First for buying a Bulldog. Second, for buying another one. Third, for not recognising that one of them is in trouble.
Given how dangerous it is to hurtle - pointlessly if lucratively - round a track at 200mph, I guess it's probably better to not think about stuff much. But Lewis Hamilton's comments on Instagram two days ago display breathtaking ignorance.
On a snowy New Year break with his Bulldogs Roscoe and Coco, the Formula 1 driver wrote:
"Today, I went hiking up the mountain. Thought I'd take the dogs. Roscoe was fine but Coco, she walks about 20 meters & sits down. She doesn't want to go anywhere unless she's carried. Lazy ass bulldog Lol so I put her in my backpack.....she literally snored the whole way up!!'
Mr Hamilton.... Coco is less than a year old. No dog of that age is ever "lazy". Ever. And that snoring? It isn't snoring. She can't bloody breathe.
A pound to a dollar, Coco will be at the vets for a soft palate resection within the year.
Hamilton's other Bulldog, 14-month-old Roscoe looks quite the athlete body-wise - slim and fit and relatively long-legged. There are very few pix of him gasping either - good to see.
 |
| Roscoe |
Nevertheless, four months ago, Roscoe almost died from pneumonia a breed-related problem that is a direct result of the Bulldog's impaired respiratory system.
He recovered, but will never overcome the basic handicap of being born a Bulldog - something that Hamilton clearly thinks is cute and funny. Have a look at this:
He recovered, but will never overcome the basic handicap of being born a Bulldog - something that Hamilton clearly thinks is cute and funny. Have a look at this:
It's clear from Hamilton's posts that he adores Roscoe and Coco.
He's in for a lot of heart-ache.
They just do not get it, all those 'cute' clips on youtube of bulldogs & pugs snoring or falling asleep on their feet are just sad displays of a dog in respiratory distress of varying degrees.
ReplyDeleteI got in a bit of hot water recently on a dog forum for admitting I did not think it would be the end of the world if some breeds ceased to exist as they are today anyways.
He is not an idiot; he just is terribly ignorant. But who can blame him? The breed's party line is that there is nothing inherently wrong with bulldogs. -- Rod Russell, Orlando, Florida USA
ReplyDeleteHe's hardly an idiot, just uninformed and takes assumptions from mainstream knowledge like all of us do to at least some degree. This post could be applied to any bulldog owner, especially those who bought them simply for their potential for intimidation.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is simply his own more extreme lifestyle naturally putting dogs unfit for those environments, in danger, regardless of poor genetics. But this is far from uncommon sadly, and if this blog tracked everyone's use of dogs in such failings, instead of just celebs, we'd never find the interesting bits manually.
"The difference is simply his own more extreme lifestyle naturally putting dogs unfit for those environments, in danger, regardless of poor genetics."
DeleteIMHO that makes him a giant idiot. A smart person/someone that cares/whatever else you want to say, gets a dog that is appropriate for their lifestyle. The only dog I ever had to return to a shelter (the dog terrified me and the dog was unhappy with us) was an impulse buy by my grandma. My grandma was an idiot for choosing a Border CollieX. The dog was the exact opposite of what we needed/could handle.
When I searched through the other dogs from the shelter and looked into their breed to see which would fit us better. (They had a dog swap policy) I found our dog February 20h, 2011, she is my 'heart dog' and we will keep her till the day she dies. Research, research, research. If you don't you are just asking for trouble and running headlong into misery.
'Research, research, research. If you don't you are just asking for trouble and running headlong into misery'
DeleteHas it ever occurred to you that there are lots of people who buy dogs who aren't particularly smart and wouldn't dream of doing any research? Because they are FAMILAR with dogs, but don't UNDERSTAND them?
The cognitive dissonance also extends to human beings not understanding their own species too!
"Has it ever occurred to you that there are lots of people who buy dogs who aren't particularly smart and wouldn't dream of doing any research? Because they are FAMILAR with dogs, but don't UNDERSTAND them?"
DeleteIt does indeed occur to me and I still have the same exact feelings about what I said before. Familiar is not the same thing as understand. People have been around longer then domesticated dogs. We had less time to understand (rather then just be familiar) the modern canine, dog breeds change more often then humans do. Old ideas about dogs are being disproven to this day.
