Are Cockapoos, Cavapoos and Labradoodles Healthier? What a UK Study Found
A survey of 9,402 UK dogs found designer crossbreeds and their parent breeds were about as healthy as each other in most comparisons, at least before age five.
Written by thecanineledger
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Many people buy a Cockapoo, Cavapoo or Labradoodle because they believe a cross is healthier. A 2024 UK study tested that. It found that “The odds did not differ statistically significantly between the designer-crossbreeds and their relevant progenitor breeds in 86.6% (n = 296) of health comparisons.” (Bryson et al., PLOS ONE 2024). Progenitor breeds are the parent breeds.
While that undercuts the idea of “hybrid vigour”, it cuts the other way too. “Equally, the current study did not suggest that designer-crossbreeds have poorer health as has also been purported.”
1. The study
Who. UK owners filled in an online survey about three crosses and their parent breeds: the Cavapoo, Cockapoo and Labradoodle, and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, Labrador and Poodle. “Valid responses were received for 9,402 dogs.”
What. The team compared the odds of 57 common disorders between each cross and each of its two parent breeds, 342 comparisons in all. They took account of the dog’s age, sex and neutering, and the owner’s age and gender.
Funding. Two authors held grants from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust. The paper says the funders had no role in the study.
2. What it found
| Result | Share of the 342 comparisons |
|---|---|
| No significant difference | 86.6% |
| Higher odds in the cross | 7.0% |
| Lower odds in the cross | 6.4% |
A pattern in the gut. The authors write that “all three designer-crossbreeds in the current study had higher odds of dietary indiscretion, vomiting and diarrhoea than the Poodle that was their shared progenitor breed.” Dietary indiscretion means eating things they shouldn’t. Labradoodles and Cockapoos didn’t differ from their other parent breed on these. Cavapoos also had higher odds of vomiting than Cavaliers.
Kneecaps. Cavapoos didn’t have lower odds of patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, than either parent breed. Both parent breeds are small, and the authors say that makes this unsurprising.
3. What it can’t tell you
Young dogs only. The study looked at dogs under five. The authors note that “Given the current study only explored health in dogs aged under five, it is possible that later differences in the risk of disorders such as cancers that are associated with more aged dogs” could still appear.
Owner reports. Owners reported the problems, not vets.
Who answered. “The use of convenience sampling methods can introduce selection bias because those owners who respond may not be fully representative of all owners.”
Our note: The paper mentions a US insurer’s analysis suggesting fewer cancer claims for some doodles. We didn’t read it.
Our note: An owner survey is weaker evidence than vet-record studies like VetCompass.
4. What the authors advise
They suggest owners “could more appropriately base acquisition decisions between designer-crossbreeds and their purebred progenitors on other factors important to canine welfare such as breeding conditions, temperament, conformation and health of parents.” Conformation means body shape.
In other words, the label “cross” or “pedigree” matters less than how and where the puppy was bred.
Our note: “In other words” is our summary.
→ Puppy Farms and Pet-Store Puppies: What the Behaviour Studies Found · → Choosing a Breed or a Mix: The Health Data Breeders Don’t Lead With
5. If you’re choosing a doodle or a purebred
- Don’t pay more for “hybrid vigour”. This study found little evidence of it.
- Ask about the health of both parents, whatever the breed.
- See the puppy with its mother, where it was raised.
Our note: These points are ours.
→ Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Health: Why the Heart Comes First · → English Cocker Spaniel Health: Ears, Eyes, and What the Records Show
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Doodles are healthier than purebreds” | Not in most comparisons, in one UK survey of dogs under five. |
| “Crossbreeds are less healthy than purebreds” | Not shown either. The study found little difference. |
| “Hybrid vigour protects crosses from cancer” | Not tested here. The dogs were too young. |
Sources
- Bryson GT, O’Neill DG, Brand CL, et al. The doodle dilemma: How the physical health of ‘Designer-crossbreed’ Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo dogs’ compares to their purebred progenitor breeds. PLoS One 2024: owner survey, 9,402 dogs under five. Authors’ grants from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.