I was recently sent this article from a puppy client of mine who had others putting this up on their facebook wall. I have seen a few of these articles and feel there are a few things that need to be addressed about them.
Here is the article in full in black, I will comment on it is red:
Facts About Hybrid Dogs Unethical Breeders Don’t Want You to Know
What’s a Hybrid Dog Really?
What are hybrid dogs exactly, why are they so costly, and is hybrid vigor in dogs true or is it a myth? I was wondering about this when I met a goldendoodle who suffered from major health issues, and not only had several temperament issues on top of all that. Sadly, the owner confessed that she had been told about how this breed was superior in many ways to the purebred counterparts because of hybrid vigor. In this case, it turned out hybrid vigor wasn’t very much in force. As I discussed this with other trainers, they also reported a high number of doodle dogs with health and temperament problems. In this article, we will take a glimpse into the interesting world of canine genetics, see why some designer dogs are so costly and tackle studies on hybrid vigor. I can pull examples of poorly tempered dogs from any breed, as well as, dogs with health issues. That is why it is important in any breed to health test and only breed dogs with good temperaments.
They Aren’t Purebred Dogs
Goldendoodle, labradoodle, maltipoo, shischon—these are just a few names portraying the hundreds of hybrid dogs who nowadays populate the world. Their cutesie designer “mutt” names may suggest dogs belonging to some prestigious breed, but turns out though that a hybrid dog, also known as “designer dog,” is not a purebred dog at all.
A purebred dog by definition is a dog who has been selectively bred over many generations to “breed true.” When a dog breeds true it means that every puppy produced will look alike and share the same characteristics. It’s almost as if these dogs are crafted with a cookie cutter which roughly produces dogs with similar traits. Rottweilers come in black and tan colors, Dalmatians come with spots, dachshunds come with long backs, shar-pei come with wrinkles and great danes come with their impressively tall statures. So when you plan to get a purebred puppy of a certain breed, you can rest assured you know for a good extent what you will be getting. These traits are what makes dog breeds so valuable to us; they come with that special look we have enjoyed throughout the years. This can also be accomplished in Doodles with selective breeding. We are talking about a breed that is only 30 years old. That being said this breed allows for variation to suit different needs. This is why it is important to get to know your breeder and understand their breeding goals.
Breed standards were crafted so that breeders (hopefully!) follow certain guidelines to ensure their purebred dogs follow the ideal description of the breed. In dog shows, judges evaluate dogs based on the standard (hopefully!) and the closest the dog gets to it, generally the better. This should also be done with Doodles. There are plenty of tests out there to make sure there is consistency in coat type, as well as, every breeder should be evaluating structure and temperament on every breeding dog they have. You see this problem in every breed, as there are breeders in every breed that do not breed with certain traits in mind.
They are Wild Cards Genetically
When it comes to hybrid dogs, these dogs are the product of two purebred dogs being crossed. According to the New World Encyclopedia, “In biology, a hybrid is the offspring of individuals of different taxonomic groups or, in another sense, an offspring of crosses between populations, breeds, or cultivars within a single species.” To be more specific, we are not talking about hybrids derived from crossing different species here, those are called interspecific hybrids, but about intraspecific hybrids just like Mendel’s hybrid peas, known as F1 hybrids.
The term hybrid in this article is used to depict “the mix of two animals of different breeds ” A hybrid dog is therefore not a breed and therefore, as we have seen, is not purebred. Unlike purebred dogs, these dogs do not breed true, this means that like a shot in the dark, or crap shoot if you will, when you cross two purebred dogs you’ll likely be getting a puppy with mixed traits that cannot be reliably predicted. Therefore, you’ll have to expect to see any combination of characteristics found in either of the parent breeds. Because hybrid dogs lack reliable traits and they’re not a breed, there’s no official breed standard for them. To put it bluntly, some people call hybrids a “glorified mutt” with a hefty price tag. Indeed, their costs often easily surpass the price of purebred dogs! The person writing this article clearly does not understand genetics. If you coat test, you an get very reliable coat type. If you health test, you can get reliable health screening and if you evaluate structure and only keep back structurally sound puppies for breeding, you can get accurate structure in these dogs. I do agree that you will not get reliable structure when breeding two breeds that are completely for different purposes and have no use breeding together, but in the case of the most common Doodles, such as Goldendoodles and Labradoodles, all three breeds (Poodle, Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever), they are all bred for the same things. They are all retrievers! They are structurally a bit different, but nothing so drastic that it would affect them structurally. Breeders often target certain traits in these dogs and with a few generations get very consistent build and temperament. If you know what you are doing a Doodle can have completely reliable traits.
Instead of breeding out problems, clueless and unscrupulous breeders are breeding them in. For every perfect one, you’re going to find a lot of crazy ones.
