I am just fed up with the prevailing "folk belief" (for want of a better description) that cross-breeds per-se are healthier than pedigrees. I own 2 pedigrees from a small breed (about 250 registered with the KC each year) where the breeders breed responsibly and import dogs so as to widen the gene pool. They are now 8 and 9 years old and have always (fortunately) been very healthy. Cherry at 9 and a half can still do agility and even though she has age-onset cataracts can give the bunnies on the heath a run for their money! But still our vet doesn't like pedigrees! Even though he actually admitted how healthy Cherry and Parker were!

We have spoken to lots of people with "Poo-adors" and other Poodle crosses who automatically think they are immune from any health concerns because they are crosses. We spoke to someone at our dog training club who was a breeder of Irish Wolfhounds but was upset about the incidence of Hip Dysplasia in the breed so bought a Poodle X Labrador. When I asked her if the Dam and Sire were hip-scored she didn't know!

Also all the Lab X Poodles we have seen looked different and had very different coats. As they are being recommended as suitable to allergy sufferers I find this worrying. As I am asthmatic we had to get a non-shedding breed, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it would be to get a dog and then have to rehome it because it made you ill.

We saw someone recently with what she said was a Poodle x Lab (it looked exactly like what you would expect an Irish Wolfhound x poodle to look like-it was massive!) and she said "oh my dog looks so like yours!" I smiled politely and moved on.

If I was a Poodle lover/breeder I would hate what they are doing to the breed when Poodles are such a great breed in themselves. I wanted a standard Poodle but am afraid my husband had the typical male reaction to being seen walking a Poodle (even a big one!).

I had planned on not responding to this thread again but the folk belief must have been picked up by my vet as he stated it as fact 2 years ago when i took my x breed to see him as a puppy, i am pleased that you import to widen the gene pool as a lot of breeders seem to be doing nowadays, i love seeing poodles out and about enjoying themselves, i doubt if your vet hates pedigrees but he probably has experienced the poor breeding practices of some pedigree breeders, anyone who thinks any dog is exempt from illness/disease is a fool.
Your husband should see poodles out of the show ring they are bold and love the freedom of the outdoors i am sure he would see a different side.

what about a yorkie poo ? friend bought one as she dosnt like dog hairs in the house . easy answer dont have a dog then

This can be detected through DNA checks but the Kennel Club refuse to enforce any testing on pure-bred dogs.

I agree. Some unscrupulous breeders of Labradoodles etc. advertise that their pups are non-allergenic or/and non-shedding which is ridiculous as this cannot be guaranteed. We have 2 and one sheds a bit and the other doesn't at all, but people get conned into believing the falacy.

Finally managed to catch up on this thread...

Tbh, I find it sad that people say owners of crossbreeds are less likely to insurance their dog, than if they had a pedigree. I have a crossbreed and wouldnt dream of not insuring him! Same with my old dog, sam, who was also a crossbreed. Jake means just as much to me, if not more, than any pedigree would so I would never not insure him. Maybe some crossbreed owners dont, but (unless they keep money aside for any vets bills ect) then they shouldnt own any dog coz if anything happens, and they cant afford it then its the dog who suffers.

As for health, my old crossbreed was only ever at the vets for his boosters for the whole 9 years we had him, apart from the day before he died when we took him and were told he has cancer. Jake has been a lot, mainly for allergies but also for accidents coz he is clumsy etc. So he has racked up vets bills, but a lot of them are for things not to do with breeding.

I think it is so silly how we have these 'designer breeds' now when they used to be 'mutts'....easily found at any shelter across the country. We got our Charlie dog from a no-kill rescue group, they said he was a labxhound mix. There were a lot of people at my work buying these 'designer breeds' at the time so when they would ask me what he was, I proudly announced he was a 'Labrahound' and someone actually went and tried to find the 'breed' online. I about fell out of my chair laughing when they 'called' me out on it.

Havre you done research on this because I know 100's of people with crossbreeds through forums and all of them insure their dogs.

Where we live mutts are mongrels not crossbreeds.

They`re Bitza`s round our way. They used to be Heinz dogs (Heinz 57 varieties) but that`s not used much now.