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Spotted today... a pug puppy with a totally flat face - in fact (if you take away that nose roll) a concave face. Also note the discharge and tearing from the pup's eye, probably due to medial entropion - a common-enough pug problem.
I have no idea of the provenance of this pup. Could be show-bred; could be pet-bred; could have come from a puppy farm. But it takes pretty determined selection to achieve something so unnatural; so terribly dysfunctional.
No one, anywhere, should be breeding dogs to look like this. The person buying it should be ashamed of themselves, too.
And if you're struggling to find it as horrific as me, just think back to where it all started; of where a wolf's nose is in relation to its eyes.
Then look again at this Pug.
We did this.
And here's what it looks like from the inside - Pug on the left; a typical normal dog on the right.
The poor thing does not have a flat face; her face is sucked right into her skull...
ReplyDeleteP.S. Just the sad reminder that fanciers took pugs from this, to that poor thing in the photo...
ReplyDeletehttp://media.photobucket.com/user/Pietoro/media/Dog%20Breed%20Historical%20Pictures/Pug/1897_Pug_DariusOfSwarland.jpg.html?filters[term]=pug%20darius&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=0
https://www.google.com/search?q=victorian+pugs&client=firefox&rls=com.yahoo:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZcyMU_qADJbooASU0oCYAw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1536&bih=774#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=DrD55rhtqmvkUM%253A%3BqCzSoglUMHhCoM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F_0n9IExEpmh8%252FS8VEAnxyeWI%252FAAAAAAAAUCc%252FV77m9HQZUzE%252Fs1600%252Fa%252Bpug.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.artistsandart.org%252F2010%252F04%252Fhoratio-henry-couldery-18321893.html%3B512%3B600
http://www.cardcow.com/184191/podgy-pug-pups-animals-dogs/
http://cachorro.me/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/pug-1880.jpg
Awful, just awful. Thanks, as always, for reporting on this. Such breeding is indicative of a fundamental difference in how people view animals: as living beings, or as objects. People with such deformed dogs may love them, but they do not grasp what has been done to them. They think "that's just how the breed is." But it's not. It's a genetic disorder, and they don't realize it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a shame. I prefer closer to the wild type. I've actually called my ideal golden retriever "a drop-eared semi-aquatic dingo with feathering." And that's what I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteI am not an animal rights activist. I like things that many people in California and Great Britain would call "bloodsports." I like listening to the hounds go in full cry. I actually do wear fur when it's cold.
But it's ridiculous to see how much suffering happens to a dog just because some vacuous idiot decides it doesn't need a muzzle.
If you broke a dog's muzzle to give it that deformity, you'd be in the hoosegow PDQ.
But if you breed dogs like that, it's okay. It's the noble art of breed improvement.
ps thats because they are blood sports. No need to mince words.
DeleteHounds in full cry are an incredible sight and sound.
When saboteurs get hold of a horn its even more fun as the hounds stream in the wrong direction.
Im interested in what someone like you thinks of the Achondroplastic Basset hound? Not the exaggerated showing form but in general? It is a hunting dog and fully functional in some quarters. Except it can't swim very well as its likely to sink from the weight.
DeleteI always liked the Basset hound or more precisely some of the French types, but Im wondering more and more these days if that huge body on short thick legs long ears etc is such a good thing at all.
When we think of human dwarves it makes us feel a bit sad for the "sufferer" at any rate. Its considered fairly unfortunate, bad luck to born that way and yet we intentionally breed dogs to be that way?
A bit of a conundrum all these shapes and sizes that the maleable dog has become.
Morphology is clearly one problem: dogs and cats with no face, screw-tails that screw up the spine, shortened legs, droopy ears, etc. Breeders claim they are just following the standard, but in many cases, the standards are actually just a recipe for deformity. That has to stop.
DeleteThe other problem is genetic diversity. Even normally shaped dogs can develop horrible genetic disorders if not allowed to outcross. That is why closed registries are a bad idea; it's basically locking a whole population in a town, and not letting them mate with anybody outside of that town. Under those circumstances, inbreeding is inevitable.