— Wally Conron-Creator of the Labradoodle
Did You Know?
“A new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, indicates that mixed breeds don’t necessarily have an advantage when it comes to inherited canine disorders.” UC Davis Press Release
This is a study based off of dogs with unknown background! Of course if you test dogs in a shelter that are randomly bred, with the health testing you aren’t going to get magically healthy dogs.
They are Overbred
A problem with hybrid dogs is that they often become quite popular, and when a dog gets very popular, the wrong types of breeders get involved. So, what may start as a good thing ends up getting out of hand. Soon, dogs get overbred, causing careless breeding without paying attention to health or temperament while aiming just for the mighty dollar. Labradoodles and goldendoodles are often made popular because they’re marketed as hypo-allergenic, non-shedding and odor-free—something that attracts many allergy sufferers. The truth is, no dog is totally hypoallergenic as the causes for allergies may vary from one person and another. There are many causes of dog allergiesthat go past the fur. This sales pitch brings in lots of interest because people think they are dealing with some sort of wonder dog. I completely agree with this! There are many breeders breeding for the wrong reasons and this is why buyers need to be diligent in checking out their breeder. Also, there is no such thing as hypoallergenic dogs, that is why you will never see me use the term, but there are such thing as allergy friendly dogs and with careful coat testing you can achieve dogs that are good for those with allergic in Doodles.
Wally Conron, the person who created the first labradoodle by breeding a Lab with a poodle in his quest for finding the perfect guide dog for a woman in Hawaii whose husband was allergic to dogs, feels somewhat responsible for the spread of “Frankensteinen” designer dogs with horrible temperaments and a plethora of health issues. He claims: “Instead of breeding out problems, clueless and unscrupulous breeders are breeding them in. For every perfect one, you’re going to find a lot of crazy ones.” I already commented on this above.
Additionally, sadly, many hybrid dogs are mass produced on puppy farms and the puppies are poorly socialized and often removed too early from the litter which may result in serious behavior problems down the road! This happens in all breeds and is horrible and should be stopped! Again, this is why buyers need to check out their breeder before buying from them!
They Aren’t Necessarily Healthier
There’s this common belief that hybrid dogs are much healthier than purebred dogs, a phenomenon known as “hybrid vigor” or in scientific terms “heterosis.” This phenomenon has often been used by unethical breeders to advertise their hybrid dogs as superior so they could ask exorbitant prices, but how true is this? This conventional wisdom likely stems from the belief that shallow gene pools, as often seen in purebred dogs, predisposes them to inherit health problems and loss of vigor (inbreeding depression) which includes lower sperm count, lower conception rates, smaller litter sizes and shorter lifespans. It’s a known fact that the introduction of another breed or even a different line of the same breed adds genetic variety which adds vitality. This is known as “hybrid vigor” and it’s a strategy long-time dog breeders have been implementing in their breeding programs, explains Carol Beuchat, a vertebrate biologist with PhD in animal physiology.
So is variety really the spice of life when it comes to genetics and is hybrid vigor the secret recipe for a healthy dog? Perhaps, but not in the way that some unethical breeders portray it. A study on hybrid vigor speaks volumes when it comes to heritable health conditions and offers a different view of the story.
According to a large, five-year old study conducted by Thomas P. Bellumori et al. and published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, after analyzing more than 90,000 health records, it was found that no difference was seen among purebred and crossbred dogs when it came to the incidence of 13 heritable conditions. There were only a few exceptions where it was actually found that some hereditary conditions remain isolated to specific breeds, but other than that, the superior health benefits claimed by breeders seem to be a myth.All you have to do in look up this article. They tested 24 different disorders, 13 were found to have no difference between purebred and crossbred, 10 were found to be more common in purebred and 1 was found to be more common in crossbreeds. These kind of statistics just make me question the person writing this article. If you are going to talk about an article and just pick what you want from it and reject what doesn’t suit your needs, you are only added to the problem. We should be taking all research and being objective about it, so we can learn based on facts!
However, it must be said that this is often the result of poor breeding practices which focus more on conformation and certain traits, rather than health. For instance, if Labradors which are prone to hip problems are crossbred with poodles who are prone to eyesight problems you may end up with puppies prone to both conditions, explains Marc Abraham, a popular veterinarian making appearances on TV in the UK. Claims by unethical breeders stating that hybrids are healthier and get the best of both worlds from their parents are quite unfounded. “It’s a nice story, but when you tell it, geneticists laugh” claims Stanley Coren, professor and author of the book ‘Why do Dogs Have Wet Noses?” This is not really true either. If you breed a dog that is prone to hip dysplasia to a dog that is not prone the hip dysplasia, you will get a lower incidence rate of hip dysplasia in the offspring than you would breeding two dogs that are both prone to hip dysplasia. All you have to do is look up statistics on OFA’s website. The biggest benefit of hybrid vigour though is when we see disorders that we are not able to test for popping up. This happens often when dogs are too closely related. Since majority of health disorders are recessive, by crossing a breed known for this health issue to a breed that it doesn’t exist in, you will not get puppies affected by this disorder, particularily in an F1 Generation. For a short article on Hybrid Vigour: Hybrid Vigour – What does this really mean?
