The conversation we need to be having about brachycephalic dog breeds

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The conversation we need to be having about brachycephalic dog breeds

Flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs have surged in popularity in recent years, winning hearts with their quirky personalities and pronounced features. In fact, it’s common to spot several of these dogs at the local dog park or neighbourhood café. But look closer, and their characteristic features take a concerning turn. It’s becoming increasingly understood that many of these features – like squished faces and bulging eyes – are incredibly serious welfare issues.

RSPCA Australia
Thursday, 10 April 2025

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Flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs have surged in popularity in recent years, winning hearts with their quirky personalities and pronounced features. In fact, it’s common to spot several of these dogs at the local dog park or neighbourhood café.

But look closer, and their characteristic features take a concerning turn. It’s becoming increasingly understood that many of these features – like squished faces and bulging eyes – are incredibly serious welfare issues.

Those large bulging eyes? They make it difficult for brachycephalic dogs to close their eyelids properly, leading to a range of eye issues. That squished face? It impacts their ability to breathe and often requires surgical intervention. And that playful personality? It needs to be monitored closely so that they don’t overexert themselves and suffer heat stress, as they’re often at much higher risk especially in a warm climate like Australia. It should go without saying that dogs shouldn’t have to closely monitored for heat stress for a natural doggy behaviour as simple as playing.

The thing is, these breeds didn’t always look this way, and they didn’t always risk such numerous, life-long health problems. If you go back just a couple of hundred years, you’ll see these same breeds looked quite different – and a lot healthier. But they’ve been selected by breeders specifically for their looks, to keep up with consumer demand and what is awarded in the show ring.

So, given all we know, is it time to rethink how we breed, purchase, and care for our companion animals? The answer is yes. Here’s why.

The welfare cost of ‘cute’.

A significant number of dogs that are brachycephalic breeds suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Dogs with BOAS have a shorter and wider skull and a disproportionately longer lower jaw. The soft tissue structures within the upper airways have not adapted with the shortening of the skull, and are squashed within the smaller bony structures, resulting in them blocking the dog’s airway.

For dogs with BOAS, it’s essentially like “running around with a tennis ball in their mouth and a peg clamped over their nose”. BOAS is a lifelong, and often progressive disorder that affects the dog’s ability to breathe, exercise, eat, play, sleep, engage in normal behaviours and live comfortably. Dogs with BOAS often require significant surgical intervention to aid their breathing but it is not a guaranteed cure, as 60% of dogs still experience compromised breathing even after corrective surgery. Conditions like BOAS are a sobering reminder that there is nothing “cute” about a snoring dog; in fact, the reason these breeds snore so much is often because they’re struggling to breathe.

Another health issue common to brachycephalic breeds is brachycephalic ocular syndrome (BOS), which is where these dogs’ eye sockets are very shallow which causes their eyes to bulge. Their bulging eyes lend themselves to a range of issues including an increased risk of eye injuries and ulcers, being unable to close their lids properly leading to chronically dry eyes and even blindness, and abnormal tear production. These dogs may need multiple surgeries to prevent ongoing pain and discomfort, but even then, not all conditions can be fully corrected by surgery and frequent or life-long medications may be needed.

Certain breeds of brachycephalic dogs such as British bulldogs, French bulldogs and Pugs are deliberately bred for their large head, broad shoulders and narrow pelvis, characteristics that also cause health problems. When these features are extreme, these dogs cannot give birth naturally and require surgical intervention and over 80% of litters require caesarean to be performed.

These are just some of the ways the exaggerated features of brachycephalic dogs compromise their health. These dogs also suffer a reduced ability to perform and enjoy natural behaviours inherent to being a dog, which can impact their ability to enjoy positive experiences.  Their ability to exercise and play is often restricted, and it can take a long time for them to recover from exercising. Even their ability for basic functions such as breathing and sleeping are compromised.

At what point do we question why we are breeding dogs who have such a limited ability to enjoy the world as a normal dog?

At what point do we question why we are continuing to choose to breed dogs with features that negatively impact their health so much that many will require invasive medical intervention during their lifetime?

Culture of breeding needs to change.

Over recent years there has been a trend that has resulted in a culture where breeding for aesthetics rather than for health is normalised and even encouraged.

Sadly, it’s the dogs themselves that pay the price, suffering lifelong health issues that are largely preventable if they weren’t bred this way. In an era where dog breeds rise and fall in popularity, we now have dogs who are not bred to have the most fulfilling and healthy lives, but instead with features that are deemed on trend and compromise their welfare. We must remember that our companion animals are sentient beings with their own specific needs, not accessories.

The road to happier, healthier dogs.

Despite the wealth of information now available, it appears education on its own isn't enough.

Though there are standards that brachycephalic dogs are bred to, these focus more on aesthetics than health and longevity. These standards urgently need revising to remove the requirements for exaggerated features in purebred dogs and to ensure each breed standard prioritises good health and welfare. Internationally, there is growing acceptance of these issues and a positive move in some countries to accepting outbreeding and cross breeding to improve the conformation of these breeds for better welfare outcomes.

For as long as brachycephalic dogs continue to be bred, breeders have a responsibility to proactively work to avoid exaggerated features and the serious health problems they cause. If breeders avoid selecting for exaggerated features or even consider cross breeding with other breeds, they will avoid perpetuating the welfare problems caused by them.

Veterinarians can also play an important role; they can help by sharing information regarding the health implications of brachycephalic breeds and discouraging breeding of animals with features known to seriously compromise their welfare.

RSPCA Australia and the Australian Veterinary Association are raising awareness to change how purebred dogs are selected and bred in Australia. Current and potential guardians can play a vital role in helping to improve the welfare and lives of brachycephalic breeds. For more information or to get involved, visit the following websites: Love is Blind, Australian Veterinary Association.

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The conversation we need to be having about brachycephalic dog breeds

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