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Owner perception is impacting brachycephalic welfare reform.

A study from the Royal Veterinary College has suggested that owners normalising brachycephalic traits could be impacting welfare reform.

A new survey, conducted with Blue Cross, has revealed that many dog owners were not concerned by the health conditions affecting brachycephalic dogs, with some saying ‘nothing’ could deter them from choosing a brachycephalic dog.

Brachycephalic (or flat-faced) breeds are increasingly popular among dog owners. However there has also been growing evidence of the significant health and welfare issues which affect these breeds.

Among the health issues that these extreme conformations cause are respiratory problems, eye conditions and skin infections.

Due to these welfare concerns, there have been numerous campaigns and groups dedicated to reducing their acquisition. The results of the survey, however, suggests that many owners remain committed to brachycephalic dogs.

The survey questioned 2,000 participants, including owners of extreme brachycephalic (E-BC), moderate brachycephalic (M-BC) and non-brachycephalic dogs (non-BC), about their pet preferences.

One in seven owners of an E-BC said that ‘nothing’ could put them off flat-faced dogs. These owners also had a strong preference for flat faces and considered ‘laziness’ a highly desirable behavioural characteristic.

More owners of E-BCs (33.6 per cent) and M-BCs (30.2 per cent) did not believe that brachycephaly limits the lifespan of a dog compared to non-BC owners.

E-BC owners and M-BC owners also proved to be more likely to conduct limited pre-purchase research compared to non-BC owners. One in seven E-BC owners had found their dog on social media and would go on to post videos of their dog.

The researchers believe that a number of interventions are necessary to prevent the normalisation of brachycephalic breeds.

This would include detailed pre-purchase information to combat misinformation, as well as narrative-based evidence to tackle denial of issues. It could also include a study of social media content and behaviour to counter cases of polarisation in online communities.

Rowena Packer, lead author of the study, said: “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.”

The full study can be found in the journal Pets.

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