dog breeding

French Bulldog struggles with a test to find food and they look up at their owner for help which endears them to their owner which in turn makes them more attractive than a dog with a standard muzzle.

Flat-faced brachycephalic Frenchies are popular because they behave like infants

STUDY REPORT PLUS COMMENT: The infantile, brachycephalic French Bulldog ‘suffers’ from a ‘condition’ called paedomorphism which means to behave like an infant. And these dogs give their owners this impression because they are less good at solving problems. They would rather look up at their owner for help. But perhaps this lack of intelligence or …

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Killer Kimbo

Owners of American XL bully dogs feed them steroids to make them aggressive

This is the latest disturbing update in the American XL bully story which as you might know are going to be banned in the UK soon as they can according to the country’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. He doesn’t think that families should be in danger of this aggressive breed but the problem is it …

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Bully breed dog attacks a police horse on the streets of London

Bully breed dog chases and attacks police horse in London

The video shows a policeman on a horse trying to escape the attentions of a bully breed dog that wants to attack the horse. Is it time to ban these bully breed dogs? This is not the first time that they have attacked police horses. It is said that the policeman was thrown from the …

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French bulldog

French Bulldog breed standard in America and the UK is a mess and abused by breeders

I’ve been digging around looking at the breed standards for the French Bulldog both in the UK and the USA. In the UK it is The Kennel Club which sets the breed standard and, in the USA, the American Kennel Club also sets a breed standard. Both have got themselves into a mess with regard …

French Bulldog breed standard in America and the UK is a mess and abused by breeders Read More »

Americans are bewitched by French bulldog’s appearance knocking the labrador off top spot

NEWS AND COMMENT: The labrador retriever is no longer America’s best friend because the French bulldog is now the most popular dog breed surpassing the labrador retriever which held the record for 31 years. And it seems to me that Americans and the Brits in the UK are bewitched by the appearance of this small …

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Ben the vet criticises 5 dog breeds

British veterinarian tells the truth about 5 popular dog breeds

Ben the TikTok vet, makes it clear, quite rightly, at the outset that he is providing his personal viewpoint on these five dog breeds. He is playing safe which is fair enough. But when a veterinarian spells out the truth about five dog breeds – and they are popular dog breeds – you have to …

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Pugs are the worst over-eaters

Pugs have the most insatiable appetite of all dog breeds

According to a study by the Royal Veterinary College, pugs are 3.1 times more likely than crossbred dogs to be overweight due to overeating. And The Times reports that they have the most insatiable appetite relative to their ability to burn off energy. In short, they are the most manic eaters of all the dogs. …

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longest and shortest lifespans for UK dog breeds

Infographic of longest and shortest lifespans of UK dog breeds

Here are the top four lifespans and the bottom three for UK dog breeds 2014 as per a study titled: Longevity and mortality in Kennel Club registered dog breeds in the UK in 2014. If you want to see 17 more breeds, please click on this link (this takes you to an external website and …

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Post-pandemic dog prices have fallen in the UK

NEWS AND COMMENT-UK: During Covid market forces pushed up dog prices significantly. More people wanted to adopt a dog and the supply wasn’t there until illegal breeders on the continent of Europe stepped in. But in general, there were more buyers than sellers and so the prices went up. Now, post-Covid, they have fallen dramatically. …

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Breathing difficulties with brachycephalic flat-faced dogs

Half of flat-faced dogs require surgery to help them to breathe

Flat-faced dogs such as the French bulldog have brachycephalic skulls. Their muzzles are substantially shortened. This alters their internal anatomy. This, in turn, makes it harder to breathe. And it is so bad that Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (Battersea) have operated on 244 flat-faced dogs brought to them out of a total of 500. …

Half of flat-faced dogs require surgery to help them to breathe Read More »

Rachel Johnson and her cockapoo Ziggy and one of her puppies

Rachel Johnson deliberately bred her cockapoo. Good or bad?

Did Rachel Johnson, Boris Johnson’s sister and an LBC presenter, decide to deliberately breed her cockapoo dog, Ziggy, in order to satisfy her maternal instincts? To feel better? As a form of therapy? Maybe all three but she did it and she did it after facing personal loss with the passing of her mother. It …

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Protruding eye of the pug

Breeders of fashionable flat-faced dogs in breach of breed standard

The Kennel Club breed standard for the brachycephalic, flat-faced, fashionable French bulldog and pug (as two examples) are clear on what is required in respect of their eyes. Take the pug. The breed standard states: “Dark, relatively large, round in shape, soft and solicitous in expression, very lustrous, and when excited, full of fire. Never …

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Old English sheepdogs – hip dysplasia

NEWS AND VIEWS: There is a story today in The Times newspaper which indicates to me that there could be a connection between the Old English sheepdog and an inherited condition: hip dysplasia, which, on research, is confirmed. The story concerns a leading breeder of this dog who’s been ordered to compensate a buyer because …

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French bulldog bought by Joe Wicks' father and they are asking for names

Joe Wicks unwisely promotes unhealthy French bulldog

Joe Wicks, the fitness guru who achieved celebrity during these extensive coronavirus lockdowns while providing online exercise regimes on his YouTube channel, has made a bit of a blooper by promoting the French bulldog which is an inherently unhealthy animal. Joe Wicks’ father bought one and Joe is asking his 425,000 Twitter followers for help …

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Queen meets a dog bred from one of her own showing her love of dogs

Queen Elizabeth II has outlived all her dogs bar one

Queen Elizabeth II is 94 years old and looking like she’s going to make a 100. She likes dogs particularly corgis and has owned 30 in her lifetime all of whom are believed to have been descended from Susan, a corgi given to the monarchy as a gift on her 18th birthday. It’s now reported …

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Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.