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A few months back, I happened upon a post online in a dog training group in which I occasionally participate. I should have scanned past it like I do with most other posts, but I saw an opportunity to answer what I thought was a genuine query, so took a quick moment to engage.
The question, reading quite rhetorical: If mutts make better dogs, then why are purebreds always the ones seen excelling in sports and jobs? Are purebred dogs actually better?
I typed out a quick but thoughtful response, answering the question (which is more common than you’d think), and later got a short and closed response deflecting to some minute detail of my comment completely unrelated to dogs. Unfortunately, the original poster was not interested in other viewpoints, after all.
But, hey, that’s the internet, for you.
It may come as no shock based on his reaction that my answer to the poster’s question was to the contrary: no, purebred dogs are not universally better than mixed breed dogs.
But like I explained to the poster a few months back, there’s some nuance to this answer. After all, “better” is subjective, isn’t it?
Rather than let a perfectly good question go to waste, let’s get into the pros and cons of purebred dogs vs. mutts, and finally how to make the decision for one or the other for yourself!
Are purebred dogs better than mutts?
The first thing to establish is that “purebred dogs” and “mutts” are both very, very broad terms.
Purebred dogs run the gambit in terms of intelligence, temperament, breed purpose, and health. There are hundreds of dog breeds in the world ranging in both size and character. From Rottweilers to Japanese Chins to Golden Retrievers, “purebred” is a much bigger category than most people asking this question truly give them credit for.
And when it comes to mixed breed dogs, or “mutts,” the category is even broader. There are simply infinite possible mixes of breeds and eventual outcomes.
And on top of the regular “mutts” of the world, many areas have also normalized these “designer dogs” that include multiple breeds, as well. While I may rustle some feathers in saying so, the cockapoos and goldendoodles of the world are, despite what the breeders would insist, indeed mixed breed dogs.
Needless to say, this category is just too big to quantify. “Mutts” encompasses so many different types of dogs that getting a reliable pulse on these dogs would be impossible.
But there are other ways to decide if a purebred dog or a mutt is, generally speaking, better. In this article, we will be looking at “quality” factors when it comes to different types of dogs, including:
- Health
- Training and Intelligence
- Purpose (Sport/Work/etc.)
- Companionship
Are Purebred or Mixed Breed Dogs Healthier?
Comparing purebred dogs and mixed breed dogs requires some nuance, and observing their general health is no exception.
Many sources say that mixed breed dogs are universally healthier than their purebred counterparts. And there is indeed a good deal of scientific research backing up these claims that mixed breed dogs are healthier.
A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published in 2013 looked at purebred dogs vs. mixed breeds over several years between 1995 and 2010 to study the prevalence of inherited diseases and disorders that presented in each group. The study found that while some diseases were inherited on more or less the same level between the purebred and mixed-breed groups, others were significantly less common in the mutt groups. The ten conditions more likely to be inherited amongst mixed breed dogs included cardiomyopathy, some types of joint dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and cataracts.
What’s more is that a study based in Denmark surveying members of the Danish Kennel Club found that, with a few breed outliers, mixed breed dogs had a higher median age at the time of their deaths compared to the purebred dogs.
So why are mixed breed dogs considered healthier? While many factors contribute to a dog’s longevity, including size, physical activity, diet, and the access the dog has to veterinary care, it also comes down to genetics.
The quick version is this: Purebred dogs usually have a smaller genetic pool to pull from, meaning they are more likely to have two of the same alleles for a gene given to them by their parents. This is what gives purebred dogs such predictable physical and behavioral characteristics like a double coat, floppy ears, or a tendency to bay; they are, in the grand scheme of things, incredibly close to each other genetically.
But this also means that it is more likely for a common breed ailment (think the infamous hip dysplasia in German Shepherds and luxating patella in Pomeranians) to appear in a purebred dog.
Now, this does not mean that mutts are universally healthier than purebred dogs. A mixed breed dog can still inherit an unfortunate allele combination and develop a genetic condition, and purebred dogs can still absolutely live long and healthy lives.
But what it does mean is that, in purebred dogs, breeding does really matter. This is why I wrote my article, The Real Dangers of Backyard Breeding, which discusses exactly why breeding dogs for fun is so detrimental. When breeding purebred dogs (or rather, when intentionally breeding any dogs) it is so important to do genetic health tests to make sure that the breeding pair are not carriers for traits that could manifest in their offspring.
The good news is that most reputable breeders are testing at least their breeder dogs. With dog DNA tests like Embark DNA being available for home use and screening for a multitude of markers for inheritable traits, it’s easier than ever to get a clear view of any dog’s genetic health, and in turn their suitability for breeding.
Embark also screens for breed makeup, by the way, so it’s wonderful for both purebred and mixed breed dog owners! I cover testing through Embark in more detail in my article, How Dog DNA Testing Benefits Your Pet’s Health and Happiness.