IMHO if you aren't willing to research you shouldn't be allowed to complain about dogs like "Coco, (who) walks about 20 meters & sits down." She wasn't meant for that kind of lifestyle so she shouldn't be expected to live that kind of lifestyle. If he took the me to do some research he would already know that.
I stand firm on my belief that "if you don't (do research) you are just asking for trouble and running headlong into misery".
Ok I think I can find a nicer-ish way to answer this then how I did before ( I submitted a response that has yet to be posted). It's a little bit long what I have to say, but hopefully it can help you understand where I am coming from. I'll be a bit more detailed about what my grandma did.
DeleteWe went to a shelter to find a dog after our dog passed away from lung cancer/stomach cancer. Before my grandma chose that dog we were meeting dogs that were matched up with us to fit our lifestyle. The shelter we were at did a meet your match thing. We met a few dogs, a few I liked but, my grandma wasn't connecting with any of the dogs we saw.
A dog named Franki came to the shelter literally an hour or so before my grandma decided to adopt him. They told us very plainly that they knew nothing about what kind of dog he was so they didn't know if he would fit us. My grandma decided that she loved him. she like his "expression and his eyes". We adopted him based on those factors alone. He peed in the house, pulled on leash, was only maybe 1-2 years old with no manners, and was a Border CollieX. We kept him for 5 days until we had to return him because I was so frightened of him and we knew we weren't the right family for him.
The dog we wound up getting in the end as one I had originally considered possibly adopting. I looked into her breed and decided she might be a good fit for us, as it turns out I was entirely right. My grandma was FAMILIAR with dogs, but she didn't UNDERSTAND what kind of dog we needed. I spent 5 days in terror hiding in my room from a dog I was supposed to primarily care for because of her bad judgment. I KNEW the dog breed was wrong for us, but my grandma turned a blind eye to common sense and decided to go for it because she liked the way he looked.
I still maintain that you do " Research, research, research. If you don't you are just asking for trouble and running headlong into misery". I've BEEN THERE and I very much understand why people do it. That doesn't make it any less idiotic IMO.
Daniela, you miss the point. Anyone with a suitable level of intelligence, awareness and ability to risk assess will carefully and methodically research dog breeds, health and suitable temperament before taking the plunge. The point you miss is that there are an awful lot of people who lack the ability to do this and actually fully understand what questions they need to be asking. They just aren't smart enough! And no matter what, as long as anyone can buy a dog and anyone can breed them without any consequences, these problems will exist.
Delete"Anyone with a suitable level of intelligence, awareness and ability to risk assess will carefully and methodically research dog breeds, health and suitable temperament before taking the plunge. The point you miss is that there are an awful lot of people who lack the ability to do this and actually fully understand what questions they need to be asking. They just aren't smart enough!"
DeleteI DO understand that. They aren't smart enough to do so hence why I said anyone that does that is a giant idiot. They may lack the ability to research effectively, but that makes them no less of an idiot in my mind.
'They may lack the ability to research effectively, but that makes them no less of an idiot in my mind.'
DeleteAnd it unfortunately makes you unempathetic to the root cause of the problem and your fellow man.
Imagine if you were sent to a foreign country as an expert in order to educate people about canine science – genetics, breeding, behaviour etc. Imagine this culture had not had anything in it’s education system that had ever addressed these issues . However, the people were very familiar with dogs as they had grown up with them e.g. in their homes, working the land, on TV shows, in literature as companions etc. Your role was to educate people about dog breeding and behaviour to ensure that they had an understanding of the health and welfare issues today.
Do you really think that branding them idiots for not understanding the issues because they hadn’t been educated, understand where to source good references and how to interpret the information is going to help them, or the dogs for that matter?
Because that ‘foreign country’ could well be the UK. We have no grass root education about companion animals, yet anyone can buy one off the internet FFS – and as dogs ARE seen as a consumer commodity (breeds or symbols of conspicuous consumption by some) what on earth does anyone expect ? Moral superiority?
Especially when the KC (THE body that stands up for dogs) can’t even be arsed to get accurate and safe (ABS breeding scheme – a farce) information out there.
A bit harsh!
ReplyDeletePerhaps naive, unaware and uneducated with regard to the health issues in Bulldogs?
He's not unempathetic though. He has a brother with special needs whom he is very close to as I recall. Perhaps someone needs to steer him in the direction of some useful information and also a knowledgeable and pragmatic vet. Anyone could do that on his instagram account with some compassion and with some useful references.
