed breeds are generally healthier than pure-bred dogs?

Do they have less problems with health issues? Hip displasia, allergies, etc. I am considering a collie vs a collie mix (shepard/collie maybe??)

Public Comments

1. In general purebred have more genetic problems.. a mutt is well rounded.. like natural selection.. less like to have defects.
2. I believe thats true. Dogs that get inbred with their breed are more likely to get a disease that is common in their breed, than a mixed breed that has DNA from two different breeds.
3. It's not necessarily true at all. there are plenty of unethical breeders out there who are breeding purebred dogs with tons of health problems, sure, but there are also many breeders who are devoted to the health and betterment of their chosen breed. The trick is finding one- it seems that for every good breeder there are ten bad ones :( Plus, an F1 mix (such as that created by mixing two purebred dogs) is NOT a hybrid and does not have the "hybrid vigor" that people often talk about. All it is is half of one pure breed and half another- meaning it could have shepherd health problems AND/OR collie health problems. ANY poorly bred dog, pure or mixed, can show the problems you mention, and more. Again, best bet is to find a responsible, ethical breeder. Their dogs are their passion, and they take GREAT care to ensure they are healthy. See the link for info on finding a good one. GOOD LUCK!!
4. I believe pure-breds have more inbred problems. Chances are, a mixed breed wouldn't have as many "specific" type problems.
5. They seemed to have far less health problems, because the genetic base is much larger so genetic quires are not as presented
6. Mutts have more to pull from in the gene pool, which often cancels out a lot of negative genetic defects, like the problems you described. But special traits (like dogs with buggy eyes, or smooshed faces) are also the result of genetic mutations or defects. So when you start mixing breeds together, you lose a lot of the cosmetic stuff that attracts people to purebreds in the first place. The nice thing is that you tend to get the best of both breeds. So while a dog like a Border Collie may be very high energy and have a strong herding instinct, crossing it with something much calmer like a St Bernard will often give you a happy medium between the two breeds. And fewer of the health problems as well.
7. dogs are healthy due to proper care and bloodline, if you have a dog that is part eng. blldog and prt gldn rtver. your dog could be at risk of cherry eye and tumors. because these problems are common with these breeds. it is important to get a history of your dogs bloodline esp. when it comes to medical problems. ifthis is not possible than you should make sure your dog is taken for annual vet chks. so that if there is any thing, u can catch it on time which could mean lots of money and your dogs life.
8. The health of any dog is a crap shoot with no 100% guarantee.Mixed breed dogs can be prone to genetic problems from any breed in it's bloodline.Purebreed dogs from a responsible breeder will have parents who have been genetically tested to rule out that they have the disease.However not all purbreed breeders do the tests,and don't really care if the pup is genetically sound.
9. In general, this is a MYTH. Mixed breed dogs, have as many health problems as pure-bred dogs. If you want a dog that is free of health defects, I suggest you research your breed, then find a REPUTABLE breeder in your area that does health clearences BEFORE they breed. Ask them questions, and in return they should ask you questions. Good breeders are ALWAYS concerned that their puppies will go to good homes. You can expect to pay more for the puppy in the beginning, but trust me, 200 extra dollars for the puppy is much better than the 1000's in vet bills to treat hip displasia and a dog that is constantly in pain, sometimes so bad the dog must be put to sleep. In reference to not having this problem in mixed breeds, this is not true, and often times the cases are more severe. This is because these problems are genetic, and non-reputable breeders aren't concerned with the quality or genetics of the dogs they breed. Go to www.akc.org for ideas, and a "breeder classified" a good place to start, but please note: Just because a dog is registered with AKC or PUREBRED does NOT make them healthy, it only means both parents were of the same breed.