The bulldog - breeding gone awry.

[Peregrine Took]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/can-the-bulldog-be-saved.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

My brother had one in the 1960's. Poor thing had so many physical problems his life was just a mess. He was one of the massive chest, totally smashed in faces. They put him down when he was only 5 as he was just too much "trouble" for them.

[TorchTheWitch]

1. I've always felt this way about many breeds

And it's sad that there are so many where the physical standards are essentially deformities that compromise health... smooshed in snouts, stumpy legs, bulging eyes, underbite, those damn hairless ugly as sin creatures and dogs so hairy they can't see or find their own parts.

I also despise surgically chopping a dog up in order to qualify as a physical standard of the breed like tail and ear docking. Dogs need their tails not only for communication but for balance (it acts much like a rudder on a boat). Chopping up floppy ears to make them stand up invites ear infections since only natural stand up ears have the protective inner fur to keep airborne crap and bacteria out.

[mopinko]

2. victorian bulldogs

i have been having a running, um, uh, disagreement with DH about bulldogs. it is his turn to pick a dog. we want a pup. i had him all talked out of it, then a friend of his bought a pup that is known as a victorian bulldogge. supposed to be bred to the standards of the original pet bulldog, as opposed to the bull baiting dog. so,



looking at their breeding stock, they do not have the traits that are causing so much trouble with modern bulldogs. longer legs, longer muzzles, straighter backs. most of what they suggestions at the end of the article call for.

we are thinking this fellow is our next dog. we have a boxer right now named barbie, meaning this would be


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ken