I think JH is on the right track in using the word idiot. It's useful to stigmatize people who don't do their homework before buying a dog. Breeders will continue to breed unsound dogs so long as there's huge demand and astronomical prices. Make it so people are embarrassed to be seen behind the leash of a lumbering, wheezing freak of a dog and the market will dry up.
DeleteI wonder if he would be prepared to get involved with improving health issues within the Bulldog circle. He could use his influence to great effect. Roscoe, compared with other bulldogs viewed on this site is positively athletic, even though still compromised. I looked at his site and there are some delightful photographs of the dogs so he is a real dog lover. He will probably be shocked that his dogs are disabled because of the reckless breeding and he may well want to voice his views? It would be good for Bulldogs if he decided to take an interest in their welfare.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea Georgina. In fact, this could be exactly what is required in getting these health issues more in the public domain. Or not, if he ends up being as defensive as some of the people on here...
DeleteHow to proceed next? Anyone willing to approach him? I don't bother with Instagram, Facebook etc.
I've left a message on FB asking if he wanted to become the Ambassador for the Betterment of Bulldogs, so we'll see if he has the time to express his opinion of the breed. He is busy and young so he may not wish to get involved.
DeleteI agree with you--however, for that to happen he will have to have health problems with his dogs, and I do not wish that on the dogs!
DeleteHe already is experiencing problems! His puppy can't breathe! And he interprets this a lazy. An emergency intervention would be required. He knows how it feels to wear a balaclava and a helmet and to feel hot and uncomfortable.....not too difficult to get the message accross.
DeleteBut what a handsome uninformed or unaware bully dog owner he is.
ReplyDeleteJemima, unless you are his mother, aunt, or granny, I think the word "idiot" is a tad harsh.
ReplyDeleteWhat word would he use if he, while in a foreign country, was injured in an avalanche, suffering a lung punctured by a broken rib, a concussion, and leg injuries, but nobody there would help him or take him to a surgeon because they were to busy laughing at how he gasped for air, made 'funny' breathing noises, waddled when he walked, and struggled to find the right words?
And if the people who weren't laughing at him, tweeted that he was "lazy" for not walking and breathing better - what word would he use for those people?
Would he use a word stronger than "idiot"?
Nope. Still struggling to make any sense of that analogy.
ReplyDeleteI will try to rephrase.
DeleteEnglish bulldogs have been bred to have handicaps.
They have one of the forms of dwarfism. Purebred English bulldogs don't produce any puppies who aren't dwarves, so we know that they have two copies of the gene. Although studies haven't been done, photos of crossbred bulldogs have the bulldog form, so, it seems, that English bulldogs are double dominate for this dwarf gene. In people, double dwarfism is fatal at birth. It seems that some other genetic factor (perhaps a modifying gene?), allows these dogs to survive. But they often suffer from there doubled genetic condition - if there is a modifying gene, it doesn't modify enough.
Bulldog are also bred to have a pushed in face. This often means that parts of the mouth of the dog are still there, but it is as if, the mouth parts grew backwards towards the throat, instead of outwards towards the nostrils. This can cause the dog terrible suffering during the dog's whole lifetime, because it is so difficult for the dog to breathe. If the bulldog is healthy enough for surgery, this tissue in the throat can be trimmed, so that the dog can breathe. The surgery can be expensive, but it can improve the life of the dog.
Other problems in bulldogs can't be corrected so easily. They often have a short twisted tail. In breeding bulldogs for twisty tails, other parts of the vertebrae of the spine can be born twisty also, giving the bulldog back problems.
That would be suffering enough, but the breed is also bred to have skin folds which can cause bacteria to grow in the folds of skin. This can be treated with daily washing recommended by a veterinarian. Surgery can treat this condition too. Like a face lift treats wrinkles in people.
Also many English bulldogs need extensive expensive dental work to try to fix their genetic problems. Most bulldogs are never checked to see what types of problems could be corrected by surgery, so they keep suffering.
Many people believe that it is wrong to breed English bulldogs. People who breed English bulldogs often fail to have the mouth surgery done for their mother dogs, so when the mothers go into labor, it is terrible for them because they have so much trouble trying to breathe.
