Are Mixed-breed Dogs Healthier Than Purebred Dogs?

There are statistics that suggest that there are purebred dogs that suffer from hereditary diseases; however, there are no studies that refer to crosses due to how complicated it is to classify them

It is known by many that there are breeds of dogs that suffer from hereditary diseases, which are passed from parents to children. In contrast, mongrel dogs are said to be healthy and have no genetic problems. How much truth is there in these two statements?

Hereditary diseases of purebred dogs

Dog breeds are created by genetic selection – dogs that have the most desirable characteristics are made to breed. Over the generations, these characteristics will have become definitive of the breed. This is how all dog breeds have been created, from the primitive to the most recent.

Anything can be the chosen characteristic: many current breeds are selected according to their appearance, but breeds have also been created based on their intelligence (such as the Border Collie or the German Police Shepherd), their speed (all sighthound breeds) or their his character (the farmer). In these cases the appearance is not a relevant characteristic, although physically they are all similar.

Thanks to this genetic selection, we are able to enhance the characteristics that we want future generations to have, but sometimes genetic diseases are also transmitted. In the last century there has been an explosion of dog breeds: until the 19th century, breeds existed to fulfill a job.

However, in recent years the breeds selected for their physique and appearance have multiplied. Irresponsible breeders found a very high demand for dogs and began to produce litters with very little sanitary control. Thus, genetic diseases spread, as they were passed from father to son.

It is for this reason that there are dog breeds that are prone to health problems that almost none suffer from other similar dogs. The percentage of Dalmatians who are deaf, for example, is vastly higher than in any other race. The cavalier is prone to  syringomyelia , a very painful terminal illness.

However, diseases caused by the very appearance given to dogs are also perpetuated: brachycephalic dogs, that is, with flat noses, such as the pug or the English bulldog, often have respiratory problems. Toy or very small breeds tend to suffer from heart problems, as their hearts are not big and strong enough.

Are mongrel dogs healthier?

It is said that when two breeds are crossed, the strongest and healthiest genes prevail and that, therefore, mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebred dogs. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way.

Mixed-breed dogs can inherit, as a purebred dog would, genes that make them sick. Of course, it is less likely, because the genes that carry the disease, instead of being contributed by both parents, only appear in one of them.

However, in hereditary disease statistics, mongrel dogs are almost never named. This is because they are a very difficult group to classify and study. When conducting a study, it is much easier to find and control dogs of a single breed, rather than looking for specific crossbreeds of two or three different breeds.

But just because they don’t show up in statistical studies doesn’t mean they’re completely healthy. In the same way that your parents inherit color, intelligence or physical appearance, they can inherit the diseases that your family carries.

Go to the vet

In any case, the person in charge of detecting possible hereditary diseases and proposing a treatment or prevention plan must be a trusted veterinarian. If your dog is a mongrel of a breed with frequent health problems, you should inform him of this and thus be able to decide on a preventive treatment.

In the same way, there are health problems that have to do with the size of the dog rather than its genetics, such as hip dysplasia, that also need frequent evaluation and check-ups.

Only a veterinarian can diagnose and propose a treatment for a health problem. In addition, genetic tests can be ordered to detect the chances of suffering a disease if needed. It may seem that mixed-breed dogs are healthier, but in-depth analysis reveals the reality.

In any case, it does not have to be true that mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebreds. They are less likely to suffer from genetic diseases characteristic of the breeds they come from, but it does not mean that visits to the vet and preventive check-ups should be neglected.