The top 5 most popular cross-breed or hybrid dog breeds in the UK 2015

A “hybrid” dog breed is a dog that is not formally recognised as a pedigree by organisations such as The Kennel Club, but many hybrid breeds are hugely popular nonetheless, and in some cases, ownership of certain hybrid breeds outstrips ownership of certain pedigree breeds!

Hybrid dogs are bred by means of the deliberate crossing of two unrelated pedigree breeds to produce a dog that shares all the best traits of both, as well as benefitting from the advantages of hybrid vigour, which are gained when the gene pool of a dog is widened by outcrossing.

We’ve scoured through our adverts and the popular search terms used here on Pets4Homes.co.uk, to find out the most popular hybrid or cross-breed dogs in 2015. Here is our list of the top five most popular hybrid or cross-breed dog types this year.

1. The Cockapoo

The Cockapoo is a hybrid breed that consists of the crossing of a cocker spaniel with a poodle, usually a miniature poodle to produce a small to medium sized dog, although Cockapoos can be rather larger if a standard poodle is used in the mix!

The poodle element of the dog’s heritage means that the coat of many Cockapoos will be low-shedding, which not only means that they will not drop a lot of hair around the home, but also, that they may be a good choice of pet for people who are often otherwise allergic to dogs. However, the coat of the Cockapoo may take after the cocker spaniel side more than the poodle!

2. The Labradoodle

The Labradoodle is perhaps the best known of all of the popular hybrid dog breeds, and is one of the most common sights in dog parks or out and about in the UK. Most people know at least one other dog owner who owns a Labradoodle!

The labradoodle consists of the crossing of a Labrador retriever with a poodle, and usually, it is a standard poodle that is used within the crossing, to produce a reasonably large dog that is slightly taller than the average Labrador retriever. Labradoodles can be seen in either yellow, chocolate or black as their most common colours, but may also take on the shade of their poodle heritage.

Again, the Labradoodle, thanks to their poodle ancestry, tends not to shed hair heavily, and often, will not trigger an allergic reaction in people who are usually sensitive to them.

3. The Cavapoo

The Cavapoo is produced by the crossing of a Cavalier King Charles spaniel with again, a poodle, and generally, miniature or toy poodles are used within the crossing to create a small dog that will fit comfortably in your lap!

As you can see, the poodle is the most popular breed for use within hybrid crossings, and the range of sizes that the poodle can be found in makes them very versatile and a good match for hybrid crossings with breeds of all sizes. The average Cavapoo stands between around 10-15” tall at the withers, and they usually weigh less than 20lb.

Once again, the potential for a hypoallergenic coat is a popular reason for Cavapoo breeding, and their coats can be found in a variety of textures from straight to wavy to curly, and in many colours depending on the shade of their parent dogs.

4. The Cavachon

The Cavachon is a hybrid breed that at first glance, appears similar to the Cavapoo, and given the amount of variance possible within hybrid dogs, it is not surprising that these two types are often confused! The Cavachon is bred by crossing a Cavalier King Charles spaniel with a Bichon Frise, and so it is the first dog to make our list that does not have some poodle heritage.

The Bichon Frise is a small, fluffy white dog that, while a very different shape to the poodle, shares a similar coat texture with them, which again makes it a good pick for people looking for a non-allergenic small hybrid lapdog type. Cavachons can again be found in a whole wide range of colours, depending on their parentage!

5. The Sprocker

The Sprocker is comprised of the crossing of a springer spaniel with a cocker spaniel, and as such, is one hybrid breed that is likely to flummox the casual observer when they are trying to ascertain the breed that they are looking at!

The Sprocker is a very versatile dog that has the typical spaniel build and shape, falling between the height range of the springer and the cocker to produce a medium sized dog. They make excellent pets and also working dogs, and can be found in either liver and white, black and white, or solid black, liver, red or gold.

They are lively, active dogs that enjoy being involved in family life, and thrive on a lifestyle of lots of attention and plenty of walks and exercise.