Sometimes you can hear a French bulldog before you see it—it’s the wheezing sounds they make when they breathe. Frenchies, it seems, are 30 times more likely than other breeds to suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. This nasty respiratory disease is the result of the facial deformities characteristic of extremely brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds. These include French bulldogs, pugs, and English bulldogs.
Many owners of brachy-breeds find their pets’ bulging eyes and enlarged craniums irresistible. But these infantile facial features are intentional deformities–the result of intensive selective breeding to meet conformation standards established by purebred kennel clubs. Indeed, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently filed a lawsuit against the American Kennel Club. PETA claims the AKC “requires certain breeds like French Bulldogs to exhibit physical traits that cause the dogs crippling pain, suffocation, and untimely deaths.”
The AKC breed standards, for example, dictate that the ideal Frenchie has an “undershot jaw” and a “large square head, with heavy wrinkles forming a soft roll over the extremely short nose.” As a result of these arbitrary aesthetic rules, brachycephalic breeds are plagued with a host of chronic disorders such as dental problems, itchy skin, sleep apnea, and sudden death. For instance, in a study of 30,000 dogs in the U.K., French bulldogs had an average lifespan of just 4.5 years.
The Paradoxical Popularity of Dogs That Suffer
Because of media headlines like “French Bulldog Cuteness Comes at a Steep Cost,” you might think that the extreme brachycephalic breeds would be decidedly unpopular. Yet, just the opposite. In 2022, Frenchies displaced Labrador retrievers as the most popular purebred dog in the United States.
They have also become the most popular breed in the U.K., where French bulldog registrations surged 3,000% between 2008 and 2018. According to Rowena Packer of the Royal Veterinary College, the increase in popularity of flat-faced breeds is a worldwide phenomenon.
The rise in popularity of dogs that are essentially bred for genetic disorders is not completely surprising. Indeed, my colleagues and I have found that dog breed fads are mostly a matter of “random drift” and that breeds that become rapidly popular are more likely than other breeds to suffer from genetic disorders.
In a series of studies, Packer and her colleagues have investigated the puzzling boom in brachycephalic breeds. They have found, for example, that many Frenchie owners are in denial about the health issues that plague their pets. In one of their studies, 1 in 7 owners of extreme brachy breeds claimed there was “nothing” that could dissuade them from getting a flat-faced dog. Indeed, many owners simply rejected the idea that brachycephalic breeds suffer from canine health problems.
In another study, Packer’s team reported that, despite the health problems associated with their conformation, physical appearance was the most important reason people desired these breeds. This raises a question related to animal welfare. Given the veterinary issues associated with extreme brachycephaly, why would people be so attracted to creatures with pathologically squashed faces, wrinkly skin, and twisted tails?
Studying the Relative Beauty of Flat-Faced Dogs
To answer this question, Packer and her colleagues recruited nearly 5,000 British participants to rate the appeal of images of French bulldogs, pugs, and English bulldogs. Their goal was to test the hypothesis that, when given a choice, people would actually prefer the facial features and body conformations of less extreme versions of these breeds. Their finding were recently published in the Veterinary Record. The lead author of the paper was Elizabeth Youens, and the results were surprising.
The researchers used an online questionnaire to test their ideas. The subjects were 4,899 residents of the U.K. About 1,300 of the participants had owned a purebred flat-faced dog, 429 had owned a dog that was brachy-cross, and about 3,000 had never owned a brachy dog.
The procedure was straightforward. After answering questions related to their demography and their experience with dogs, the subjects were shown sets of AI-generated images of English bulldogs, French bulldogs, and pugs (Figure 1). The images ranged from less extreme versions of the three breeds (Dogs 1 in the figure) to the present breed standard (Dogs 2) to super-extreme versions (Dogs 3).
The subjects were asked to rate each image on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). The items were:
- How happy does each dog make you feel when you look at them?
- How attractive does each dog look to you personally?
- How healthy does each dog look to you personally?
- How ethically do you think each of these dogs has been bred?
- How much would you personally like to own each of these dogs?
The Surprising Results
Were the researchers correct? Did the participants prefer the less extreme versions of French bulldogs, pugs, and English bulldogs over the current breed standard versions of the dogs and the super-extreme versions?
Yes. For example, as shown in this graph, the subjects rated the less brachycephalic versions of all three breeds as more attractive than the current breed standard or the super-extreme images. Further, the pattern of results applied to all five of the questions. The less extreme versions of the dogs were judged to be more attractive and healthier, and more ethically bred. In addition, the subjects reported that viewing the less extreme images made them feel happier. Most importantly, the participants indicated they prefer to own the more normal-looking dogs.
For me, the biggest surprise of the study was that these findings also applied to owners of all three breeds. As the researchers wrote, “Even current owners of brachycephalic dogs showed a clear preference for less extreme conformations over the typical and super extreme types of dogs when given a free choice.”
The Good News
The researchers concluded that among the public in the U.K., there are consistent and strong preferences for less extreme forms of French bulldogs, pugs, and English bulldogs. Further, this finding even applied to the dog’s owners. I suspect these results would also hold true in the United States, where French bulldogs are now the most popular purebred canine pet.
In their paper, the researchers highlighted the animal welfare implications of their results. They wrote, “These findings offer major welfare opportunities to reverse the current normalization of extreme body shapes that are linked to serious health problems in these breeds.”
The researchers argue that official kennel club breed standards should be modified so they do not explicitly promote features like malformed skulls, bulging eyes, and wrinkly skin. The researchers admitted that the development of less extreme versions of, say, Frenchies and pugs will probably require outcrossing to increase the genetic diversity of the brachy breeds.
Needless to say, kennel club purists are likely to howl in protest. But the results of this study suggest the public is ready for change—a preference for cute French Bulldogs that breathe normally, that don’t have chronically itchy skin, and that live longer and happier lives.