The highest genetic diversity is found in wild canids, followed by primitive dogs, then mixed dogs, and finally purebred dogs. This is why - all else being equal - purebred dogs have the highest propensity toward genetic disorders: they are inbred. Some artificial selection is acceptable or even desirable. After all, dogs are wolves that have been living symbiotically with people for over 30,000 years. However, as much as possible, they should look like wild canids, or their health will suffer. Also, selection must be tempered by the need to maintain heterozygosity (gene mixing).
That's why I love this blog. It's time for a paradigm shift in how people think about breeding dogs and other animals. These are not statues made of clay to be molded into any shape we want. Dogs may be diverse, but some of that "diversity" is really pathology. These are living beings, and they have needs that must be met, or they will suffer and die. We as consumers must demand healthier breeding standards, including the end of freakish standards and closed registries. This Victorian, eugenicist pure-breeding fad must finally come to an end.
That's a great post Gaddy! I think looking at pet owners as consumers who demand quality and efficacy based on evidence and suitability for the 21st century in their dogs is right and proper both for the dogs and society.
DeleteThanks for posting and look forward to reading more from you on here.
I don't think shorter legs are bad in themselves,I've seen some very healthy and active dogs that way. It would really help if those dog where not heavy built,without legs so tiny they go barely past their chest and have a normal length and shaped back as well. It's kind of disturbing we have to exaggerate even the more exaggerated dogs much further.
DeleteIm very fond of primitive dog types. We had a primitive African dog who behaved exactly like a Border Collie.
DeleteHe was my fathers shadow, his name was "Nothing" in Kikuyu. He was called Nothing because the local Kikuyu boys who brought him on a piece of string to my father replied when asked by my father what it was, they said, "we can't say Gordon sir, he was crawling on the side of the bare earth road just there" and they pointed to the ground as if the road came straight up into our garden and up to my mothers twitching feet....
My Mum was watching safely in her wicker chair in the deep shade of the veranda. Concealed behind a curtain of gently waving blue Wisteria her elegant black and white Pointer bedside her (flown out from England, I expect exactly for this purpose) hautily interjected...
"You mean it's a nothing! A nothing at all. "
Nothing immediately became my dads favourite dog. He was only the size of a rat when he arrived but he would tremble and cry for my father if he so much as went for a slash. None of us children could hush him and we loved him even more for it as we loved our father too.
I grew up thinking Border Collies originated in Africa. Nothing could do everything. He would round up the geese just for fun bringing them all to the front of the house to show my father.
He didn't look like a Border Collie but about the same size. Single coated and save for a few sun bronzed hairs on his back completely black, smooth shiny black, one ear up one ear down.
We used to try and spot Nothing's parents when out riding through the hills on the weekend, him almost invisible in the shadow of my fathers horse. There he stayed like glue. He would avoid all confrontations with the dogs on the way by keeping close. None would dare approach such a horse. She would lash out with her rear end as a warning if a dog so much as barked at us her ears flat back in a flash. Nothing was something of an expert at knowing exactly when this would happen, as long as he kept exactly at my fathers side he was fine.
Some of these dogs were more houndy than others (unlike him), a brindle here and there and plenty of black but no Irish marked dogs to be seen not even a coloured dog.
We all expected to see a Border Collie somewhere out there eventually but we never did.
My mother said he was too intelligent to be local and adopted him as a honorary Brit but it seems she was quite wrong. About both the dogs and the locals as it turns out. Her black and white pointer didn't live long he got skin cancer and died under the harsh African sun.
'we did this' :'(
ReplyDeleteYup "we". Unless you consider yourself not Homo sapiens?
DeleteMaybe you are a very clever dog at the type writter (; If so there is sooooo much I want to ask you. Like can you really know that when I spell B E D instead of saying "bed time" you realy know its the same thing as bed or do you just run off in that direction and hop on because of the hour anyway, or is it because there was a B in there anyway? And how is that different when I say "bird" pointing upwards and you gaze into the sky for eagles?
We doggie people???? Completely out to lunch.
