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What are the pros and cons of crossbreeding dogs?

Smaller Doggies Team
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Dogs are a man’s best friend, and many people have them for a loveable, loyal pet. There are dozens of breeds of dogs, many specially bred to do specific things like herd sheep, protect people, guide blind people, etc. But what if you would like the characteristics of two different breeds of dogs? Can you mix them and get good results?

Table of Contents

What is crossbreeding?

Crossbreeding is when someone mates two animals from two different breeds. Crossbreeding is done in species other than dogs but is also often done with dog breeds. People do this to get the positive traits they hope will enhance the offspring and produce a better animal. The result is known as a hybrid.

For instance, one popular crossbreed is called a labradoodle. It is the mix of a golden retriever and a standard-sized poodle. People do this so they can get a dog with the personality of the golden retriever yet be hyper-allogeneic like the Poodle.

What is the difference between pure breeding and crossbreeding?

You are mating two dogs of the same breed (i.e., breeding two poodles or golden retrievers). But if you are doing crossbreeding, you are mating two entirely different types of dogs (or other animals), as mentioned previously. 

What are the advantages of crossbreeding dogs?

Let’s say you want to crossbreed two types of dogs. What are the advantages of doing so? Some say you get a better dog breed by crossbreeding, but others say you shouldn’t do it. It actually may depend in part on what two types of dogs you mate. People do it so they can get the best traits of both kinds of dogs.

There are several advantages of crossbreeding dogs, for instance:

Better Health- Some say crossbred dogs are more healthy than purebreds. They say it is less likely the new breed of dog will inherit the bad genes of the purebred dog since disease traits pass from the parent dog to the puppies. Crossbred dogs often have more vigor and strength than the purebreds they were produced from.

New dog breed – In some cases, the crossbreed can eventually be considered its own breed. This takes several generations, and eventually, if you can breed two of these dogs together and consistently get the same kind of dog, you have a brand new dog breed. That’s how many of our current dog breeds came into existence.

Best of Both Breeds: If all goes well, crossbreeding will give you the best of both the dog breeds you mate together. Going back to the cross of a poodle and a golden retriever, you get a hyper-allogenic dog that is very family-friendly if all goes as planned. You also get a wider variety of dogs to choose from; these are sometimes called designer dogs.

Unique appearance: Crossbred dogs are unique in how they look. They take characteristics of the two purebreds you chose to mate. 

What are the disadvantages of crossbreeding dogs?

There are several disadvantages of crossbreeding dogs, for example:

Genetic issues- Even though many people who crossbreed dogs claim it makes the resulting dog healthier, this may not be true in some cases. It all depends on the genetic qualities of both breeds. If you plan to crossbreed dogs, be sure to study up the genetic aspects of each breed. For instance, you wouldn’t want to crossbreed two breeds with fatal flaws in their background.

Size issues – When you crossbreed two types of dogs, you must consider the pups’ resulting size. If you were to breed a large dog to a small dog, if the small dog is the mother, there could be significant problems in giving birth to the resulting pups. This could cause the need for a C-section. 

Unpredictable Temperaments – Also, you never know for sure how the two breeds will mix regarding temperaments. It is usually simple to predict the character of a purebred dog since there have been many years of study. But if someone bred two dog types together where one was usually docile, and the other breed was known for being aggressive, it will be hard to predict which way the crossbreed will end up.

Are crossbred dogs healthier?

This is debated, with some saying crossbreeds are healthier and others saying they are not. It all depends on the two breeds you cross and the genetic backgrounds they both have. While a purebred dog has a better chance of inheriting a defective gene, you may not be able to predict which defective gene a crossbreed would inherit from each parent. 

In most cases, though, the crossbred would possibly be healthier due to the wider variety of genes it could inherit, making its genetics more diverse.

Can any dog breed with any dog?

Technically you can breed any dogs together, but there are good reasons not to do so. Some of these reasons have already been discussed, such as birthing issues, etc. You need to know the genetic background if you plan to breed two dog breeds together on purpose, as you don’t want to end up with dead pups or those with horrible inherited diseases like hip dysplasia. 

Dog breeds that shouldn’t be mixed?

For many of the above reasons, there are dog breeds you shouldn’t mix. For example, you wouldn’t want to combine a Dachshund with a Great Dane, as a result, could be horrendous if the dachshund was the mother and couldn’t give birth to giant pups. 

Here are some examples of breeds not to mix:

Pitkingese (Pekingese-Pitbull) is a bad mix because these two breeds have opposite personalities, plus the Pitbull is usually a lot more athletic than a Pekingese. 

Cha-Cha (Chow Chow-Mexican Hairless) – This would look weird since the chow is known for its shaggy coat and mane while the Mexican Hairless is bald. 

Bappet (Basset Hound-Whippet) – Again, both these have different characteristics. The Basset is a lazy sort of dog, while the whippet is a speedy pup. However, it would be a strange mix of a hunting dog with more speed but could trip over those resulting long, droopy ears.

Rottweilers and Poodles  – This is a temperament issue. Poodles are known for getting stressed out quickly, while Rottweilers are known for sometimes being aggressive. You don’t want a stressed-out and aggressive dog. 

These are just a few of the mixes that likely would turn out bad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a male dog cross his mother?

Yes, dogs don’t care if the one they mate with is their parent or a sibling. However, it is not a good idea as it can cause genetic issues. The resulting pup could inherit the bad genes easier since the puppy could inherit recessive genes which you don’t want.

Some of the most popular crossbreeds of dog include the Cockapoo (Poodle and Cocker Spaniel), Morkie (Maltese and Yorkie), Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever and Poodle), Labradoodle (Labrador and Poodle), Sprollie (Border Collie and Springer Spaniel), Shihpoo (Poodle and Shih Tzu), and Corgidor (Corgi and Labrador).

Are mixed-breed dogs more aggressive?

A study in 2019 discovered that mixed dogs bit people the most in America. Though, this could differ depending on how the dog was raised, etc.  

There are good and bad points to crossbreeding dogs, and there are dozens of types of resulting dogs. Each breeder will have specific reasons whether to crossbreed or not. What is your opinion? We would love to know your thoughts! Do you have a mixed breed dog? 

What are your views on this? Share in the comments bar below.

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