Are mutts healthier than most dogs?

If so, what's the point in buying a purebreed dog?

 

Update: I keep seeing in animal planet how certain breeds are usually more prone to genetic defects. Surely they are talking about dogs from pro breeders and not from puppy mills or backyard breeders right? 

How do some pups from pro breeders still get genetic defects if they are screened?

 

Answer

 

Tigrillen:

Dogs bred without regard to genetic diseases are less healthy than dogs where parents are health tested before breeding.

The parents of mutts are pretty much never health tested before breeding. The parents of pure bred dogs can be if the breeder is good. If the breeder is no good, they don't have to be and then the pure-bred dog isn't any healthier than a mutt.

Mutts can be healthier if recessives genes are present in one parent but not the other. But then of course mutts can also inherit problems from each parent. 

 

Overall it is probably a wash, so mutts aren't healthier than a pure-bred dog and they are less healthy than a well-bred dog.

Edit: certain breeds have indeed been prone to certain diseases. 

 

However with advances in genetic testing and other health tests good breeders work in eliminating those problems out of the gene pool of the breed. 

 

However having all necessary health tests isn't cheap, so there are bound to be people breeding dogs who don't do them. I have no idea how good the research team of animal planet it. 

 

They might not be all that good. 

 

Carolyn:

In my experience, yes, mutts seem to have fewer health problems generally. But this doesn't mean a mutt won't develop an illness, etc.

I am totally against dog breeding. I don't see the point when there are so many unwanted dogs out there. Along with that, many of these breeders' dogs end up homeless anyway. Sad. 

 

Fur Belle:

A mutt is as healthy as a badly bred purebred. There is more to breeding than just throwing two dogs together and hoping for the best. 

 

A backyard breeder is a BYB no matter if they're breeding purebreds or mutts.

 

And 99% of mutt breeders shouldn't be breeding as all they're producing is ill-bred mutts. 

 

1% of them actually know how to do it properly in order to produce dogs for WORKING purposes 

 

Mayo Carl:

yes , mutts are healthier. 

purebreds are, by definition, inbred to some extent.

inbreeding expresses recessive traits, many of which are deleterious to the health of the dog, such as hip dysplasia.

the farther removed a male and female are from each other in their family tree, the more these recessive traits are suppressed in the offspring.

the point in buying a purebred dog is that the dog has been bred for specific useful traits, (such as tracking or guarding) but the downside to breeding is that the family tree becomes narrow. 

 

Charsi:

I prefer purebreds because I can see the bloodlines and the health history. 

 

Combining to dog breeds together could create more health problems. 

 

Like for example: A husky known for eye problems and is then breed with German shepherds that are known to hip dyplasia (problems with the hips) could result in joint problems or create an entirely different problem plus known from each breed. 

 

Pamela:

NO, mixed breed dogs are not healthier then pure bred dogs. 

The breeders of pure breed dog go to the extent of having health screenings done on hips, knees, eyes and so forth. 

Dogs are also screened for genetic diseases which the BYBers of mixed breed or designer dog don't do. 

Breeders of pure bred dogs breed for the betterment of the breed not the money the get. 

And believe me reputable breeders DO NOT make money on breeding dogs.
BYBers do tho. 

 

James:

Yes, mutts are healthier due to their genetic diversity. Purebred dogs often have unique disabilities and are more susceptible to various illnesses. 

 

People like to buy purebred dogs because they're seen as, well, more "pure." Purebred dogs are therefore often used in things like dog shows and stuff.