I see even Retrieverman is not above the little vanities "drop eared". Less air flow (:
ReplyDeleteWhat i wanted to say was I think a lot of people buy dogs like these not actually knowing the dogs will suffer.
Its not written all over the dog or puppies face, I can't breath I can't breath, and many mistake the snoring thinking its an endearing characteristic. Many don't even recognise their own dog is in difficulty.
Buyers need to be informed that this is crippling rather than charming at the same time breeders need to stop breeding dogs like these.
The person buying it shouldn't be ashamed unless they are buying it knowing full well that its deformed and its quality of life could be seriously reduced.
One of the biggest problems is people are so used to seeing dogs like this they don't for a moment think anything is wrong. It has been seen as normal for too long.
That poor little dog has got such lovely infected eyes too I just want to protect it, my feminine side showing but I can't help but want to.
What surprises me with that concave profile she/he hasn't also got eyes that are bulging out the head and eyelids.
Even with the eyes not bulging you can see there is no skull bone protecting them like they would on a more normal dogs, just a thin eye lid like ours.
Luckily we don't have to run about at knee height and bellow.
Two of my own dogs eyes are like the wolves eyes perhaps even more protected and hard looking, small deeply surrounded by bone set in a massive black face, they are working Caucasian Shepherds bred in the Caucuses no pedigree. These dogs and others of their type have had relatively regular and recent doses of wolf injected into their DNA.
They are fascinating dogs and have a strange habit which might be quite wolf like too. They bark like crazy, a lovely deep loud bark when they catch wind of something they don't like. However when they spot it in the distance they run like the wind towards it without a sound moving upwind as they go. Then when they see they cant get at it like if it's on the other side of the paddock fencing they freeze and just watch it go not a sound just a dead hard gaze into the distance.
Its a bit worrying as they treat strangers the same way so I always kennel them up if Im expecting visitors, a large run purpose built. We are very well fenced so strangers hiking by just get taken by surprise. A hell of a distant racket followed suddenly by a stiff and rather close up stare of two huge wolf like faces appearing in the long grass.
LOL Im sure its almost a thrill up there with spotting hyaena out and about in daylight.
Oh come on River P, please, surely the puppy buying public, the breeders the institutions are not soo dim witted. It IS IS IS written all over the dogs face, it doesn't have a nose!!!!! If we saw a new born baby without a nose as humans we would feel empathy, insist the the medical profession remedied the problem as best they could, if one of my sheep were born without its nose we would euthanise it and yet in dogs, they love it - how long will it be before it doesn't have a face at all - it is disgusting and cruel, poor poor dog :-(
ReplyDeleteYes but it has got a nose, sigh! It's not two bony holes in a skull, there is very definitely a nose and a muzzle you just cant see the muzzle. What you are seeing is as the xray shows the muzzle with the in most cases closed nose pushed back and upwards.
ReplyDeleteNo its not plain for many people to know that this is a deformity, they see it as an acceptable breed of dog like any other. It has been for hundreds of years.
Just because you know about it doesn't mean everyone does. Its not helpful to be arrogant towards the "puppy buying public".
The "puppy buying public" don't have to be so "dimwitted" just uninformed there is a world of difference. Most breeders web sites don't say "our dogs suffer from breathing problems" and other things. At best they list the diseases while claiming to be responsible breeders. And guess what they are rewarded at dog shows across the globe.
I would extend that ignorance maybe to some breeders too though with the internet its becoming less and less of an excuse, though many countries don't have such free access to the information super highway. So you see it's not that straightforward.
I suggest you don't go around discriminating and making rude comments at people that have bought one. Thats counter productive and dogs could end up far more miserable that way! If you want to discuss it with them simply ask if it's an informal setting and you are able to chat privately with them. Ask if they are informed about their dogs breathing problems IF IT HAS THEM , it helps to make friends first and why not these are mostly delightful little dogs.
You might even suggest they ask for a veterinarians advice if the nares are completely stenotic or/and its making strange noises in its throat.
Im afraid humans are born with a similar condition and no we don't euthanise them and yes it's not intentional that they have the condition, most live long content lives bar the nasty discrimination which is almost a given in anyone only slightly different to our selves.
