Companion Animals

Dog Breed Health and Welfare: Selecting Wisely

Many popular dog breeds have been selected for traits that compromise health, causing preventable lifelong suffering and welfare compromise.

Key Facts

Brachycephalic breeds including bulldogs and pugs experience chronic breathing difficulties
Hip dysplasia affects 20-70% of large breed dogs depending on breed and screening
BOAS surgery to correct breathing in flat-faced dogs costs 3,000-8,000 pounds
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a 70% prevalence of syringomyelia by age 6

Welfare Considerations

Breed-related health problems are not individual bad luck but predictable consequences of selection for extreme physical traits. Dogs with BOAS breathe in chronic discomfort that many owners normalize because they have never seen a healthy-breathing dog. Selection for exaggerated traits without health testing causes preventable suffering across the lifetime of millions of dogs.

What You Can Do

Research breed health statistics before acquiring any pedigree dog
Choose health-tested parents from breeders participating in breed health schemes
Consider crossbreeds or mongrels with lower rates of hereditary disease
Avoid purchasing flat-faced breeds unless from breeders with documented health-tested lines