For a list of health disorders common for each dog breed and suggested testing visit the Canine Health Information Center website
“A new study on the prevalence of inherited disorders among American mixed breed and purebred dogs has negated the common assumption that a mixed breed dog is always healthier than a purebred dog” .
— Quickfall 2013 Again this an article about random mixed breeds compared to purebred dogs, not a comparison of carefully crossed cross breeds compared to purebreds.
Hybrid Dogs: Best of Both Worlds or Worst of Both Worlds?
A bad apple though doesn’t have to spoil the batch. This article is not meant to give hybrid dogs a bad rap. I have met wonderful hybrids and not-so-wonderful purebreds. Also, it’s always good practice to see both sides of the story to make a good argument. The take-home message I guess is to practice caution as hybrid dogs aren’t necessarily the healthy, wonder dogs with terrific temperaments as they’re often portrayed to be. Here is some food for thought.
A Starting Point
Hybrids aren’t necessarily badly bred. There are wonderful hybrid breeders who health test and temperament test their purebred breeding stock before allowing them to mate. They breed for hybrids in the same way as they would breed for purebreds. If we think about it, in the old days, somewhere along the lines, dogs with desirable traits were matched and bred repeatedly over the years and that has led to the purebred dogs we see today. People who argue that creating hybrids is like designing dogs’ bodies must understand that dogs were crafted this way for hundreds of years ever since selective breeding practices took place. Only difference is that selective breeding in the past was mostly done over the years to create the perfect herding dogs, hunting dogs, and in some cases, lap dogs. There are chances that some designer dogs we see today may get recognized one day as a true breed if in the right hands of knowledgeable breeders. By cross breeding, this is how several recent breeds have obtained recognition. Absolutely.
Pleasant Looking Dogs
Let’s face it: many designer dogs look adorable, but are they worthy of costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars? Most likely not, especially if they are bred by backyard breeders which may lead to additional costs with the potential health issues popping up. Your best bet is to look for breeders who health test their breeding stock, but these dogs may cost as much as purebred dogs. Just a side note. I have bred purebreds and crossbreds and it costs me more as a breeder to produce a crossbred. I have to do more testing because I test for all disorders in both breeds, so this is an extra cost. Also, it costs me more to buy breeding stock that is a cross than a purebred. This is often because I am looking for thoroughly health tested and proven lines and breeding rights often cost more in crossbreds than purebreds.
If you fell in love with hybrid dogs or are looking for an eye-catching dog that’ll make heads turn without costing a fortune, consider that you can often find many hybrids at the shelter for a fraction of the cost. These dogs can be just as unique as the expensive designer dogs with cutesie names advertised on the newspaper. Best of all, when adopting, what you see is generally what you get as the chances for major “guess work” are practically eliminated. The only difference is that often instead of being purposely bred by mating purebred dogs, these mixed breeds are likely the result of an accidental breeding (think momma’s mutt falling in love with your neighbor’s mutt) or an intentional breeding where one or both parents werenot purebred dogs. Just keep in mind that they are dogs, and as such, they have needs and aren’t meant to be used as fashion accessories a-la-Paris Hilton style nor attention-grabbers because of their unusual looks! This makes no sense at all! So, you don’t like crossbreds because of the unreliable nature of them, but a dog of unknown parentage is going to be ‘what you see is generally what you get’… As much as I agree that all dogs have needs and it is great to adopt a shelter dog, they are the most unreliable dog you could possibly get, as you have no genetic background on them. This simply is a scary thought when introducing a new dog into a family with children for instance or a family with specific needs.
A Vast Array of Choices
While it’s saddening that there are so many unethical breeders and puppy mills pumping out designer dogs at astounding rates, on the bright side we can say that there’s quite an assortment of hybrids available that can match every taste.To see an extensive list of hybrid dogs, visit the American Canine Hybrid Club.
So with that many choices, if you like a certain purebred dog but it’s too large or active, some hybrids may offer the looks of that breed but with the advantage of coming in a smaller package or coming with a calmer disposition–even though this isn’t always the rule as we have seen how traits can be quite unpredictable! So the good thing is that sometimes hybrid dogs can offer solutions to what would otherwise make life difficult it they were a purebred dog.
