With their squashed little noses and curly tails, pugs and bulldogs have become favourites among dog lovers and celebrities.
But flat-faced breeds come with a raft of health issues – ranging from breathing problems to spinal deformities.
Despite this, owners of flat-faced dogs see laziness as a good thing rather than a sign their pet is unwell, experts have warned.
A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed that the extreme conformations of French Bulldogs, Pugs and English Bulldogs have been normalised.
And despite a high risk of developing significant respiratory problems due to their flattened face, eye conditions due to their bulging eyes and skin infections due to their deep skin folds, many owners still believe ‘nothing’ could put them off buying the breeds.
The research involved an online survey of more than 2,000 UK dog owners, including those that currently own ‘extreme’ brachycephalic – flat-faced – dogs.
Analysis revealed these owners perceived ‘laziness’ as a highly desirable characteristic, even though this may reflect their dog having breathing or musculoskeletal problems that prevent them from being active.
This preference for ‘laziness’ was higher in owners who admitted to not carrying out much research before buying their dog, the poll found.
Experts warned that this common trait observed in flat-faced breeds is often due to an intolerance to exercise as a result of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).
This is a severe health impediment which often occurs in these breeds due to extreme conformations, including the flat face which can leave the dogs struggling to breathe and unable to exercise.
One in seven owners also reported ‘nothing’ could dissuade them from owning an extremely flat-faced dog, particularly those with a strong preference for flat faces and those that did not believe it reduced a dog’s lifespan.
The same proportion of owners also said they had found their dog on social media – nearly three times higher than those who owned non-flat-faced breeds.
The researchers said more needs to be done to highlight the plight of these dogs, along with positive messaging to promote other breeds.
Dr Rowena Packer, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC and lead author of the study, said: ‘The limited success of campaigns attempting to tackle the popularity of brachycephalic dogs is an increasing frustration of the animal welfare and veterinary sectors.
‘This research highlights the widespread normalisation of signs of poor health in brachycephalic dogs, with even owners of non-brachycephalic dogs considering signs of disease desirable “personality” traits.
‘A further huge concern is the substantial proportion of owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs who consider nothing could put them off acquiring these problematic breeds.
‘Future strategies to tackle the brachycephalic crisis must do more than presenting purely health-based data in generic public locations, and instead, positively offering possible alternate breeds, myth-busting false beliefs and leveraging human stories of brachycephalic owners to have greater impact.
‘Additionally, specifically targeting these messages on social media and puppy-selling platforms may increase their efficacy.’
The study was undertaken in partnership with researchers from the Blue Cross and was published in the journal Pets.
Previous research has found that flat-faced breeds have a 40 per cent increased risk of dying compared to other breeds.
For example, popular French bulldogs have an average life expectancy of 9.8 years compared to border collies, who live for around 13.1 years.