Also, baby bulldogs have huge heads, and usually should be born by cesarean surgery (C-section). But some bulldog breeders lack the money, or the compassion, to routinley get their dogs this surgery, and they try to make the mother dogs push the puppies out, and only take the mother dogs to the veterinarian if labor has gone on for so long that it is clear that the mother dog will die in labor if a veterinarian is not paid for.
Because of these things, many people feel angry towards bulldog breeders. Many bulldog breeders don't tell people who buy their puppies about the need for surgery. It is difficult to sue the breeders in court, but it is obvious that most bulldog breeders know the veterinarian needs their puppies will have, and should have told the people who bought their puppies.
Corrections. English bulldogs suffer from TWO forms of dwarfism: Micromelic (stumpy legs. as in Basset hound) and brachycephalic (flat face). Add to your catalog of ills: Most also suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia. Also, C-sections are required due to a combination of puppy size, head size and shape, and pelvis size. It's easy to blame big heads, but other factors may be just as important.
DeleteHi Jennifer,
DeleteThanks for adding to the my list of bulldog ills, I was only listing handicaps which bulldogs are bred to have, and the problem with being a mother bulldog in labor, needing a C-section, whose owner is too cheap to take her to a veterinarian.
There is an injection, which breeders sometimes give, that should only be used AFTER the first puppy is born, and only to treat lack of strong contractions. But, C-sections cost money.......... This can kill the mother dog, and, when used like this, it forces the mother to have harder and more painful labor than usual. But if the bulldog breeder can saved the expense of a C-section......... I guess some breeders just don't care, or worse. What can you say to a bulldog breeder who does this, then "brags", "I sit right there and watch all my bulldogs when they give birth."?
Like, what good is it if she just watches, instead of taking the bulldog to the veterinarian? I guess the breeder can open the sack, cut the cord, dry the puppy, (bulldog mothers can't because their jaws aren't aligned). But what about the suffering of the mother dog?
One woman who bred bulldogs, bragged "Half of my bulldogs give birth without a C-section."
Then another bulldog breeder bragged "All of my bulldogs get a C-section".
Each breeder approved of their own method.
Hi again Jennifer,
DeleteMy comment might of been "too much information" for some? I knew someone who work with a person who had a dwarf gene. I thought about him, and, on the very unlikely chance he would read my comment, wrote it as if to him, explaining how the bulldogs have 2 copies of this gene (are homozygous for this trait). Most people don't need to know more than "the dogs are suffering", but I thought the genetics of it would be of interest to little people. I explained the logic of it.
As to the "in-grown" jaw problem? I'm not sure. It seems to involve some lack of common upper jaw development, but is it really a second form of dwarfism? Boxer dogs have this, but their legs are long.
Oxytocin is what can be given to a dog in labour and only used if a puppy is presented or in some cases when the labour has fully finished and if not all afterbirths are accounted for. Oxytocin helps to then contract down the uterus and expel any afterbirths that are not accounted for.
DeleteOxytocin is brillant when used correctly and for a tired bitch with only one pup left to birth which is presnted but her contractions are not hard enough to expel the pup, used then it saves the dog a lot of stress of having to load her in the car with her other pups and then have a c-section but unfortunately it is now widely misused and if given to many times during labour it can make the dogs womb rupture. Most vets would not advise using it more than twice during a labour, three times at most and it will do nothing unless the pup is presented ready to be born and this can only be known if the bitch is examined and the pup is felt against the cervix. Very often just examining the bitch and giving her a cervix a sweep will release enough oxytocin for her to contract and expel the pup and was the method used in the past and should still be used before giving oxytocin and this method is also still used sometimes with humans in labour.Giving oxytocin when a pup is still in transit from the uterus towards the cervix will just give the bitch pain without any gain.
In the UK oxytocin can only be got through a vet on prescription and the dog that is having it has to be seen, so if dogs in the UK are being given oxytocin unless they are getting it through a black market source, they are getting it from their vet.
Oxytocin is also the bonding gene and if you have given labour yourself and breast fed your offspring, those conractions you felt as they fed for the first couple days will off been you releasing oxytocin each time your baby fed, closing down your unterus and clearing everything out, as nature intended. That's why one of the best things you can do to help a bitch in labour is to encourage pups already born to suckle, so she releases her own oxytocin and this will help the labour proceed.
