Are mixed breed dogs healthier? What 9,402 dogs showed

Are mixed breed dogs healthier than purebreds? A large 2024 study says no: in 86.6% of comparisons, cockapoos, labradoodles and cavapoos got sick just as often as the breeds they come from.

If you're looking for a maltipoo, the takeaway is practical. Your puppy's health depends on the parents' test results, not on the word "crossbreed".

Where the hybrid vigour idea comes from

Hybrid vigour (heterosis) is a real effect in genetics. A recessive disease only shows up when a puppy gets the faulty gene from both parents. Cross two different breeds and the chance of that pairing usually drops.

The catch is that crossing doesn't remove the gene. The puppy can still carry it and pass it on. On top of that, the Maltese and the poodle share some weak spots, like teeth and kneecaps. Where both parents are at risk, mixing breeds changes nothing.

What the study of 9,402 dogs found

A Royal Veterinary College team analysed vet records of 9,402 dogs from the VetCompass database (Bryson et al., PLOS ONE 2024). They compared cockapoos, labradoodles and cavapoos with their parent breeds, including toy, miniature and standard poodles, across 57 common conditions.

So the cross came out better and worse about equally often. Maltipoos weren't in the study, but the logic holds: being a cross doesn't protect a dog from its parents' diseases.

One honest caveat. The study covered designer poodle crosses, not mutts of unknown background. It says nothing about them.

What a maltipoo inherits from its parents

Most common maltipoo problems come from one parent or both:

Teeth are the most common issue in small dogs. Dogs under 6.5 kg are diagnosed with periodontal disease up to 5 times more often than dogs over 25 kg, and it affects 28.9% of toy poodles. Read more about each of these in maltipoo health problems and how to spot them.

Parent health tests matter more than the label

The maltipoo isn't a breed recognised by the FCI, so there's no breed standard and no required health testing for the parents. Your only guarantee is a responsible breeder who shows you the results without being asked.

When I bought Zuzi, for about €2,000, what mattered most to me was who her parents were, how they looked and the overall level of the dogs. Her mother is a friend's own dog, not a mass breeder's. Seeing the parents is a good start. You can't see a DNA result by looking at a dog, though, so ask for the paperwork.

Ask the breeder about:

1. a PRA-prcd DNA test for both parents, with the result in writing,
2. a kneecap assessment and an eye exam by a vet,
3. the weight of both parents and whether the poodle is toy or miniature,
4. the mother's age and which litter this is,
5. whether you can meet the puppies' mother in person.

You'll find the full list in 12 questions to ask a maltipoo breeder. A good breeder will be glad you asked. A bad one will get irritated.

Is an F1 healthier than an F1b or F2

No data shows that. F1 is the first generation, a Maltese crossed with a poodle. F1b and F2 are later crosses. The generation mostly tells you how predictable the coat and size will be, not whether the dog will be healthy.

An F1 puppy from untested parents can have more problems than a multigen from fully tested ones. We explain the differences in F1, F1b and F2 maltipoo, and cover the whole breed in our maltipoo guide.