Selective breeding for extreme physical traits has created serious health and welfare problems in many dog breeds, with ongoing reform efforts facing significant resistance from breed communities.
Breed health reform addresses one of the most preventable causes of chronic suffering in companion animals. Dogs bred for extreme flat faces, disproportionate body conformation, or other exaggerated traits suffer throughout their lives from conditions that are a direct consequence of human selection preferences. The welfare cost is borne entirely by the animals while the aesthetic benefit accrues to humans. Reform requires action at multiple levels - breed standard revision, health testing requirements, veterinary discouragement, and most crucially, changing consumer demand for extreme-type dogs. Progress has been achieved but remains insufficient relative to the scale of the problem.