The simplified answer is that, statistically speaking, mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier than purebred dogs. However, the quality of breeding in any dog is going to make a much more significant impact than general statistics, and purebred dogs can also be incredibly healthy when bred for health by reputable breeders.
Are Purebred Dogs Smarter Than Mixed Breeds?
According to the rankings provided in The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren, the smartest dog breeds are:
- Border Collie
- Poodle
- German Shepherd Dog
- Golden Retriever
- Doberman Pinscher
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Labrador Retriever
- Papillon
- Rottweiler
- Australian Cattle Dog
Coren also provides that the least intelligent dog breeds are:
- Basset Hound
- Mastiff
- Beagle
- Pekingese
- Bloodhound
- Borzoi
- Chow Chow
- Bulldog
- Basenji
- Afghan Hound
However, a study from Behavioral Processes suggests that the perceived intelligence difference in dogs by humans may be attributed more to a dog’s physical capability in executing a trained command, rather than a cognitive one. This physical capability interpretation would mean that different dog breeds may be more close to one another in general intelligence than we have previously been lead to believe.
This isn’t to say that there are no differences in average general intelligence between dog breeds. Rather, it means that our perception of that intelligence difference is based on observations with many other contributing factors.
As a trainer, I also know all too well how some dogs are just itching to learn and to work, while others are a little less eager. From my own experience, dogs like German Shepherds, Poodles, Heelers, Malinois, Dobermans, and Dutch Shepherds are all very “bidding,” as in they are more likely to pick up learning fast from their sheer desire to work. Meanwhile, dogs like Akitas, Huskies, Hounds, and Bulldogs all tend to be more difficult to motivate because they just don’t show that innate desire to train.
In animal behavior we call this “intrinsic reward,” which means that the behavior itself is rewarding enough for the animal to offer it without external motivations. Some dogs love to train, others need more motivation. In my opinion, that speaks to their behavioral tendencies much more than it speaks to their actual intelligence.
From my own experience, my hypothesis as to why we have such drastic perceived intelligent differences in dog breeds would be exactly that: some dogs are more “stubborn,” while others are more eager and “bidding.”
When it comes to mixed breed dogs, our perceived intelligence may follow the same train of thought. A dog’s physical characteristics and behavioral standing may impact how swiftly it can learn or execute different tasks, without becoming a direct reflection on the dog’s actual brains.
It’s well-known that purebred dogs often get a head start over mixed-breed dogs in terms of socialization and training, as they are often bred into training-conducive environments and raised from puppyhood by the same family.
Mixed-breed dogs, however, are more likely to be surrendered or even start life without a human home or in a shelter. These environments aren’t conducive to training, and so when mixed-breed dogs get their “start” in life, they are often months or years behind their purebred counterparts. They may not yet be trained, or really even understand the concept of training, and have to learn after going home.
That is not necessarily telling of their actual intelligence, as any dog who gets delayed in starting training may seem unwilling or slow to learn at first. But with commitment, dogs will learn regardless of their breed makeup.
To sum up more directly, purebred dogs are not necessarily smarter than mutts. Our perceived intelligence of dogs has many contributing factors, and it’s one of the most difficult things to accurately measure. But with mutts coming with all kinds of breed mixes, and with the intelligence gap between breeds perhaps being smaller than we tend to think, there’s no scientific evidence to back up the idea that purebred dogs as a whole are smarter than their mixed-breed counterparts.
Can Mutts Be Working Dogs?
One of the common misconceptions I hear is that purebred dogs get jobs, and mutts are only good for being pets. This could not be farther from the truth!
It’s very common to see purebred dogs hard at work. This is because many of these breeds were designed with a purpose in mind, and then refined further in selective breeding programs to serve new tasks through the years.
We associate scent hounds with detection, modern shepherds like GSDs and Malinois for law enforcement, golden retrievers and poodles for service and assistance, and labs and pointers for hunting/retrieve.
But the truth is, any dog can participate in any job, so long as the specific individual can meet the bar.
The reason that purebred dogs are so common in working scenarios is because they have long lines of selective breeding, are likely to excel in certain tasks based on breed traits, and are often available as puppies to start their training very young. And depending on the job, many of these candidate pups may wash out of their respective programs, pedigree or not.
It’s much more difficult to get mixed breed dogs as puppies to raise for a specific program; and why would you go out of your way to find one, when there is a proven line of dogs that is likely to give you predictable results?
But the truth of the matter is that mixed breed dogs can and do still work. Circumstance makes it less likely to happen, not the innate ability of the dog itself.
In fact, in today’s world many dog sport enthusiasts lean towards what we call “sport mixes,” or mixed-breed dogs specially bred for a specific purpose. These dogs are bred with the same standards that reputable purebred breeders have, including genetic health testing, early socialization, and whelping practices.