Possibly Healthier Specimens
Wait! Didn’t you show studies making claims of how hybrids often inherit health problems and hybrid vigor is a myth? Well, let’s face it: studies sometimes miss important aspects, and we need to admit that some purebred dog breeds are plagued with several health disorders that can be quite scary. For instance, the English bulldog has a long list of health problems that can be quite frightening and impressive to deal with. The same can be said of many brachycephalic dog breeds with smudged-in faces. So if say you like the pug but you don’t like to deal with snorting and breathing difficulties, a puggle (the mix between a pug and beagle) may offer an alternative since they often turn out having a longer, healthier nose. So ultimately, some purebred dog breeds with bodies that make them prone to health issues can be somewhat “bettered” in the health department, but only if breeders know what they are doing, if they’re conscientious in health testing and are also somewhat lucky to not end up with a dog displaying a host of health problems. Agree, that health testing is necessary for producing any breed, the term ‘lucky’ is a bit condescending, but I will leave it at that because careful breeding of healthy dogs does require more than ‘luck’.
Knowledge is Power
Hybrids are cute, they have cool names and there are many types, but they don’t always turn out to be the wonder dogs some breeders portray them to be. But isn’t this ultimately true of all dogs? If you really want a hybrid, you can take a peak at your shelter for an older dog, or if you want a puppy, you can look for a good breeder, but it’s important to conduct good research before purchasing a hybrid dog. Just as when searching for purebred dogs, perspective designer dog owners should look for ethical breeders who health test both parent breeds to lower the chances for heritable conditions from being passed on. Consider though that not many ethical breeders are interested in creating a hybrid dog, so be very careful. Yes, health testing is of the utmost importance! I have found many more crossbred breeders that health test ironically than purebred breeders!
For instance, the Labrador Retriever Club warns that Labradoodles are nothing more than an expensive crossbred and clearly states its opposition to deliberately crossing Labrador Retrievers with other breeds as it’s an attempt to mislead the public about advantages that aren’t true. Knowledge is power, so look for healthy specimens bred by responsible breeders willing to health test, breed for good temperaments, give health guarantees and take back puppies if there should ever be any problems. Yes, you can find code-of-ethics breeders even for hybrids! I will never understand why breed clubs attack other breeds. We should all be working together to produce the healthiest puppies possibly regardless of the breed we choose.
The Bottom Line
Hybrids are unique, they have intriguing names, and they come in a vast array of shapes, colors and sizes, but hybrid dogs aren’t purebred dogs, they are not a breed, they don’t have breed standards to adhere to and they’re very costly for being bred often with little interest in the health and temperament department. Hybrids are also often portrayed as hypoallergenic, but allergies can be caused by many other things than fur, and because hybrids are like wild cards genetically, their non-shedding coat qualities cannot be reliably predicted. I have addressed all of this above, but all breeders of any breed should adhere to proper genetic health testing, temperament testing and structure evaluations. You can reliably test to ensure coat quality and you can test to determine which dogs are potentially better for allergies with good reliability too. With proper testing there is predictability in all these things.
Hybrids are also not immune from health issues as often claimed. They may suffer from heritable health conditions passed down from the parent breeds. So the take-home message is to use caution and if you happen to hear a breeder asking a premium and making claims of no need for health testing because hybrid vigor will magically wipe all health problems off the face of the earth, don’t walk away but run! There is absolutely still a need for health testing, but it is also important to understand that there are many genetic disorders that we have not identified yet genetically, so the only way to deal with these disorders is to keep genetic diversity in our breeds, so that there is less likelihood of these disorders becoming a problem.
Take home for everyone:
Regardless of what breed that you breed, health testing, temperament testing, structure evaluation and genetic diversity are of the utmost importance when trying to produce a healthy, well balanced dog. Doodles have been produced because there was a need that was not being met by any other breed out there. This is why every other breed that exists was also produced. This is not a new concept, as ALL purebred breeds were originally a cross breed at one point. Refer to: Crossbreeding: Why Purebred Breeders Are Mad and Shouldn’t Be! Coats also can be reliably predicted when proper coat testing is used. Refer to: Why does my Goldendoodle look different than your Goldendoodle? And for allergy sufferers, you can get your dog coats tested and shedding locus tested for reliability in allergy friendliness: Just In: A New Shedding Locus! That being said, because these breeds are so popular, you are getting many breeders breeding them for the wrong reasons and these people should be stopped, but the only way that will happen is for people to stop buying puppies from them. Before buying a puppy always ask lots of questions and check out the breeder thoroughly identifying their goals in their breeding program, to make sure it matches what you are looking for. Make sure their dogs are health tested, socialized properly and come with a through health exam and health guarantee! When bred properly many doodle breeds are excellent breeds, filling in a gap that no other breed meets. They benefit health wise from Hybrid Vigour (genetic diversity) and can be selectively bred to have the wonderful traits of the breeds we love, with the benefits of allergy friendly, non to low shedding coats and intelligence from the Poodle.
Kent Family Farms 