![]() This is an example of ‘double trouble’ where the pups could inherit genes from both sides of the canine family tree. So a bad masterplan is to breed a poodle with a bichon frise to reduce the risk of pups inheriting wobbly kneecaps. Poodles are prone to luxating patellas, but unfortunately so are plenty of other breeds, such as the: ![]() Let’s take luxating patellas (wobbly kneecaps) as an example. Some health conditions are extremely common. ![]() So why the hesitation in saying hybrid dogs are a good thing?īecause, with designer dogs there’s a chance of genes for common problems popping up in both breeds…double trouble. The bite-size message is “ Diversity is good” including in dog breeds. The latter is a big advantage when avoiding the chance of an inheritable disease showing up in the next generation. This dictates that when two unrelated individuals reproduce (say two different breeds, such as poodle and Labrador) they have greater genetic diversity. In layman’s terms, this means poodles have a diverse gene pool and it’s not difficult to find unrelated parent dogs to be bred together for healthy pups.īut what has this to do with poodle mixes?Īre Poodle Mixes Healthier Than Purebred Dogs?Įver since genetic science was established, scientists have talked about hybrid vigor. For example, the Standard poodle has an excellent COI of 2.3%, with the miniature and toy poodles a respectable 4%. Perhaps now is a good time to point out purebred poodles are a relatively healthy group anyway. OK, so this is good news for blue fur and square ears, but very bad news if the coding is for hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, or heart disease. The higher the COI then the more likely both parents share genetic coding for certain traits. The ideal score is zero, which means the dogs are not related and is great for genetic diversity. Long story short, breed brother and sister together (a bad idea) and their COI is 25%. This is what the Coefficient of Interbreeding (COI) measures, as a safety net to avoid inter-related matings that are a bad idea. This means they’re likely to be related, even if somewhat distantly. However, since blue, square-eared dogs are unusual, you don’t have a lot of potential parents to choose from. To increase the chances of getting blue, square-eared pups you would breed together parent dogs with those traits. Let’s imagine you wanted to create a new purebred dog whose main characteristics were blue fur and square ears. Unfortunately, this is at odds with how a dog breed is created. If geneticists had a motto it would be: “ Diversity is good”. But are mixed breeds healthier than purebreds? Let’s take a balanced look. ![]() Is it those irresistible teddy-bear looks or a deeper reason to do with good health? Indeed, one benefit of owning a hybrid dog is that they’re said to have fewer health problems than pedigree dogs. What’s your reason for choosing a poodle mix? ![]()
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