Hybrid Vigor
What is so called hybrid vigor?
Please understand that I am NOT a genetics expert by any means! I am just simply passing on information as I understand it. Many out there likely understand it far better than I do. However......please do not feel the need to criticize me for my lack of "perfect knowledge" in this area.
Okay, Hybrid vigor is the "hype" these days with most mixed breed breeders using it to make people believe that their "mix" will be the healthiest possible animal.
So.......is this true??? Answer is YES!!! And....... NO!!!! Pretty simple eh? :o)
It goes like this : (in laymans terms)
If you breed two dogs together with "different" genetic predispositions you will have hybrid vigor. Which basically means that if one breed has a genetic predisposition to develop hip issues and the other doesn't you will eliminate hip issues in that first generation offspring.
On the flip side, if you breed two different pure bred dogs that both have a genetic predisposition to have hip issues you can still get hip issues in the offspring even though you are mixing the breeds.
Next if it is a second generation mix then you have a higher chance or as high of a chance (as if you bred the two purebred dogs of the same breed) of getting hip issues with the offspring because you are adding in that genetic predisposition again instead of cancelling it out. Make sense?
Some breeders ad a 3rd or 4th "mix" to the "mix". As long as none of the 3-4 dogs used have the same genetic predisposition then you will likely eliminate many of the health issues that would otherwise be comon in a specific breed. However.....when you mix several dogs the temperaments, dispositions, coat types, and overal personalities will be inconsistent at best.
Go to the OFA website and see which dogs are prone to which diseases if you are looking at a certain mix?? http://www.offa.org/stats.html
Now, some purebred dogs are VERY healthy! Some mix bred dogs are very healthy! You just need to be informed on the "truth" and know for yourself. :o)
Purebred pets versus Mixed breed Pets:
Okay, so some people often rudely refer to mixed breed pets as "mutts". Although I dislike the term, it is a widely used term and is socially acceptable.
We all know that purebreds did not start off the way we know them today. They were all created by mixing two or more breeds together to achieve the particular breeders goal.
Many purebred breeders today criticize anyone who breeds a mix. They make statements saying that the breeders of "mutts" are filling up the shelters.
Is this true? Sure! Just the same as purebred breeders do! ANY breeder that doesn't know where their puppy is going and make some sort of personal contact with the people they sell their puppy to is likely contributing to this cause. ANY breeder that sells their puppies as "breeders" also is potentially subjecting their puppy to a life that may not be too great. Plus, who is to say that the next breeder will be as careful with screening their puppy homes as you are?
Any breeder that just ditches a puppy or sells it to a pet store or a broker is also contributing to this cause. A responsible breeder does not rely on rescues and other non profit organizations to home their dogs. They simply take care of the dog or dogs until a suitable home is found.
Health can be an issue with most purebred dogs. Why?? Because of many years of unethical breeding practices. This will ring true wether it is a purebred or a mix. If you inbreed excessively and you breed dogs that you KNOW are genetically unhealthy you will have unhealthy offspring. This makes no difference wether the dog is purebred or mixed. Unfortunately years ago BEFORE breeders started realizing all of these new health issues, they would breed two dogs that were "pure" together without any thought about possible health issues as long as they were breeding two "papered" animals. Now, we will often still see those stains on the back lines of pedigrees.
Mixed breed pets "can" be healthier IF they experience Hybrid Vigor. However, sometimes this does not help still. If you breed two healthy animals that both carry a recessive gene for an issue....that issue will eventually come out in the offspring. You can then breed one or both of those animals "out" to a mix or to another purebred that does not carry the recessive gene and cancel out the health issues in the offspring-thus having completly healthy parents and completely healthy offspring.
Personally, I prefer to raise mixes. I LOVE my purebreds, I LOVE my mixes! However, when I sell a purebred I always wonder........"are they going to lock my baby up in a cage and only breed it with no family life?"
When I home a mixed breed pet, I seldom worry about people wanting to breed it. I know that people want a well socialized, well taken care of.....family pet to be part of their family. I price my puppies in such a way that typically only well established people can afford one. No offense but I want well established permanent homes for my babies. Not just any young person can come right in and carelessly take off with one of my puppies. I love young people! BUT I was young not too long ago.......Young people typically have things that just "come up" where a pet no longer fits. That is simply not acceptable. Pets need a forever family.
