Why are dog breeds with inherited genetic problems so popular?

​RESULTS of a Danish study that looked into ownership of four distinct pedigree dogs with high levels of inherited health issues revealed personal motivations outweighing concerns for the dogs' poor health prospects. 

In the study, owners of Chihuahuas, French Bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Cairn Terriers were asked why they chose their dog and about the level of research that they carried out before buying the dog.

​Chihuahuas and French Bulldogs have extreme body conformation, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels has inherited health problems not linked to body shape, and Cairn Terriers were chosen to represent a breed in the same size range but without extreme conformation, but with the same level of disease load. Out of the four breeds, French Bulldogs had the most health and behavioral problems, with Cairn Terriers having the least. 

​Those who acquired French Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are more concerned with personality and appearance, the study showed. Those who own Chihuahuas appeared drawn to the world's smallest dog breed not because of how it looks but because of the ease of obtaining one. This also means they are the owners that made the least planning and research before buying their pets, the study showed.

​Owners of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel indicated they considered the health of their preferred dog, but the owners of Cairn Terriers were found to be the most concerned with the health of their pets.

​So why do people continue to have dogs with big health issues? 

The study showed that some people choose these breeds because they are unaware of the health problems prior to purchase or due to more selfish reasons such as convenience, cuteness or fashion. Others regard the worrisome health conditions as “normal” for that breed. Meanwhile, others like the fact that the dogs share some of their own personal traits such as size, appearance and personality. 

The study also underscored an owner's strength of attachment to its dog to be linked to appearance, “with those who favored physical characteristics and 'cuteness' having stronger bonds with their dogs.” In this regard, Chihuahua owners were found to be most attached, with Cairn Terrier owners (who were less interested in appearance) being the least. 

It has also become “cool” to own extra small varieties of dogs such as Chihuahuas, with celebrities leading the fad that celebrates the fashionability of the dog rather than its functional attributes. 

Finally, a dog’s physical appearance may influence social acknowledgment from other people, the study noted.

The study also noted that except in the case of French Bulldogs, experience of health and behavior problems did not reduce the owners’ desire to get the same breed again. 

With these findings, research authors raise the need to find better ways to motivate people to get dogs that do not suffer from health issues related to extreme conformation and inbreeding. 

Conducted between 2009 and 2014 in Denmark, the study randomly drew the names of owners of each of the four breeds (750/breed) from a nationwide Danish dog registry and invited them to participate. Of these, 911 responded, giving a final sample of 846. 

Source: Sandøe, P., Kondrup, S. V., Bennett, P. C., Forkman, B., Meyer, I., Proschowsky, H. F.,& Lund, T. B. (2017). Why do people buy dogs with potential welfare problems related to extreme conformation and inherited disease? A representative study of Danish owners of four small dog breeds. PloS one, 12(2), e0172091.