Some 'designer' crossbreed dogs may have more problem behaviors than pure breeds

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In a new, survey-based study of three kinds of "designer" crossbreed dogs, cockapoos, cavapoos and labradoodles, all three showed more undesirable behaviors than at least one of their purebred progenitor breeds, with cockapoos displaying the most unwanted habits. Gina Bryson of the Royal Veterinary College, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One.

Cavapoos, labradoodles, and cockapoos are crosses between purebred poodles and cavalier King Charles spaniels, Labrador retrievers, and cocker spaniels, respectively. The popularity of these and other "designer" crossbreeds as pets is rapidly rising around the world, in part because of the widespread belief that they tend to have more desirable behaviors—such as being easier to train, or better with children—than other breeds.

However, very little research has tested those beliefs. To help clarify, Bryson and colleagues analyzed survey data from U.K. dog owners for a total of 9,402 cavapoos, labradoodles, cockapoos, and their purebred progenitor breeds. The survey included the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), a well-established way to analyze different dog behaviors.

For each type of "designer" crossbreed and each of its purebred progenitors, the researchers compared C-BARQ scores for 12 different behavioral traits. They found that, in 44.4% of those comparisons, the crossbreed had more undesirable behaviors than the progenitor breed. In 9.7% of the comparisons, crossbreeds had fewer problem behaviors, and no notable difference was found in 45.8% of the comparisons.

Of the crossbreeds, cockapoos had the most undesirable behaviors overall. Cockapoos scored worse than their progenitor breeds in 16 out of 24 behaviors, including owner-directed aggression, stranger-directed aggression, and excitability.

Cavapoos scored worse than their progenitors in 11 out of 24 behaviors, including excitability, separation problems, and dog-directed fear.

Meanwhile, compared to their progenitors, labradoodles scored worse in five behaviors, but better in six, including showing less owner- or dog-directed aggression than purebred poodles.

On the basis of this study, the researchers call for wider awareness of potential crossbreed behavior issues to support dog welfare and to enable safe, rewarding dog ownership. Additional research could further deepen understanding of crossbreed dog behavior.

Publication details

Bryson GT, et al. Comparing undesirable behaviours between 'designer' Poodle-cross dogs and their purebred progenitor breeds, PLOS One (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0342847

Journal information: PLoS ONE

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