Cross v purebred

Maisie

We have two dogs, one is a springer collie cross, the other is debateable! Both great dogs, eat everything, no health issues, great temprements. My daughter wants to get a puppy, something very small , and is leaning towards a shih tzu. I am trying to convice her a cross breed might be a better option. There are cavalier/shih tzu crosses , but would it really make a difference in terms of how hardy the dog would be?

cowzerp

Crossbreeds tend to have less medical issues and longer life spans, i've 2 pure breds at present but have had loads of mongrels in the past and they where just as great..

babystrawberry

If you are going for a cv/ shih tzu cross make sure you know the parents are healthy and any pups you get should health checked ...... otherwise they will be plagues with problems

Would she not consider small little terrier cross? Would need to be careful with this as depending on the age of your daughter terriers can sometiems be snappy (very rarely to be honest) Our terrier at home is the most gentle thing you could ever find, pure little dote

My advice is what ever pup you decide to go with would be is to amke sure you get them vet checked if you are worried about them being hardy.
Also if you decide to go the route of cav/ shih tzu cross please make sure you go to reputable breeder, there are a lot of puppy farmers now breeding these so called 'designer breeds', making a lot of money from them

I would suggest the rehoming option but I'm sure you ahve explored this route already?

Inexile

Again if you are going the cavalier/shih tsu route be careful - there are lot of peope asking for a lot of money for these crosses. I dont believe they are worth it the price as even if both parents are purebred what you will be getting is a cross. I think there are a lot of nice cross breeds in rescues which are looking for a nice home.

doctor evil

You can't beat hybrid vigour!

adser53

babystrawberry wrote: »

Also if you decide to go the route of cav/ shih tzu cross please make sure you go to reputable breeder, there are a lot of puppy farmers now breeding these so called 'designer breeds', making a lot of money from them

Sorry don't want to offend anyone but I don't really see how many cav/shih tzu cross breeders could ever be described as "reputable" (are the pups called King Shih-ts) These are a designer breed and nothing more so please don't go paying top dollar for a mongrel with a fancy name. That's why we have puppy farmers to begin with! You also won't get papers with them as they can't be registered.

It's true that cavs are susceptable to certain genetic illnesses such as syringomyelia, heart murmers, luxating patellas etc but I don't believe a cross breed of a cav will be necessarily any healthier. Lots of people say crosses are healthier but whats to stop the bad traits of BOTH breeds being inherited?

The breeds that people associate with super healthy crosses generally come from hardier dogs that have less health issues overall than, say a cav to begin with. Another argument is based on widening the gene pool, and one litter won't make a difference. Consistent cross breeding to eliminate health defects would but a one off cross breed litter IMO is not classified as widening the pool, it's either a mistake or breeding for financial gain.

I personally have 2 cavs and, thank god, they're absolutely perfect health wise and they really are fantastic little dogs!

babystrawberry

Adser53 i would totally agree with this, these so called designer breeds are basically mongrels/crossbreeds.
I started a thread on hybrids not so long ago and the fact that they really are just mongrels (do not mean that in a derogatory way) and they can not be classed as a breed or a pure bred dog.
However i got a number of angry posts back saying it still costs the same amount of money to breed a 'hybrid' as to breed a pue bred.

I myself would not consider buying a 'hybrid' as i know i wouldbelining the ever growing pockets of the puppy farmers ...... if i wanted a 'designer' breed i would simply go and rehome a 'Heinz 57'

Still though, Maisie, shoulf you decide to go down this route please try not to buy from a puppy farmer, go see the breeders kennels, ask to see if you can get references from ppl they have sold to before, ask to see the parents

anniehoo

Im a huge advocate of crossbreeds and would never own anything but.

Where i work all i see is pedigree dogs week after week come in with the same predictable health problems. Its gotten so "predictable" that we literally name them "cavalier week" "boxer week" "GSD week"- its unreal!

You've just mentioned here that they're

Maisie wrote: »

Both great dogs, eat everything, no health issues, great temprements.

so to me its
every good reason for getting another non-pedigree dog. Now, im not knocking pedigree dogs at all but unfortunately if not bought from a reputable breeder then you're in for a heck of alot of medical issues down the line imho.

My current dog is 14 (mongrel)...although she has lymphoma this isnt related to a breed issue..just a species one and hasnt been sick a day in her life up until recently.

Go for a mixed breed...there are soooo many lovely lovely dogs out there looking for a home. They mightnt be the prettiest or most sought after (Boxers anyone?)..but they make one hell of a great pet (and friend) and you wont be sorry with the lack of vet bills.;)

Sigma Force

Certain purebreds seem to have more health issues than others and some are very badly bred so end up in pretty bad shape.

Our border collie is approx. 10 years old (rescue) and as sprightly as a pup eventhough she's grey around the face, no hip problems etc.

Our very very gorgeous mix breed little dog is such a mix it's impossible to tell what she's a mix of, has tummy troubles and we have to watch what she eats. She's in good health in general but very sensative tum.

Recently got a Phalene and chose the breed for their temprament, looks (I don't mind admitting I'm vain when it comes to my pets all my pets are gorgeous lol incl. our little one eyed cockatiel). If bred responsibly they don't have many health issues and usually live around 14 years ish.

What I'm saying is at the end of the day any dog of any breed or mix can have health issues.

However certain breeds seem to be suffering like on that doccie on pb dogs, very disturbing. Larger breeds seem to be having more and more trouble with hips, joints etc. I considered a king charles for about 5 minutes when I started reading all the health issues that come up.

I personally feel some dogs like pugs and bull dogs are suffering more and more with breathing etc. noses are way too short.

Lucyx

anniehoo wrote: »

They mightnt be the prettiest or most sought after (Boxers anyone?)..

Ah c'mon. I just hope there aren't any Boxers reading this

Seriously though, you've gotta get a crossbreed. There are so many looking for homes. I honestly couldn't justify getting a pedigree.
I love my little collie coss

anniehoo

Lucyx wrote: »

Ah c'mon. I just hope there aren't any Boxers reading this

I actually didnt mean anything bad by Boxers, theyre gorgeous, i just meant they seem to be one the most sought after breeds at the minute,like a fashion statement or something. Ive known 2 people recently who got pups against my advice. They didnt research their breeders or understood their temperament so when the cute puppy turned into a boisterous and demanding 8mth old they gave them away when the novelty wore off.

Lucyx

anniehoo wrote: »

I actually didnt mean anything bad by Boxers, theyre gorgeous, i just meant they seem to be one the most sought after breeds at the minute,like a fashion statement or something. Ive known 2 people recently who got pups against my advice. They didnt research their breeders or understood their temperament so when the cute puppy turned into a boisterous and demanding 8mth old they gave them away when the novelty wore off.

I know what you're saying about the Boxers cos I've seen a good few around recently too actually. Its crazy that anyone would get a pedigree without researching first. Its just foolish.