PET42 guide
Harmful breeding in dogs: when appearance causes illness
Extreme physical traits can cause lasting suffering. Learn why harmful breeding is a structural problem and breeding back is no simple solution.
Why appearance can cause illness, why breeding back towards healthier traits is not an easy way out - and why responsibility needs to be considered further
Breeding for harmful traits is not a fringe issue or a short-lived trend. It is the result of decades of breeding decisions, human preferences and social ideals of beauty. More and more often, the focus is on characteristics that are perceived as “cute”, “typical” or “special”, but are associated with permanent health problems for the dog.
What is important is that breeding for harmful traits is not about blaming owners, but rather about education, responsibility and the long-term well-being of the dogs.
What does breeding for harmful traits mean?
Breeding for harmful traits refers to forms of breeding in which certain physical characteristics are specifically reinforced even though they are known to cause pain, suffering or permanent health problems. In Germany this is anchored in the German Animal Welfare Act.
The following applies:
- The term refers to the breeding practice rather than the individual dog
- It is the breeding goals and practices that produce these traits
Why breeding for harmful traits even exists
The causes are complex and intertwined:
Beauty ideals
Large eyes, short snouts, round heads, wrinkled skin or extreme body shapes appeal to human caring instincts. These characteristics are specifically passed on - often becoming more and more extreme over generations.
Breeding standards
What was originally moderate became more and more extreme over time to suit a particular “breed type”.
demand
As long as certain looks are in high demand, the pressure to breed will remain - regardless of whether the characteristics are problematic for health.
Breeding for harmful traits can be seen in the dogs' everyday lives
Breeding for harmful traits is not an abstract concept. It manifests itself very specifically in the lives of many dogs - often through chronic complaints that are trivialised as “breed-typical”, but which mean real limitations for the dog.
Important: Not every dog of a breed is affected to the same extent, but the risk is significantly increased with certain breed characteristics.
Breeds often affected by harmful breeding and their typical suffering
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
One of the most affected breeds.
Typical problems:
- Chiari-like malformation (CM)
- Syringomyelia (fluid accumulation in the spinal cord)
- severe, chronic headaches
- Sensitivity to touch in the neck
- sudden screaming for no apparent reason
- neurological deficits
Cause:
Many of these dogs suffer in silence because pain is not always clearly recognised.
- Skull too small for the brain → massive pressure in the head
French bulldog
Very popular — but often severely affected.
Typical problems:
Even low levels of stress can be problematic for these dogs.
- Shortness of breath due to shortened snout (BOAS)
- severely narrowed nostrils
- Overheating
- Spinal malformations
- Disc problems
- Skin fold inflammation
- Allergies and digestive problems
English bulldog
Additionally:
- massive joint problems
- frequent caesarean sections (natural birth is often not possible)
- Heart problems
- significantly shortened life expectancy
pug
Typical ailments:
- severe breathing problems
- severe heat intolerance
- Eye problems including the eyeball falling out
- Corneal injuries
- chronic inflammation
- neurological diseases (PDE – Pug encephalitis)
Pekingese & Shih Tzu
Frequently:
Even slight mechanical impacts can cause serious eye injuries.
- strongly protruding eyes
- incomplete eyelid closure
- dry eyes
- corneal ulcers
- Breathing problems
- Misaligned teeth
- Heat stress
Chihuahua (extreme miniature forms)
Especially with very small lines:
Miniaturisation is not a harmless beauty feature, but rather a significant burden.
- open fontanelles
- Hydrocephalus (fluid accumulation in the brain)
- massive dental problems
- Patellar luxation
- fragile bones
- hypoglycaemia
dachshund
Typical problem:
- extremely long back
- high susceptibility to herniated discs (dachshund paralysis)
- chronic back pain
- Movement restrictions
Shar Pei
Common ailments:
- massive skin folds
- chronic skin inflammation
- Shar-Pei fever
- Entropion (inward-turning eyelids)
- chronic ear infections
Great Dane (extreme size)
Extreme size can also cause suffering:
- Heart disease
- Gastric torsion
- Joint problems
- short life expectancy
- Excessively rapid growth
Why these problems are not “normal”.
It is often said:
“That’s just typical of the breed.”
The correct answer would be:👉 It is due to breeding - and stressful for the dog.
“Breed typical” does not automatically mean healthy or acceptable.
Breeding back towards healthier traits – why it is not an easy way out
Breeding back towards healthier traits is intended to make existing breeds “healthier” again. What sounds sensible brings with it significant ethical problems.
The central problem: time and suffering
Breeding changes take many generations. That means:
👉 Breeding back towards healthier traits means further suffering with an uncertain outcome.
- Over the years, dogs will continue to be born suffering from exactly these problems
- Affected animals remain part of the breeding
Breeding back towards healthier traits vs. reality
Additionally:
Breeding towards healthier traits is therefore not a short-term solution and is ethically highly controversial.
- genetic diversity is often severely limited
- Desired features cannot be specifically “switched off”
- many health problems remain
Genetic dead ends
Many breeds affected by harmful breeding suffer from:
- inbreeding
- narrow gene pool
- frequent use of individual stud dogs
Consequences:
- Immune deficiencies
- Allergies
- neurological diseases
- chronic inflammation
Breeding for harmful traits is more than short snouts
Other forms:
Breeding for harmful traits begins where function is subordinated to appearance.
- extreme miniaturisation
- extra long backs
- excessive skin folds
- oversized eyes
- extreme body mass
Responsibility – without blame
Most owners do not consciously act wrongly. Information is often only provided after the purchase. That is why knowledge is more important than condemnation.
A quiet thought at the end
Anyone who is visually attracted to exactly these types of dogs should know:
This means there is no additional breeding pressure, but a dog gets help.
- These dogs already exist
- Many are waiting at the animal shelters or rescue organisations
- They need a home - not more breeding
Living with a dog bred with harmful traits
Existing dogs deserve:
- respect
- care
- realistic assessment of their resilience
This includes:
Food cannot reverse inherited harmful traits - but it can reduce or increase stress.
- adapted everyday life
- low-stress environment
- regular health checks
- conscious feeding
Conclusion
Breeding for harmful traits is a structural problem with no easy solutions. Breeding back towards healthier traits alone is not a quick way out. Health must become more important than appearance – today and in the future.
Sometimes the most responsible decision is not to produce a new dog, but to give an existing one a home.
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