I would let my vet know just for records. 

This is an interesting question because as an aside point my vet considered my dog's breed to be one that has health issues.  I thought at the time how ill-informed one of us was because I thought I had chosen a relatively healthy breed. In 8 years she has had 3 stays at the vets for very worrying conditions that have not appeared to be breed-related along with the usual injuries associated with glass and knocks.  When she is poorly I am quick to get her to the vet to try and catch any ailment in its early stages and prevent distress to my dog (as well as myself) but I wonder how many people do this with cross-breeds?  It was normal when I was a child to treat the dog at home with old-wives' tales but how much of that still continues and does it continue moreso with cross-breeds than expensive pedigrees?

I know that many champdog owners will also have crossbreeds in their families but I am talking about the general population who do not own and have never paid a lot of money for their dogs?  Aren't these dogs less likely to be registered anywhere?

interesting post.
re burial, i have found through experience that burial is not for me. one i have had to move house and leave behind, heartbreaking. the other i had buried on a LARGE dog charity site, i gave a donation and thought that this would be foreever.....sadly nit they sold it for big bucks to a property developer and all the graves will be disturbed. so now all of mine are cremated. i have my own burial space booked and spoken to the council concerned. all of my dogs ashed will go with me when i go and if any dogs survive me then once they go they will be cremated and then an opening up fee paid and they will be laid to rest with me.

> Again, I can't see why practices should be any different between a pedigree dog owner or not so where would the bias lie?

I agree. Growing up we had mongr cross breeds and I had one before we got Buster, criterea for needing to see a vet was never any different for them than it has been for Buster (purebreed).

As for the question of informing a vet on the death of a dog, all of our dogs have been PTS by a vet.
The crossbreed littermates () we had when I was growing up were registered at the vet with thier correct date of birth (dad was friends with the owner), so their ages at death were correct.
The crossbreed I had before Buster, his was 14 yrs when he was PTS (4 yrs 7 months to be precise) BUT, we got him from a rescue, they told us he was '4 years old' (that's all the previous owners had said). For ease of reference, we registered him at the vet as having a birth date of the day we brought him home from rescue (so 4yrs on the dot, the day we brought him home).
If he was 4 yrs and 5 monts+ when we got him, then he would have actually have been 15 years old when he was PTS (which is highly feasable, as the previous owners never said he had 'just turned 4' nor did they say he was 'nearly 5', so being somewere in the middle of 4 & 5 years is not stretching things).
I would not beleive that he was any younger than 4 years old when we got him as he never changed in body shape, he was underweight and he got up to a healthier weight, but there wasn't any 'maturing' changes to him. And just to clarify that we didn't add a couple of years on, we picked him up from the rescue when I was pregnant with my first child and I do have a birth cirtificate for him :-)

> I'm interested how many people think it 'luckier' to have the dog die at home.

Much depends on the dog.  I am more grateful than I can ever explain that Soli died at home - but equally as grateful that she didn't, like Henry, die alone, that she died right in front of me.  It didn't make it any less terrifying for her but at least me and all the other dogs were nearby when it happened (although she didn't seem to be aware of us).  I would of course have preferred that she died in her sleep but either was preferable to the vet, for her.  A friend lost her dobe not long after Soli - but he did go in his sleep, she found him in the morning.

Likewise for Raine, I hope against hope that when that day eventually comes for her, she will go of her own will, at home, assuming she's still as terrified of the vets then as she is now.

I sort of hope Tia will pass in her sleep too - I don't think she will though, but she will go at home.

> Aren't these dogs less likely to be registered anywhere?

That is possible but then the study appears to be looking at dogs that are registered with a vet. 
Also not sure we should fixate on the differences between predigree and crossbreed, although I aware that the media will probably do so, as the study appears to be benchmarking pedigrees against each other so the results should be informative anyway and consequently welcomed as an informed basis for further research into breeds that appear to fall below average.

Yes, I would let them know, out of courtesy and also for cremation arrangements. I too would not suddenly want to get a health check reminder either.  I have never yet been that 'lucky' though.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, very interesting.  Will try and pull together some comparisons figuers from the thread.

i dont know if i would consider it 'luckier' to have a dog die at home, it depends on the circumstances really, im not really sure how i feel about my alfie's death just a few months ago
he was fit and well and had been his usual bouncy self all day, ate his dinner and was dead within the hr!  i guess me finding him gone was a shock i will never forget but i guess in some way although alone and not being cuddled by me, if its was instantanious and he knew nothing (we can only hope this is the case) then for him yes he was luckier than my others that have suffered with bone cancer, heart faliure and spinal disease, but you cant explain to people really the shock and devastation you feel in that moment.

i think had he been older then maybe i would have felt 'luckier' but as he was just turned 5 then no i just felt cheated :(