.....Mutt V.S purebred.....?

Question

Ok so there was a question on here about a girl who wanted to breed her lab with a bull mastiff. She was asking if there would be a problem with this heath wise. My question is if she would do this wouldn't the chance of the puppies having health issues be higher, as you are mixing two breeds with different problems together?

is it true that mutts gave less heath problems because it widens the gene pool?

Answer 1

The "hybrid vigour" concept seems to be the argument of choice of those claiming mutts are healthier. When in reality, hybrid vigour applies to TRUE hybrids (2 animals of different species), not dogs of different breeds.



You are absolutely correct in that if you breed 2 different breeds with 2 different sets of problems the pups could end up with any number of those problems.



At the end of the day a puppy from health tested and genetically proven parents is more likely to be healthy than some randomly bred mutt.





Add:

It's truly random to say the least.

It's all a matter of how the genetics play out. Just as two littermates could look and act entirely different with mixed breeds, they could have entirely different genetic health.

So one mutt could live to be 23 while the other dies prematurely due to a genetic ailment.



This goes for irresponsibly bred purebreds as well.

Answer 2

Cross breeding will not magically eliminate health problems. If both parents have hip dysplysia, then there is a very good chance the pups will as well. Just because one parent is a Lab and the other a Bull Mastiff makes no difference. On the other hand, pure breeds tend to have more health problems because the traits are compounded. Cross breeding can help with these issues, but doesn't mean all issues will be resolved.



Knowing the history of the individual dogs makes a huge difference. If both dogs have been cleared of common genetic health problems, then the pup stand a higher chance of being healthy and sound. This would go for any dog, purebred or mixed breed.



Even dogs of really unknown origin can have problems.

Answer 3

Depends on the health issues prevalent in the breeds involved and the genetics behind them. Most genetic disorders are not specific to breed, and whether purebred or mixed breed doesn't really affect them (i.e. hip dysplasia, luxating patella, etc). Then, there are dominant genetic disorders which are breed specific, or confined primarily to several specific breeds. So a dog of one breed with a breed specific dominant disorder bred to a dog of another breed with a different breed specific dominant disorder can produce puppies with both disorders. There is also the case of breed-specific genetic disorders which are recessive. In this case, breeding a dog of that breed that has or is carrying the disorder with another breed where that disorder does not occur will result in offspring that do not have the disorder (since recessive traits need to be inherited from both parents).



Really, comes out to pretty much a wash, all things considered, when dealing with mutts and irresponsibly bred purebreds. Another thing to think about is the fact that REPUTABLE breeders of purebred dogs health test for any genetic disorders they are able to test for, and do not breed dogs with those issues. So the average well-bred purebred from health-tested parents will beat out the average mutt health-wise any day of the week.

Answer 4

You are correct about it widening the gene pool, but if the gene pool is full of health problems, you are doubling the problem.

With purebred dogs you at least know what the basic problems are and with a moral breeder you can pretty much breed out the genetic health problems. With a mixed breed you are doubling your chances of having the health problems of both of the breeds that have been mixed and normally breeders that are breeding the mixes haven't a clue what the health problems are and are only going for the money that calling them "designer dogs" can bring in.

Answer 5

Rule of thumb, the larger the dog, the shorter the lifespan. I have seen a chihuahua past 20 years old, a great dane is old at 9. How old a dog can get depends on many things. Genetics, the general care of the dogs, cheap food vs quality food. Regular vet care vs not getting the dog the care it needs. How healthy the dog is, as for diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease etc.

I would never recommend breeding mutts on purpose. Not that I don't love mutts, I do. Most of my dogs have been mutts. But our shelters are over run with them, millions die every year simply because there are not enough homes for all of them. We need to stop purposely breeding mutts so we can greatly reduce the numbers that die every year. If they are not born to begin with they can't die in a shelter.

Answer 6

I read an article on this and what it said was that if you breed two purebred dogs they will most likely have the same health problems, and the puppies will have a greater chance of being sickly than if two mutts had puppies, as the mutts would most likely not have the same health issues.



I think it is true, Purebreds are a very sickly bunch on average.

Answer 7

With more genetic testing available to reputable breeders, I'd go with a purebred from a reputable breeder rather then get a mutt from a backyard breeder.



Used to be mutts tended to be healthier, but far too many "designer" dogs now that are full of genetic problems.

Answer 8

When you mess with genetics & you don't know what you are doing, you can create a lot of things that determine a dogs destiny. The sum of the parents.



Most registered pure breed dogs are just pet quality, I feel that they are just about as close you can get to a mutt. & some mutts are much are actually healthier than pure breeds.



When you understand genetics & how it works & what you can breed for, as in traits, temperament, longevity, coat color, bite, structure.......



Have you ever heard of painting a pups nose black to make it look black like the standards require? Many white poodle breeders do just that cause the dogs were poorly bred.



Genetics !

Answer 9

yes as the parents weren't health tested before breeding and doubt if the pairs parents were health tested

so puppies have defects from two breeds mixed in them



nope, old wives tale

Answer 10

Both dogs are known for hip dysplasia, it's a good bet it'll show up in the puppies as well.

Answer 11

I like both, I like that the fact that with Pure breds you recognize the breed, I like the fact that Mix breeds can look a little rough and street like. It all depends on the Dog itself with health problems, other then not being from a breeder, my black Pomeranian is a good example of a Pomeranian health wise (Just saying). Shelters are also too over run with Pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other Dog breeds like that, because people will buy a Dog that needs allot of experience, they find out that it`s too much of a challenge, so they`ll give it to the shelter, same goes with allot of Big Dog breeds, they buy a large Dog, they find out that it needs too much food, exercise, space, and work, so they go and give it to the shelter, this is how some smaller Dog breeds can have an advantage, they don`t needs as much work other then the training, socialization, and grooming if it`s a breed like the Pomeranian then a big Dog breed.

Answer 12

NO mutts are more resistant to health problems.period. We learned it in animal sciences class at auburn university. They are generally healthier and live longer, but their temperament is not as easy to predict. I hope she has homes for all those puppies already planned out!

Answer 13

Mutts do have less heart problems. that is true. They also have the biggest hearts and are the best dogs to have because they have so many different personality traits and they have a high ranged life expectancy. I have a labrador Retriever / Chow chow mix and she is the best dog ive ever had. She is super smart, always loyal, she was easy to train ( she learned tricks in two days so it only took 4 months to train her along with potty training ), she is only aggressive when she has to be, she's very sweet, and always playful. I prefer mutts over purebreds anyday!

Answer 14

From my personal experience..mix dogs live longer then purebred dogs. I think really it all depends on the dog, their owner, etc. I have seen litters of puppies come out of dogs breeds that normally have hips problems etc, and the litters not have any.