Common dog sport mixes include:
- Border Jack (border collie x jack russel terrier)
- “Lurchers” (any herding x any sighthound but typically border collie with whippet)
- Borderstaffs (border collie x staffordshire bull terrier)
Many other purpose-bred mixes exist to compete in various sports or jobs, and they are often bred to specifically outpace or counter a purebred counterpart.
Additionally, in other areas of the world, many “purebred” dogs of foreign lines will look very different from the U.S. or North American lines we may be familiar with, and may even be mixed with other breeds to better suit their purpose, while still being considered “purebred.”
The takeaway from this is that “purebred” is entirely a construct imagined up by humans. Outside of our perception, it does not really mean anything, and it will mean different things based on whether you are in Europe or the United States or somewhere else.
Do Mutts Make the Best Pets?
One of the things to consider in the purebred vs. mutts debate when it comes to companion dogs is that, just as purebreds have breed characteristics that help them excel at certain tasks in working environments, purebreds also have breed characteristics that can make them difficult to manage in a pet environment.
We’re seeing this a lot in the dog training world with the Belgian Malinois. Mals are a notoriously not-a-pet breed that are being kept as pets in increasing numbers since a few films came out in the last several years showing highly-trained Malinois demonstrating amazing tricks and tasks on-screen. For example, Malinois as pets spiked after John Wick Chapter 3, and we are fully expecting Mal ownership to spike again after the recent release of the film Dog, featuring Channing Tatum.
But just as I’ve seen as a dog trainer, Malinois are very difficult to manage and have a lot of needs for their energy, drive, and care. While they make awesome working dogs, they are just not the best option for a family pet. And now we are seeing a huge spike of owner surrenders as dog owners deal with a dog that is energetic, destructive, drivey, and possibly even aggressive in their home environment.
A great example of a dog that excels as a worker, but not as an average pet.
It would be fair up until this point to come away thinking this article has been, wholeheartedly, “in defense of the mixed breed dog.” But that’s not necessarily my angle, either.
But just like with every other point I’ve covered thus far, breed makeup of the specific mutt is way more important when it comes to this discussion than is whether or not the dog is mixed at all or not.
I would venture to say that a golden retriever x poodle is going to make a better family pet than a dutch shepherd x staffie. Certain breeds are great for work, and some are better for companionship.
This is why it’s a good idea to do breed research even if you’re set on picking out a mixed-breed dog. That mixed-breed dog will likely have a mix of breed characteristics from the breeds within its genetic makeup, and knowing what behaviors, ailments, and needs it may be predisposed to is always going to be helpful in the dog selection process.
At the end of the day, looking into the specific breed makeup and looking into how well those dogs fare with your lifestyle is going to be a better bet than turning away dogs simply because they are mixed or purebred.
Should I Get a Purebred or Mixed Breed?
While this information may be helpful for people selecting a mixed-breed puppy, this can make things even more difficult for people considering shelter or rescue dogs. As of the writing of this article in May 2020, shelters local to me are full of owner surrenders from the “covid puppy” surge, and the last thing I want to do is discourage prospective dog owners looking to take in dogs that have suffered as a result of the events and choices of last few years.
I’m very not anti-purchase when it comes to dogs, but I’m also very pro-adoption. I don’t think the two have to be mutually exclusive. If someone wants to buy a puppy, go for it; but pick a puppy that will do well in your lifestyle, and from a breeder that is reputable. If you want to adopt a dog instead, that is awesome; do your research, and address the dog in front of you.
The thing is, purebred vs. mutt is not always the same as puppy vs. rescue.
I’ve worked in animal shelters and routinely saw purebred dogs come in and out. While I no longer work at an animal shelter, I can only imagine that purebred rescues are more available now than they have ever been, with the rates of owner surrenders.
And like I mentioned, there are definitely reputable mixed-breed dog breeders, although they are more niche and more rare.
The point is, though, that this is not really an argument of adoption vs. purchase.
When it comes to deciding to get a purebred dog or a mixed breed dog, at the end of the day it is going to come down to your personal preference.
Do you have a breed of dog that you adore, that would also fit well into your lifestyle? Do you want to have a lot of breed-specific resources and a more predictable set of needs and behaviors to prepare for? Do you want to try your hand at competition, or a sport where a specific breed dominates? Do you want to raise a puppy for a specific purpose? All great reasons to pick a purebred dog.
Do you want to have a dog that is a little more unique? Maybe you want to try to avoid dealing with certain breed-specific ailments common in your favored breed? Maybe you do want to adopt, to give a dog a home or avoid the painstaking work of raising a puppy? Or maybe you just don’t care that much about breed, and would rather just find a companion that works for you. All great reasons to go with a mixed-breed dog.
From this article we have established that “better” is subjective and that “purebred” means less than you might think. We’ve also established that purebreds and mutts are neither “better” than the other; rather, they excel in different ways at different things, with lots of variance among them.
Take the information given to you here, consider your wants, needs, and values when it comes to owning a dog, and weigh the information against those desires to find the right direction for you.
And whichever way you go, put in the work and it is sure to pay off.
