10 Questions about dog breeds

Have you ever had questions about dog breeds – whether it be a pedigree, crossbreed or mongrel? Learn about the different dog breeds below:

What is the Kennel Club?

The Kennel Club (“KC”) is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. It is the oldest recognized dog club in the world. Its role is to act as governing body for various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials.

What is a Kennel Club Assured Breeder?

The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme promotes good breeding practice and aims to work together with breeders and buyers. The aim is to to force irresponsible breeders, or puppy farmers, out of business. Breeders nationwide are joining to demonstrate their commitment to responsible breeding.

What does it mean to be Kennel Club registered?

A pedigree dog is the offspring of two dogs of the same breed. The offspring are then eligible for registration with a recognised club or society that maintain a register for dogs of that breed. There are a number of pedigree dog registration schemes, of which the Kennel Club is the most well-known.

Are cockapoos recognised by the Kennel Club?

The Cockapoo, like all hybrid dogs, is not recognised as a pedigree breed. A cockapoo is classed as a crossbreed or mixed breed dog by The Kennel Club. No authoritative breed registry for this dog type currently exists.

Is a Labradoodle a pedigree dog?

The Labradoodle is not a pedigree breed of dog, but is instead considered to be a crossbreed dog, made of its two respective breeds. In order for a dog to be reasonably classed as a Labradoodle, their parentage should be a mixture of Labrador and Poodle only, and no other types of breeds.

Are Jack Russell Terriers pedigree?

The Kennel Club has now officially recognised the Jack Russell Terrier as a pedigree dog breed. Despite the Jack Russell being a hugely popular pet, it had never been officially recognised as a pedigree breed until 1 January 2016 when the dog became a breed in its own right.

What was the pug bred for?

Pugs were bred to be the companions of royalty. They originated in the Far East and can be traced back to the first century B.C. They were considered a royal dog in China, owned by aristocrats and bestowed as precious gifts – rather than sold – to rulers in foreign countries.

What is a cross breed dog?

A crossbred or crossbreed dog is what you get when you breed one purebred dog to another purebred dog of a different breed. For example, a Golden Retriever crossed with a Standard Poodle produces crossbred offspring called “Goldendoodles.” Some people call them hybrid dogs, but that’s incorrect.

Are cross breed dogs healthier than pedigrees?

When you mix two or more separate gene pools, the recessive genes that carry the health problems are buried. Mixed-breed dogs are, in general, healthier than their purebred cousins and typically require fewer visits to the vet. Mixed breeds are also more temperamentally sound than purebreds.

Do mixed breed dogs live longer?

Generally cross breed dogs have a longer lifespan in comparison to pedigree. Inbred dogs have a risk of carrying genes for illnesses that are common to that specific breed. Mixed breeds who have at least two breeds and commonly more, tend to have the least health problems and live longer than their purebred counterparts.

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