New Study Answers Whether Cross-Bred Dogs Are Healthier Than Pure-Bred
Genetic diversity is known to be a boon for all species, so are purebred dogs more prone to diseases and health issues than others?That has been the conventional wisdom for a while, especially as dog breeding and the ethical issues of that have come to light, but a new study hoped to give a definitive answer once and for all.
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00:00Genetic diversity is known to be a boon for all species, so are purebred dogs more prone
00:08to diseases and health issues than others?
00:11Especially as dog breeding and the ethical issues related to that have come to light.
00:15But a new study hoped to give a definitive answer once and for all.
00:18Researchers with the Royal Veterinary College surveyed some 9,400 crossbreed dog owners,
00:23specifically mixed breed poodle varieties.
00:25They then compared their health with their purebred counterparts.
00:29The study looked in particular at the most common varieties of health issues these animals
00:33face, including eye and ear infections, diarrhea, and cruciate ligament rupture, finding that
00:38the crossbreeds and purebreds shared the same health issues 87% of the time.
00:43So what does that mean?
00:44Well, it means that at least with these particular breeds, they show no signs of what is often
00:48referred to as hybrid vigor or an increased ability to stave off illness and other issues.
00:53However, the researchers say this isn't the only reason to consider alternatives to purebreds.
00:57Here are the experts imploring prospective dog owners to carefully consider the conditions
01:01in which your future pet might be bred and the animal's temperament and health.