Would-be dog owners are being warned about what not to buy when it comes to purebred dogs.
The International Collaborative on Extreme Confirmation on Dogs (ICECDogs) is bypassing breeders and attempting to appeal to pet lovers directly and offering a guide on what to avoid in popular breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, dachshunds and French bulldogs.
ICECDogs co-founder Dr Dan O’Neill said many dogs are no longer ‘fully functional’. He said buying dogs because they are cute is in fact causing suffering.
A study in the UK published in the NewScientist has found French bulldogs have a life expectancy of about five years.
Among the extreme features the group said could lead to problems are a disproportionately broad head and shoulders, a flat face, lack of a tail and a clearly overshot or undershot jaw.
Other issues include large protruding eyes, shortened twisted legs, bulging skulls and sloped backs with excessively low rear ends.
“Prospective owners must thoroughly research which dog might be right for their lifestyle, pedigree or crossbreed, and use the information provided by authorities about which health schemes and tools a breeder has used before choosing a pup, as well as meeting the parents of the puppy and avoiding those with exaggerated physical features, such as very flat faces,” Dr O’Neill said.
What do you think? Should breed standards change for some dogs or are we over-reacting?
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