There is always something to celebrate. You may have noticed Sunday, Oct. 15 was National Pug Day, but should people celebrate decades of creating a dog with deformities?
Pugs are pretty cute – some might argue their cuteness is really just some idealized form of ugliness. However, the signature look of this breed of dog comes with a price. The medical issues derived from breeding in recessive traits has left pugs gasping for air.
These dogs have a signature pushed-in snout, seen in other dogs like the shih tzu, chow chow and bull mastiff. All of these dogs suffer from breathing issues caused by breeding to get a desired look. The condition is known as brachycephalic syndrome, which means “short head.”
In 1880, pugs had a very different appearance. They looked less deformed, in my opinion. It took over 100 years of selective breeding to get the animal we have today, and the two pugs barely look like the same breed.
Selective breeding can be done safely, but pugs were created through lots of inbreeding. Like humans, dogs can inherit medical problems from inbreeding. Through generations of inbreeding, pugs have essentially been left disabled. Most of these problems center around their cute, pushed-in snouts.
A pug’s nasal cavity is too short and narrow to get an adequate breath, and this means fluid and dust particles can easily get stuck in the nasal cavity. Eventually, this can lead to serious infections and other health conditions.
Unlike other dog breeds, the look of a pug has no functional purpose. They were bred to be companion dogs with a specific aesthetic.
According to PetMD, stenotic nares in pugs can cause problems from birth. This condition can cause the nasal cavity to collapse when the animal inhales, which literally blocks the airway.
Luckily, dogs can breathe through their mouths, but you are left with a snorting, gasping pug that will eventually need costly surgery to correct the issue. If a pug with this condition gets an infection, the airway can swell and cause even more issues, like suffocation.
Health issues can be even worse if the pug is overweight, and like humans, dog obesity rates are rising. Even if a pug is a healthy weight, they can still suffer from exercise intolerance, heat stress and even spinal deformities. These conditions are all due to selective breeding.
Rather than buying any pure-bred dog from a breeder, consider looking for one at the pound. It is understandable to desire a specific dog breed, but continuing to support breeders will only increase the demand for dogs that are essentially deformed.
Do your research if you absolutely must go to a breeder. Certified breeders usually won’t resort to inbreeding nowadays, and they are more likely to care about an animal’s welfare. Finding a cheap, pure-bred dog often means the dog was not bred with proper care, and it could mean someone is contributing money to animal abuse.
To me, animal welfare is more important than how an animal looks. We can’t just abandon pure-bred dogs, but we can stop celebrating the creation of animals with health problems.