I see so many many Pugs and Pekes every day as they are a very popular dog in Asia where I now live, traditionally popular breeds. A lot aren't perfect and most these days are companion animals to elderly people who are truly devoted to their little dogs it's their family.
George Clooney has pugs, I bet he doesn't think they are deformed, he isn't dimwitted either in fact quite the opposite he's rather more intellegent than many people. Its not a given that anyone knows.
Be nice take it out on the judges and breeders who refuse to see what they are doing is unethical. Try and help inform the rest in a friendly manner they might even thank you.
If one is the make comparisons of pug owners Mr Clooney isn't a great example is it? Most owners are not that privileged and do not have his supporting bank balance, it's a stupid comparison. Your waffle and insults do nothing to distract from the FACT the dog is deformed and SUFFERING something of which your comments appear to support, that is an animal welfare issue END OF
DeleteThey are deformed. There is a way an animal's face is supposed to function, there is a range of harmless deviation, and then there are animals who have been bred to be, for all intents and purposes, faceless. And it's interesting that you're more offended at the truth, plainly stated, than the misery humans have inflicted on the animals in our care.
DeleteIm not offended by anything other than breeders who breed and sell PDE type deformities. I don't have a brachycephalic breed.
DeleteThough it's always a good thing to be interesting? (;
I watched a repeat of " life's too short" the other day where he visits a psychic who had two pugs and they where wheezing away in the background
ReplyDeleteThey keep on moving in the right direction. Soon we will see dogs with negative muzzle - instead of hill there will be a hole. What a beautiful dog will be)))
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see illustrations of future dogs)
So terribly sad.
ReplyDeleteWe attended a county show this past weekend, and as we were about to enter the showground a lady was on the floor with a heavily panting/wheezing Bulldog that I was genuinely concerned for. She was pouring water over his head and I heard a couple of people in passing tutting about how she shouldn't have brought him out on such a hot day ( temps in the high 60's ) It's a sad state of affairs indeed when these poor brachy breeds can't even function as a dog should be able to and are literally fighting for breath in even moderate temps!
It is okay though, as long as your wearing a faux pearl necklace to complete your ensemble. Seriously though, the necklace says it all.
ReplyDeleteIt's especially sad when there are plenty of small, fit, normal-muzzled dogs to choose from. Here are some photos of my Papillon, who competes in agility and obedience and puts on trick demos on stage. He is from a line of all-breed Best In Show dogs: https://plus.google.com/photos/111251053863175504395/albums/6020830608989782609?authkey=CNu7sYn-1-Gh0AE. Paps typically have much more petite muzzles than this, but his breeder feels (correctly) that it's not good for teeth to be crowded... so she breeds for a "normal type" dog muzzle. Note that even though my dog is 8 lb., he can run with a full-sized tennis ball in his mouth. Breeding dogs with heavier (i.e. more normal) muzzles hasn't hurt her in shows. Two out of three of my dog's brothers are AKC Grand Champions and his only sis just needs a couple more points to become a Champion. People are lining up to get these athletic dogs from her. Decent, ethical breeders can and should steer their breeds towards MORE health, not more exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. Poor dog.
ReplyDeleteYep, great job here *slow clap*
ReplyDeleteNOW can they stop?
I swear I've seen a pic of a King Charles Spaniel puppy with a nose pointing INWARDS. That was years ago, however, so I don't have the link to the website around anymore. :/
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame Andrew Brace will not now be judging this breed. It would have been interesting to see if he would have placed it!!!
DeleteKing charles are not subject to vet checks or high profile so i'd guess he is still going to judge them
DeleteThey should have a stop & a nose visable in profile , they should not have a flat nose
King Charles have many issues too, especially regarding their head, some become victim to a very painful death due to their brains being too large for the skull cavity. They also still have the issues many small dogs do with their eyes being so prone to health issues since they aren’t as well protected by a properly built eye socket.
