Gaby
Pugs and other flat-faced dog breeds face a significantly higher risk of serious health issues. Despite this, they remain among the most popular breeds. Researchers suggest these dogs are treated like children because of their baby-like faces and personalities, which helps explain their popularity. With their squished little noses and wrinkled faces, pugs and French bulldogs have become favorites among dog lovers. While these features may look adorable, they also greatly increase the risk of serious problems for the animals, including respiratory disorders, eye diseases, and skin conditions. Nevertheless, brachycephalic dogs continue to be some of the most sought-after breeds. Now researchers say they may know why.
Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University say the popularity of pugs and similar breeds comes from their baby-like faces and behaviors. Those infant-like traits, in both appearance and behavior, trigger a nurturing response in owners.
Popular flat-faced breeds include French and English bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Shih Tzus, and boxers. Their short muzzles didn’t develop naturally but are the result of selective breeding.
Researchers have tried to explain the ‘brachycephalic paradox’—why flat-faced dogs grow more popular even though they have health problems, high veterinary costs, and shorter lifespans. To investigate, the team studied 30 flat-faced dogs (15 English and 15 French bulldogs) alongside 13 Hungarian Mudi dogs, which have medium-length muzzles. Each dog had to try to open three boxes to retrieve a piece of sausage. The boxes used different mechanisms and levels of difficulty, and the animals saw them in a random order. Each dog watched the experimenter place the sausage in the box, then had two minutes to try to open it. During the test, both the experimenter and the dog’s owner stood out of direct sight behind the dog.
The results showed that the Mudis performed significantly better on the task than the flat-faced breeds. The Mudis successfully opened the box 93% more often and did so much faster. Flat-faced dogs, however, looked back at the experimenter and their owner nearly 4.5 times more frequently than the Mudis. The researchers interpret this as short-faced dogs seeking human help when they face a challenge. That apparent dependency may strengthen the social bond between owners and these breeds.
The team says it’s hard for people to override instinctual responses, so many still choose brachycephalic breeds despite the health risks.
Pugs have a multitude of health problems, yet they remain popular. This study was published shortly after another team compared the risks of 40 common diseases in pugs versus other dog breeds. That analysis used VetCompass data from 16,218 pugs and 889,326 dogs of other breeds and found that pugs have an increased risk of 23 of the 40 diseases studied. The breed is 54 times more likely to suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, a condition affecting the upper respiratory tract, and 51 times more likely to have narrow nostrils. Pugs also get corneal ulcers 13 times more often, are 2.5 times more likely to be obese, have skin fold dermatitis 11 times more frequently, and are twice as likely to have nail growth issues.
Dr. Dan O’Neill, the lead author of that study and an associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, emphasizes that people can choose to give every pet a healthy start in life. He advises choosing a breed without extreme deformities, such as excessive skin folds that can cause painful lifelong infections. Dr. O’Neill urges potential owners to ‘stop and think’ and to find a responsible breeder who genuinely cares about the dogs’ welfare.
