Protecting Your Pets
Three Reasons NOT To Cross-Breed Different Labrador Dogs
Deanna Vasquez
Purebred dogs are bred to keep certain desirable characteristics of a breed within the same line and breed of dog. When you cross-breed dogs, you are never quite certain what you will get. Even cross-breeding closely-related breeds, such as the golden Labrador, black Labrador, and chocolate Labrador can have some unexpected and unwanted results. If you enter the world of lab puppy breeders, make sure the breeder is not cross-breeding willy-nilly. The following reasons exist for not cross-breeding different Labrador dogs.
Golden Labs Are Prone to Cancerous Tumors
Even though the golden lab is a favorite with many dog owners and with families, golden labs are regularly susceptible to tumors. This is often a genetic thing, passed down to the puppies and is often inevitable if one or both parents is A) a golden lab and B) one or both parents die of cancerous tumors. While a breeder cannot know if his/her breeding dogs will die of cancer without having raised at least two generations of the same family of dog, you can avoid that heartache by not purchasing a "mutt lab" that was the result of mixing golden lab with another type of lab.
Chocolate Labs Are Black Labs in Disguise
Chocolate labs are mutations of black lab genetics. The first chocolate labs were the result of two black labs carrying the mutant gene for the brown coat color. Lab puppy breeeders who do not do the necessary tests to prove a lack of this mutant gene may end up with some chocolate labs by accident. However, intentionally crossing a chocolate lab and a black lab could easily reintroduce this genetic mutation into the puppies' lines, complicating matters for any puppy that someone else uses to breed more labs.
Worse still, if you cross a brown lab with a black lab, you could get a mixed litter of all sorts of weird coat colors, which would look quite confusing to anyone buying a puppy. It also makes it more difficult to register the dog with a kennel club or register it for a pedigree if the dog is either/or. Unless you are willing to fork over several hundred dollars for a mixed lab breed and take your chances on all of the above, you may want to go directly to a breeder of a single lab type.
Increased Potential for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Most labs are at risk for elbow and/or hip dysplasia. That just goes with the territory owning almost any breed of dog. However, some types of labs have slightly greater issues with their hips or elbows than other lab types. Crossing them causes these risks to increase in the puppies, causing an increase in the amount of time and money you spend at the vet clinic. If you want a lab, pick a purebred dog that is not a lab mix, and for whom numerous genetic tests have been conducted.
For more information, talk to a professional like Bar R Kennels.
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My husband’s mom absolutely adores playing with her pets. She currently has 2 dogs and 12 cats. Every day she spends at least two hours feeding and caring for her animals. My mother-in-law keeps a couple of her cats inside of her home. The rest of her animals aren’t allowed inside the house. However, this sweet lady always ensures they’re warm during the harsh winter months. Each of the canines have a spacious dog house to lounge in. At night, my mother-in-law places her cats in an old shed. Whenever one of her pets displays the signs of a potential illness, she immediately takes him or her to a nearby veterinarian. On this blog, I hope you will discover tips to help you protect your beloved pets from harm.