One of the problems with flat nosed breeds is once they present at the cervix because they have no nose they do not stimulate the cervix to dilate and resleae oxytocin to then expel them, so I would imagine that if a bulldog is birthed naturally as each pup presents a jab of oxytocin may be the only way the labour would proceed before the pups umbilical detached as once the pup is presented at the cervix to be born their is a certain amount of time it needs to be born before the umbilical detaches and then the pup would be born dead or in severe crisis.
Very sad that dogs are bred this way.
Sorry, realised I said , "bonding gene" and meant bonding hormone. I apologise for the really bad grammar, as well.
DeleteHoward Stern is one celebrity who also loved his Bulldog. So much so that after the death of his he said:
ReplyDelete"...We’ll get another dog some day according to Beth ... But we’re very happy with the four cats...I told Beth no more bulldogs because I’m against the breed. They have miserable lives. They can’t breathe. Their throats are too small. It’s a terrible thing man has created, and it’s all man made. It’s all created by man...It's wrong! Stop the bulldog breed!..."
Good for Stern! I bet Adam Sandler has a similar opinion. His dog Meatball died at only 4 years of age. He bought another one (Matzoball), though I don't know if it is still living (this was about 10 years ago).
Deletehttp://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13497372
Delete"Meatball's father, Mr. Beefy, starred as a talking pooch in Sandler's 2000 comedy Little Nicky. Meatball was also survived by Sandler's second son, a bulldog named Matzoball." WHAAAT does that mean they were all related then? Yikes.
Matzoball passed away and is replaced by Babu (same breed sadly).
http://clydetombaugh.typepad.com/strongly_worded_letter/2008/06/like-sleeping-on-a-cloud.html
Posted by: Ana | June 13, 2008 at 06:47 AM "FYI: The Matz (as Adam Sandler called her) and she also died during surgery (this information came from Adam himself on a video message). "
There seems to be a trend here....
Well ok Meatball was alive 1999-2004. Matzoball was dead by 2008, I don't know when he was born though.
DeleteContinuing to rephrase,
ReplyDeleteBecause bulldogs are born to be handicapped, to have trouble breathing, to waddle, to have skin troubles, twisty tails, and big heads, they are like a wounded person. It is like they were caught in a genetic avalanche of inherited problems.
It isn't nice to call them "lazy".
That "Lazy ass bulldog" quip makes my heart hurt.
ReplyDeleteMocked by the owner who can't see her pain and disability.
Mocked by the man who paid someone to make her with this disability.
Because he doesn't know any better! If he had the education and awareness he may well interpret his dog's behaviour differently. You can't judge people's actions when they don't know any better. I'd say, find out what he DOES know about the shocking health issues of this breed. If he IS fully aware about brachycephalic health issues etc.then by all means, call him an idiot! I would say use THIS as an opportunity for educating others as opposed to an opportunity for slagging off yet another owner of a Bulldog. His celebrity status could be put to some good use here.
DeleteI still agree that the word "idiot" is a little too strong. Think of ALL the thousands of people who bought English bulldogs puppies, but the bulldog breeder never told them the truth about the types of surgery their new puppy might need as it grows up and grows in, (becomes in-grown).
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, let me say, that I think he loves his bulldogs, but I'm not so sure about bulldog breeders? Is it qualzucht to breed bulldogs.
ReplyDeleteIt's well and good to say he doesn't know any better, but what I can't understand is this. He has intelligence, he has eyes, he can see what is right in front of him...yet he does not. You don't need to be a rocket scientist, nor a dog expert to be able to look at some dogs and see that their health or physique is compromised by their body shape and the consequent limitations that body imposes on them. So yes, I will accept the idiot comment. As for dressing them up in a full body suit ...that's beyond idiocy. I can't understand people who set their dogs up for 'pratfalls' and laugh at them....it's beyond me.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It is beyond 'you'. And 'you' are not Lewis Hamilton. He may well have believed a lot of Bulldog breeders who blew some smoke up his ass about the breed. Perhaps he paid someone else to do his research? Perhaps he actually is also in denial about the issues like a hell of a lot of other people? Perhaps he genuinely doesn't know any better?
DeleteI am in way condoning his actions but usually when you KNOW better, you do better. That is, sensible and rational people with some moral fibre tend to follow that path. Bulldog breeders and proponents of the breed obviously don't.
There will always be people who will do things that are idiotic and stupid. I'm afraid you can't regulate for that. But to call them an idiot without fully knowing what their understanding of dog breeding health and issues are is a polarising and unhelpful comment.
