Małgorzata Pilot, who studies the evolution of canids, said many countries, including Poland, are moving to limit the population of non-purebred dogs through sterilisation, regardless of whether the animals have owners.

“Currently, there is a trend in many countries, including Poland, to minimize the population of so-called mongrels, i.e., non-purebred dogs, by sterilizing them. This is true regardless of whether they have owners or not. In my opinion, this is a huge problem. This could very quickly lead to the elimination of the mongrel gene pool and the complete disappearance of such dogs,” she said.

He added: “Our research has shown that mongrels are not simply a mixture of different dog breeds, but constitute a distinct population with high genetic diversity. This population formed the basis for the creation of specific functional types of dogs, from which breeds developed.”

Pilot said a second negative trend in the preference for purebred dogs was that they must meet strict appearance standards. Animals that fail to meet these standards are often excluded from breeding.

“This leads to very strong inbreeding, i.e., the crossing of related individuals, and narrows the gene pools of individual breeds,” she said.

According to Pilot, limited gene pools mean that dogs within the same breed in a given country are often closely related, increasing the risk of inherited diseases.

“At this point, every dog breed has at least one genetic disease unique to it. And there are usually more such diseases,” she said.

She cited examples including respiratory and heart problems in English bulldogs, joint dysplasia in German shepherds, eye diseases in golden retrievers and bloodhounds, skin conditions in Shar-Pei dogs and high blood pressure in poodles.

“This leads to both suffering for these animals and significant financial costs for their owners. Meanwhile, healthy mongrels, which could make equally good pets, are being eliminated from the population,” Pilot said.

“In my opinion, the sterilization of mongrels and the strict standards for the appearance of purebred dogs are two very harmful phenomena that benefit no one: neither the dogs nor their owners. Essentially, only purebred dog breeders benefit from these trends,” she added.

Asked whether this means stray dogs should not be captured and sterilised, Pilot stressed that unrestricted breeding is not the answer.

“The point is not to allow free-roaming dogs to breed without restrictions, as this would be harmful to wildlife. However, I see no reason why healthy, mixed-breed dogs that have owners should be denied the opportunity to breed. There is no evidence that mixed-breed dogs are worse companions than purebred dogs,” she said.

Pilot also pointed to the growing perception of owning an expensive purebred dog as a status symbol.

“However, unfortunately, the price of these dogs does not translate into their health. It is certainly worth promoting non-purebred dogs as pets, as they often enjoy better health,” she said.

She also highlighted the social needs of dogs, noting that many pets lack opportunities for natural interaction with other dogs.

“Dogs are social animals that naturally live in groups,” Pilot said. “A trend I really like is the appearance of fenced dog playgrounds in housing estates. This is a very good initiative that allows for more natural interactions between different dogs and the formation of social bonds between them. I would encourage all dog owners to take advantage of such opportunities.”

PAP - Science in Poland, Ludwika Tomala (PAP)

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