DeleteThe picture of the pug with the completely recessed nose (analog recessed lights that are sunk into a ceiling...) makes me feel sick. A post on Craig's List this morning to 'rehome' an older pug, showing all the damage done to these poor dogs:
ReplyDelete"7 yr old Neutered Male Black Pug named Ziggy
He is great and playful with kids and great with other dogs and cats.
He has had surgery for stenotic snare but is still a little noisy. He is very loveable and loves to lay on your lap and on top of pillows.
He will need medication for his eye and close monitoring on his hind legs as they seem to be getting weaker. I am going through a divorce and moving with my two kids so will not be able to afford vet visits for him unfortunately.
He does have accidents still and when he gets very excited he poops regardless where you are
Rehoming fee is $75 and I will require vet references
Please contact me if serious about looking at him and please have knowledge of the pug breed"
The picture shows a black pug with splayed front paws, a completely recessed nose, and a very grey muzzle. Hope pug rescue can take him and do for him what can be done to make him comfortable.
I am sorry but have to disagree with some. First I work hard to learn and try to understand the Brussels Griffon head, it is very important to know where the limits of nature are before you can breed a breed with such short face. If I was sure these dogs could not live a normal life believe me I would stop breeding them right away. There are a lot and I mean really a lot of short faced breeds that suffer and that need to be stopped, No human being has the right to breed animals that suffer their whole life. But I hope this video can show that it really is not needed to have a short faced dog that cannot life a good healthy life without comfort. On the video you will see some of my Griffons running with my whippet and Australian terriers. Please watch the little Griffon and how she is breathing after a good run in a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. I feel we must fight for the right of a dog to have a good pain free and healthy life with all we have but also stay with facts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j19avIQ7fc
ReplyDeleteThe facts being Henny? You can have a reasonably healthy functional brachycephalic dog with some luck?
DeleteI would agree. In most cases if you look at old photos there were quite a lot of what appear to be healthy ones about in the show world. But in most showing breeds of this type today healthy ones that are guaranteed to stay so are almost impossible to find.
This goes for non-showing breeders dogs too and even crosses of brachycephalic breeds. But you are more likely to find a ahealthy one here in the heap than from a showing breeder who intentionaly line breeds for the extremes that win in the ring. Simply because no-showing breeders don't need the extremes to win at dog shows.
Just take a look there are plenty of openly suffocating dogs advertised in doggie magazines and publications with accolades and championships behind them.
I agree I suppose one shouldn't make blanket statements about all brachycephalic dogs. If it's healthy it's not a concern but sadly a lot of even moderately brachycephalyic dogs suffer from various ailments associated with this type.
It doesn't mean just because it looks OK that it is sadly.
Dogs should be able to cope with moderate exercise and with being completely exhausted to be considered functional.
I passed a man yesterday at a stop street, he had two bulldogs and he was embarrassed and even angry when I peered at their noses.
I did this without thinking, but obviously he has been getting this a lot, which is quite honestly extremely sad and upsetting for him. I just hope he doesn't do anything silly like dump them which is very common here with all sorts of pedigree dogs but especialy ones with expensive problems.
So I try and not do this unless the pet is actualy in obvious difficulty and in need of assistance, then I will simply offter to help with a lift or some cold water or whatever I can.
I hope you believe me when I say that I am very much aware of all the nastiness we see in brachycephalic dogs and I feel very sorry for all those poor animals, let that be clear. You will not hear me say there is nothing wrong or because I have one healthy one, I am so ignorance to think there is nothing wrong.
DeleteFirst I was not talking about one brachycephalic Griffon, I have 20 of them in my study group, and I do of course know many more and breathing problems is not a big issue in our breed even that it is the breed with one of the shortest heads.
Of course they are out there too but not that much as people think there is. Our biggest problem is CMSM even that our problem is not as big yet as of the Cavalier.
Also this little griffon running in my movie was top griffon 2012 has won many CC and Winner titles, also group placements in our huge toy dog group. What I like to say is that I am a show breeder too and even that this girl has not a nose pressed into her skull, like none of my winning Griffons have, she is fitting the standard and has won lots like more of my dogs. All my Griffons have had their health tests, MRI, Official eye, heart and patella test. So I think I know how the health situation is.