Saw woman taking her pug out for a run with her today. I could hear it wheezing from 50m away.
ReplyDeleteI can not understand how they do not see it, I do not like to call anyone an idiot but to say the pup is lazy was an idiotic statement I would believe.
ReplyDeleteI think it's because such a large number of breeders will parrot "It's normal". It's a chorus that brainwashes and suspends others' judgement. The uninformed (in this case a very narrowly specialised racing driver, not a biologist-type) will tend to believe them.
DeleteThe breeders are specialists after all, right? They are "registered" and approved by canine authorities as one of a small number of officially "responsible breeders", right?
[Enter sound for when game show contestant gets an answer wrong.]
Of course they are using the word "normal" when really they mean "common". A gaping difference.
I think some people really like "lazy" dogs,I guess it makes them easier to care for and supposedly more cute,cuddly,human like and non vicious.
DeleteI`m thinking that there is likely health and temperament issues if any dog is lazy outdoors when under five years old. I've noticed personally that the lighter built dogs of any breed seem to be more active and energetic,stop excusing it as part of the breed people.
How can we expect him to know more about bulldogs than the KC does?
ReplyDeleteThe KC still registers litters of bulldogs, and still let's them in the show ring. His bulldogs are pets.
Yes I had someone tell me Bulldogs are meant to snore, wheeze & have blue tongues one day at a pet show when I told them the dog needed a vet as was overheating.
ReplyDelete20 mins later said dog dropped & vet was called, Bulldog did not make it so they went & bought a PUG!!!!!!
Maybe someone will pay for some billboards, or ads, like the RSPCA's "Born to Suffer" ads, but with an English Bulldog on it? People should learn to watch for the signs of respiratory distress. That would be nice.
ReplyDeleteAnd more importantly it would educate the general public that a bulldog is a disabled little soul who will always have special needs and that there is no NHS to help them in crisis. The KC could dip into their £12M payout and print and circulate advice about buying bracci/longbacked shortlegged breeds and the possible health and vet costs associated to same. One of the things that worries me about Lewis is that he surely must realise that a dog that has short legs and a big tummy in a snowy environment is dangerous from a hypothermia point. To make his dogs struggle in the snow is really unsafe. Little Coco being carried up the hill in a rucksack must have been really bad for her, legs crumpled up, spine twisted, if it was for a long time she must have been very uncomfortable and her snoring wasn't because she was relaxed it was because her ribcage was compromised. I not in anyway implying he doesn't passionately love he dogs, he clearly adores them but like everyone else who buys bracci breeds they need to know they are buying a disabled little soul not a normal, fit for purpose dog that can play in the snow, chase sticks, etc etc
DeleteThe 'Born to Suffer' campaign seemed to be the most ineffectual advertising I've ever seen. The number of brachychephalic breeds has risen over the years, not fallen. I'm not clear why this is. Perhaps the RSPCA has lost its reputation as an educational animal welfare organisation, and has instead become an establishment intent on suing people.
DeleteHi Fran, you are probably right but I do think that if people were more aware of what the true problems of buying into a bracci breed then they may really understand. But until they are bombarded with information, they will continue to buy a puppy and the grief associated thereto but when the public stop buying the breeding will slow down because the profit in the breed will cease. We still have the anomaly that the KC's Assured Breeder Scheme is a load of tosh but for the general public the KC is God and the Assured Scheme Certificate is the Bible. So it's a chain of events, inform the public about breeders and the KC's shortfalls, they stop buying, the breeders drop off, the KC gets a shock and wakes up? A new year could be a new year for the betterment of pedigree dogs with the KC's help as opposed to feeling like a dung beetle that has been somewhat overloaded because the KC refuse to accept their responsibility for taking millions of pounds from dogs and only investing thousands back for their welfare. Somebody is onto a winner and it isn't the pedigree dogs. Litigation is a sign of the times and it will be a definite growth area and the finger is pointing at bad greedy breeders. RSPCA are quite right to sue and be damned, there is always middle ground but whilst cruelty and neglect exists for both dogs and children somebody needs to sue them and make an example of them. Sorry to be outspoken (again) but anything that doesn't have a voice of it's own must be protected by someone who cares, whatever body works.
DeleteIMO, he is not any more of an idiot than every other person with a brachycephalic dog who needs surgery.
