Many popular dog breeds suffer from serious inherited health problems caused by extreme selective breeding. Reform of breed standards is essential for the welfare of millions of companion dogs.
The welfare crisis in pedigree dog breeding is one of the most systemic and preventable in companion animal care. Decades of selection for extreme physical traits have created breeds that suffer chronically from conditions built into their anatomy. Brachycephalic dogs struggle to breathe, exercise, thermoregulate, and sleep normally. Dogs with skull-brain size mismatches suffer from Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia that causes constant pain. The suffering is invisible to owners who perceive their dogs as normal because they have known nothing else. Breed standard reform, health testing requirements before breeding, and consumer education represent the multi-pronged approach needed. Purchasing from health-tested, moderate-conformation breeders is the most direct individual action.