Labradoodle, cockapoo - Designer dogs not healthier than purebreds

Mixed-breed dogs are generally considered to be healthier than purebreds - but that is not true for the popular "designer dogs" like the Labradoodle and Cockapoo, recent research appears to show.

"The doodle dilemma" study looked at how the physical health of some designer breeds, like the cockapoo, labradoodle and cavapoo compares to their purebred parents.

As for those designer dogs - tennis star Roger Federer opted for one, as did actor Chris Hemsworth and his colleague Brie Larson: a doodle hybrid dog, or one that mates a poodle and various other dog breeds.

These include the Labradoodle, a mix of a Labrador retriever and large poodle, the cockapoo, a cross between an English cocker spaniel and a poodle, and the cavapoo, a melange of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel plus a small or miniature poodle. The mixes are often said to have a friendly nature and in some cases an allergy-friendly coat.

Health benefits for mixed breeds?

When deciding in favour of such a mix, some future dog owners may think that their four-legged friend has a lower risk of illness as a mixed breed. This is because mixed-breed dogs are considered to be more robust than pedigree dogs due to their larger gene pool.

A study published 10 years ago in PLUS ONE found that purebred dogs suffer from certain diseases more frequently than mixed breeds. Purebred dogs were often bred for very specific characteristics - their health was sometimes disregarded and harmful gene variants accumulated.

A research group led by the British Royal Veterinary College has now investigated how healthy some hybrid dogs are. The owners of over 9,400 dogs were asked about 57 common dog diseases. The data from the hybrids was compared with that of purebred dogs such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, cocker spaniels, Labrador retrievers and poodles.

The analysis took into account the age, sex and neutering status of the dogs as well as the age and sex of the owners. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the hybrid dogs and their original breeds in almost 87% of the health comparisons.

The team concludes that there is therefore no reason to assume that doodle mixes are healthier than dogs of the breeds from which they originated.

But at least they are not sicker either. Other factors are therefore more important when making a purchase decision: for example, whether the temperament and needs of the breed or breed mix are suitable for everyday life and whether the puppy comes from a reputable breeder.

The study was published by the San Francisco-based PLOS ONE, which describes itself as "an inclusive journal community working together to advance science for the benefit of society."