ReplyDeleteIf you added up the number of all the brachycephalic dogs in Britain, who need surgery, what percent of those actually have had surgery?
That's a very fair point. The problem is, as he is paid stupid amounts of money to pointlessly risk his life by driving at a speed that is arguably idiotic, some people look up to him as being influential, cool and enviable. He is indirectly promoting Bulldogs as being yet another 'high end' enviable and desirable thing to own. The fact that Bulldogs are essentially deformed and disabled and unable to physiologically live a normal and healthy life is either unimportant or incomprehensible to him and others like him. Either way, it's a shocking statement about the culture and the times that we live in.
DeleteWe reward idiots recklessly for 'talents' that entertain yet provide no long term or sustainable authentic value in life. If F1 ended tomorrow, there would be short term economic implications for some people, but in the long term the planet would be better off...
I wonder how many Bulldog breeders have directly seen an interest peaked due to Lewis Hamilton's instagram pictures? There will be knock on effects that are detrimental for Bulldogs. I would like to see the a statement by the RSPCA, the Dog's Trust or any other influential and reputable welfare organisation openly criticising this behaviour from a celebrity in the public eye.
At least JH has the balls to speak out about this.....it's much easier to say and do nothing isn't it?
Simpleton, in my opinion, would apply to:
ReplyDelete1) Finding it funny to breach the trust a dog has in its owner and be ignorant enough to video it and share it;
2) Not recognising that an animal in his care is in distress if it sits down and refuses to budge.
But, not realising his dog isn't physically capable of walking, maybe it's a lesson he won't learn till the animal drops dead.
H
Did you know they travel in first class with him, he registered them as service dogs?
ReplyDeleteEvidence?
DeleteHmmm. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2524174/Lewis-Hamilton-travels-class-Frankfurt-pet-bulldogs-Roscoe-Coco.html
DeleteYup, service dogs, maybe they are like teddy bears or blankies?
DeleteIts not like they are in a seat, sitting on his lap, he has a bed, I don't think the dogs are bothering anyone.
Maybe he is taking them to Germany to have surgery?
How has he got away with registering them as Service Dogs? This is an example of more money than sense....
DeleteSorry in the late reply, I know you have now found your proof but I saw it in heat magazine.
DeleteDang! If he can do it, why can't I? But then, I've always resisted going that route because if the "service dog" title becomes too fraudulent, that does a disservice to people who need a REAL service dog.
DeleteVery selifsh of Hamilton.
He suffers from an aquired affliction....called suddenly discovering you have more money than brains.
DeleteIf Hamilton wants to play Russian Roulette with his own life, he is perfectly entitled to do so, so long as he's not forcing other people to do the same.
ReplyDeleteMost owners of brachycephalic breeds don't realise their dogs are suffering from respiratory distress - you only have to look at all the Youtube videos - so it's no real surprise that he doesn't realise this either. The symptoms of respiratory distress are so prevalent in brachy breeds that they're considered 'normal' for the breed, almost like a breed characteristic in the same way that Labradors like water, and therefore owners assume nothing is wrong. It doesn't help that brachy owners find the snorting and snuffling 'cute'. I don't know how many vets are bluntly honest with brachy owners about their dog's breathing problems.
Every canine c-section should also be a spay. :(
ReplyDeleteIn a lot of cases it could cause the bitch to bleed to death if you proceeded with a spay on from a c-section and in some cases it is not always down to a bitch not being able to ever give birth naturally but bad luck.
DeleteI had a bitch which whelped her first litter with the first three born easily but the fouth came backwards which should of not been a problem but unfortunately the legs where back to. Got her to the vets and it was decided to give her a jab of oxytocin to see if this might just be enough to get the pup moved but it did not and the vet gave me the option of trying another jab of oxytocin or going for a c-section. I went for the c-section first as last and another three pups where brought into the world safely and mum was safe proving to be a brilliant mum with her new charges.
A few days after the c-section I spoke with my vet about getting the bitch spayed and she discouraged me from this route, as she said, "the bitch showed she could give birth and what had happened was bad luck not bad breeding." She went on to have another litter two years later popping out seven pups naturally.
So it isn't just cut and dryed to spay a bitch when she has a c-section and could be very risky for her to be spayed at that time.
