Cross Breeds

Why is it some uninformed people imagine pure breed dogs have less health issues than cross breeds?

l have seen this comment several times by to me people who do not understand anything about dogs at all.There is NO proof that a cross breed lives longer than a pure breed and in fact the opposite is true the competent registered Breeder will breed from fully tested stock and not risk breeding dogs with possible health issues.Why is it that some people seem to believe this untruth about the two types of dogs? PS For those people who have realized l put the question incorrectly in the heading of the question THANKS,l MEANT 'Why do people think cross breeds are healthier than pure breeds' To those wwho are so perfect and never nake an error when typing,aren't you rantastic wish l was as perfect as you think you are!

Public Comments

1. I think that people do so because they think of pure bred is worth more? pure bred's also come with papers and mixes dont. its not that mixes are bad i'd say there just as cute and lovable as pure breds. this is just how people are?
2. Some times cross breeds can be healthier because most breeders in order to achieve the pureness of the race or for economical reasons breed closely related animals which leads to them having hereditary health problems. Of course this is not the rule and there a lot of responsible breeders but most aren't. For example in UK all of the pereneese mountain dogs come from just one shire.
3. HUH! You are arguing against yourself here. First you state that UNINFORMED people imagine pure breed dogs have less health issues than cross breeds....then you go on to state the opposite and that there is no proof cross breds live longer etc,. I agree with your latter statement. I think pure bred dogs are healthier due to the health testing and careful mating by registered breeders to minimise and hopefully eliminate hereditary health problems. With cross breeds it's a crap shoot because no testing is done and no compatability is considered when mating the dogs. They just throw any two dogs together. I am not uninformed and I have registered pure bred dogs. However according to my vet, pure bred owners are more likely to have their dogs seen by a vet when they are off color than cross bred owners so it can appear that pure bred dogs need vet attention more regularly. My vet also states that often if expensive treatment is required a cross bred owner is likely to say "Oh he'll get over it" and not proceed with treatment. I had occasion last year to have my dog visit the veterinary specialist centre every 3 weeks. It was darned expensive and rarely did I see another cross bred dog in there. They were 95% pure bred dogs. This confirms my vets opinion that pure bred owners are prepared to spend the money on vet treatment for their dogs.
4. I read your question wrong at first and after head banging the keypad I realized you were NOT another one of those misinformed people that have no idea what they are spouting. I have come to the conclusion that the average person knows nothing about the pain staking efforts that go into breeding. The pedigree research, the genetic research, the heath test, the temperament test that responsible breeders go through to make sure their breed of choice is the best possible specimen and that specimen will continue for generations to come. They do not realize that there are only a very few dogs out of a litter are acceptable breeding stock and that the breeder would never bred anything but the best. They think it is all about the money because many of these people see dogs as a pay check. It will continue to allude me why the average person firmly believes all it takes is a bitch in heat and a horny male. I love mutts and I will continue to rescue, foster and have them as part of my family but I will not breed them.
5. Because people selling crossed breed dogs advertise it that way and uninformed people simply believe it. One day I was sitting in a coffee shop with a friend and we had a book on dog breeds. This lady sat next to us and said she could never find her dog in those books....so we asked what was her dog and she replied: a labradoodle. .....she didn't know her dog was not a 'breed' cause the people where she bought it told her that her dog was a cross breed and it was even better than a pure breed.
6. because people dont know anything about genetics. They believe that inbreeding and linebreeding automatically creates health problems.. and they believe that crossbreeding grants dogs "hybrid vigor" ADDED Duh common sence.. if 2 dogs dont carry a gene for PRA, you're not going to get pups for PRA.. PRA gene wont automatically appear just because the dogs are related! Take 2 dogs of different breeds, they both carry a gene for PRA.. you will very likely get a pup that will be affected by PRA.. the gene isnt cancelled out because of crossbreeding!
7. People are just tired of hearing about how wonderful these $10,000 show dogs are. And some have seen with their own eyes that their mutt is healthier than their purebred dog. If there's no proof that a crossbred dog is healthier, then there's no proof that a purebred one is either prob. I'm sure there are just as many of each. With our country in a recession and at war, I don't think typing errors or crossbred dogs are really a big deal. Add: Also, just use common sense when thinking about "inbreeding". I mean come on.
8. purebreds have more health problems then cross breeds because of inbreeding n linebreeding.some health problems dont show up till after the dogs are a yr old.