My point is that Brachycephalic dogs can be healthy if they are bred right. A bit of more nose length and very open nostrils do help a lot but it is not that alone. If a longer upper jaw goes together with a shorter wide under jaw you have also a lot of problems. There should be put more attention to the wideness of the under jaw. If it is too wide the whole throat is hanging between it. I select on dog with more narrow under jaws (this often but not always goes together with a longer skull)on that point where it connects to the skull, that is why most of my Griffons do not snore and some have more endurance then the whippets:)
There is lots that need to be learned about the brachycephalic head to breed a healthy one and I think there is the problem that breeders have never paid attention to very important points of these kind of heads and bred with bad dogs that should never multiply. To my opinion a dog with narrow nostrils should never be bred from and a dog with a too wide under jaw that make sounds when only just breathing or with a bit of excitement the same. For a Griffon to be worth to make an contribution to the breed it must have good health tests and must be able to multiply in a normal way.
I always say breeding a champion is not so difficult if you have a bit of knowledge of dog conformation, breeding a healthy champion seems to be first very difficult for many breeders and sometimes you wonder if that is their first priority, after all it cost more knowledge and effort when health is placed first but it is possible.
That's a very graphic way of putting it and I hadn't thought of it like that before, "the throat hanging between two wide jaws". Im seeing restrictions from neck muscles even skin flattening the throat like a throttle hold almost.
ReplyDeleteYes I bet a narrower under jaw goes together with a more natural narrower skull and muzzle.
How sad I didn't know the Griffon had problems with CMSM. That must be terrifying for a breeder. There always seems to be problems when a dogs face shape is flattened and the skull compressed front to back. It's no wonder really.
Good luck with your dogs, Im envisioning a concertina being drawn open and air lovely air being sucked into full lungs. Chronic migraines vanishing...
How do your dogs win if they aren't so extreme? Which country do you live in? Are extremes being rewarded? Is the breed becoming more extreme, is CMSM a recent thing?
A brief search on the internet shows some extremely stenotic nares in the breed. Take a look at the "adult" pictured here at a dog show.
http://www.dogsindepth.com/toy_dog_breeds/brussels_griffon.html
And under that a dog whose "push back" upper jaw is so severe it's nose looks like it has been detached from the skull cartilage like a dew claw unattached to bone. Both are gasping for oxygen?
I think you are looking for something that isn't there River. I can't comment on the nose length as its not my breed and the wire coat does make their nose appear shorter. but they certainly have nostrils compared to breeds like french bulldogs
DeleteDid you look at the pictures??? Thats not right at all and the nares are completely stenotic, closed.
DeleteThey are not completely stenotic at all. That griffon does have rounded nostrils , not slits in fact you can see the pink internal nostril tissue on the lower photo
Deletehttp://cdn9.staztic.com/app/a/2774/2774814/brussels-griffon-jigsaw-puzzle-22-2-s-307x512.jpg
DeleteIf you want to argue river here's some ammunition for you , though it took me a while to find. now THAT has stenotic nares
OMGoodness! Yes. Poor animal.
DeleteI don't deal in degrees but this is a completely sealed off nose!
Thing is partialy closed, closed etc no good.
I assumed maybe incorrectly that the top dog in...
http://www.dogsindepth.com/toy_dog_breeds/brussels_griffon.html
......was different to the bottom two pictures. In the top picture the nares look fully functional though the position of the nose is highly suspect in profile at bottom, Im sure there will be a degree of problems with that ( the top of the skull and jaw are completely U shaped with the nose perched on the tip of the one prong of the U!
If its the same dog as the bottom two where the nares look decidely compromised to me then the nares themselves aren't too bad.
By some trick of the camera they are open in the top pic but not in the bottom? Maybe it has prehensile nostrils.
But the creeping CMSM that Henny mentions is what should really make red alert for this breed.
This is just dreadful can the people who breed and buy these poor little dogs not see by breeding or buying a dog that looks like this with no nose and eyes too far forward in their sockets, they are preparing the poor little thing for a probable life of misery and at best much time spent at the vets.