C-sections like oxytocin are brilliant when used for the purpose of saving an animals life when bad luck has arisen (not bad breeding as is the case for a lot of c-sections) much like using oxytocin but unfortunately both of these things have fallen into misuse and if you passed a law saying that a vet can spay a dog whilst having a c-section without consent of the owner you set bitches up for more suffering, much like the KC's ruling on only two c-sections pups can be registered from a bitch, either the breeder breeds a couple more litters and does not register them or she sits and lets the bitch suffer and uses oxytocin to get each pup off risking rupturing the bitches uterus.
I would never breed from a bitch who could not naturally give birth or breed dogs that I know would be predisposed to not being able to give birth naturally, so the c-section is not the enemy it is the mindset of the people who think its okay to breed dogs that cannot mate without assitance and give birth without assitance. One way around this is maybe a governament department that dog breeding and all pet animal breeding comes under. With microchipping becoming law now is the chance to more easily identify dogs, so all litters should then be registered on a national database before leaving the breeder and the parents microchip should be recorded with each pup and then when a bitch is c-sectioned a form is submitted to them giving the reason for the c-section and if the reason was the bitch physically could not give birth due to the conformation of her or/and her offspring a legal order is sent to the breeder to spay or not breed from again, if the order is disobeyed a heavy fine could be put in place or a bitch could only be bred from again after a c-section if the vet deemed that the bitch showed or it was thought she could give birth naturally and the c-section was performed due to the pup being badly presented etc not that the bitch did not have room to give birth or the pups conformation such as a flat face caused the bitch unable to give birth. I know this ain't a perfect idea but its an idea and obviously counts on vets not being afraid of giving full disclosure on the reason for a c-section.
Its not as simple as just saying, "Every canine c-section should also be a spay." You could set bitches up for more suffering.
All this of course is just your opinion, not based on any facts.
ReplyDelete'All of this' is what? What exactly IS your point?
DeleteThat Hamilton's puppy is suffering with BAS is an informed an experienced opinion. Based on, you know, research, education, understanding etc.
Obviously, you don't care about dogs suffering needlessly who have been bred to satisfy the egos and pathetic warped interpretation of canine beauty. I guess that point doesn't graze your brain cell? The photo and Hamilton's written words stated that the dog couldn't walk or breathe properly. Snoring all the way up in his backpack is tragic.
I was curious about what English bulldogs in Sweden are winning the shows nowadays, since the Swedish Kennel Club prides itself on being "on the forefront of canine health" and bla bla bla, and I was not impressed. Frankly, quite shocked.
ReplyDeleteThis one won best of breed on the biggest dog show in Sweden last year, just two months ago: http://www.hogwartsbulldoggs.nu/bilder/eng_bulldogg_sthlm_13.jpg
That's the biggest nose wrinkle I have ever seen. :O
Here was the BOB 2010: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5087/5271346792_e614a2e3a6_o.jpg
And 2011: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6492338771_179eb0543f_o.jpg
Mastino: https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/11273473525_7378c19b54_o.jpg
That paw. :'(
For being "the most progressive" in canine health (or so they say), we're not doing too well. I am not impressed.
Mario here,
ReplyDeleteJemima, you must be pretty special to be able to recognise and differentiate gasping from panting in a photo!
All the best,
What a load of absolute rubbish!! Firstly - how do any of you know what research Lewis Hamilton did or did NOT do before he got either of these dogs? Furthermore, looking at Lewis' photos, tweets, facebook status; simply doesn't allow you to judge the health or respiratory performance of either of these dogs. Lewis has said be got these dogs because he loved the breed. You can be sure he wasn't going to a back yard breeder with £250 cash in his back pocket. Likely as not both these dogs have the highest pedigree and came from excellent breeding. That said; I do acknowledge that we have a problem with breeding of bulldogs in this country, of which I am sure Lewis is also aware. As far as the picture of Lewis going up a mountain with the dogs; he carried Coco in a backpack. His assessment of Coco as her owner is that she tends to be lazier than Roscoe. Perhaps that is the nature of the dog? I have three dogs, one being a labrador boy. He's lazier than the others, in my opinion. The fact that I say that does not mean he is unfit. You're all speculating with very very little evidence, and labelling the guy an arsehole. Hardly fair is it? Or sensible?
ReplyDeleteAgree and as an addition to that he only bought one dog. Coco was given to him by the breeder because of her poor health. He has spent a fortune on vets for her so the short 6 yrs of her life was as good as it could be. What an idiot eh!!
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