ReplyDeleteNo, its seems they cant, but it's becoming more and more difficult to believe certainly as far as breeders are concerned.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, but only to a point. I find intentional and deliberate breeding of dogs with the goal of producing this level of extreme, fully knowing that it's likely to result in conformation-related health issues, to be unacceptable and appalling. However, we simply don't know that this was the case by observing an individual dog. Let's suppose for a minute that the breeder bred together two moderate parents with the intention of producing a moderate litter and ended up with five puppies, four of whom fell within the range of moderate and then this pup. Would it be fair to condemn the breeder if they placed the 5th puppy in a loving spay/neuter home rather than killing it? Should the owner of such a puppy be made to feel ashamed or embarrassed for taking their obviously well-cared for pet to the park and giving him a good home? I think not! While I believe the push to encourage breeders to adopt breeding practices that don't compromise the health or quality of life of an animal is positive and much needed, I think it's also important to have a realistic understanding that extreme individuals can and sometimes will appear in litters, even when bred by responsible individuals. Is that the case here? There's simply not enough information to know.
ReplyDeleteIt is sick to breed dogs so that they can't breathe right, then take them out to gasp in public to draw attention, or to put their suffering on youtube to be laughed at. Whatever "we" is doing this, don't include me.
ReplyDeleteHORRIBLE.
ReplyDeleteI've just had this absurd article published on g+ and some of the comments here are clearly naieve and unintelligent at best. I am a proud pug owner and bought mine from a reputable breeder, registered and checked by the best club and vets the UK has to offer. Pugs have been around for centuries and is one of the oldest breeds in the world. What a lot of people here fail to understand is that many pet dogs, not just pugs have been bred purely for human needs that are from all walks of life. All types of dogs as you hopefully know, are pack animals and if we're basing this blog on cruelty, then all dog owners are cruel as we are denying every bred its natural state. As in, being in a pack so they're never alone, roaming around freely, eating what they should naturally consume, instead of being in pushed into the human environment. However, for centuries we humans are responsible for turning dogs into pets so we are fortunate for them, to adapt to us. So my point... pugs are a healthy dogs and should be recognised as such. It is utterly stupid to compare them to something like a Collie as they are bred for completely different purposes. Pugs are not an illegal breed, if they are seen as suffering then surely the breed would have been eradicated a long time a go. There are breeds of dogs out there that are either too violent, forced to have their ears pinned or tails docked, living in countries too cold or too hot for them (I.e huskies: best place for them is the likes of Siberia). Therefore to summerise, do a lot more research before pointing the finger at pug owners/breeders and the pugs themselves. My pug is very happy, lovely, full of charactor with a good heart. The snoring and wheezing is part of her memo but as a responsible owner, I know my dog and know how to handle her. However I am in agreement, chose a dog carefully, find a bred that suits your household and price shouldn't be in the equation. If you can't afford to buy a dog in the first place, don't buy a dog!
ReplyDeleteSays it all really. No clue. I think the offensive reaction is normal.
DeleteDocking/cropping is becoming illegal, also you should take a moment to realize pugs are physically deformed in every manner of speaking unlike many other dog breeds. They cannot regulate temperature properly, breathe properly, eat properly, breed properly, cannot survive without some sort of respiratory distress or issue, cannot live without some sort of health issue related to their anatomy. And to ignore that to justify their existence is just plain ignorance
DeleteI have a beautiful little fawn version like the picture above, her name is Petunia and she is a sweet little girl. I just want to let the community know that both her parents had semi long muzzles but she was the only one from the litter who was born extremely flat faced! ( no, her parents are not related in anyway) As a matter of fact, both of her parents were short chunky type and shes a tall lean girl! Anyways, we saw she had a flat face and adopted her right away because I knew how difficult her life could be without the proper care. However, I am still curious to know why she came out so flat faced when her parents have long muzzles? Perhaps genes in the parents... She is a wonderful spunky girl and her babies would be absolute sweet hearts but I can't bring myself to breed her in fear of creating more flat faced babies!!
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