New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed that the UK public has divided attitudes towards crossbreeding flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs. The online survey gathered nearly 5,000 responses, providing important insights that can help address the ongoing serious dog welfare issues linked to breeding for extreme conformation and low genetic diversity in popular purebred flat-faced breeds.
One of the authors, Lizzie Youens MRCVS, stated "As veterinary professionals, we have a responsibility not only to advance the science of breeding for health and welfare, but also to shape the conversations and decisions that ultimately determine which dogs are bred and owned".
In response to the an international brachycephalic dog health crisis, crossbreeding is being explored in countries such as Finland to reduce extreme traits. This may support reduced health issues and suffering in future flat-faced dogs if owners continue to demand these dog types. However, little is known about the public perceptions of crossbreeding, so the research, funded by the RSPCA, Animal Welfare Foundation and Blue Cross, was conducted by Dr Rowena Packer (Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science), Dr Dan O’Neill (Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology), Master’s student Elizabeth Youens, and their research team.
The researchers conducted a national online survey of 4,899 members of the UK public which examined their views on crossbreeding between brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dogs, as well as wider attitudes to crossbreeding between non-brachycephalic breeds (for example, a Cockapoo as a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle).
The findings revealed that the wider UK public holds divided attitudes towards crossbreeding brachycephalic dogs.
Improved health was the most commonly perceived benefit of crossbreeding, cited by 43.0% of non-brachycephalic crossbreed dog owners, 37.2% of non-brachycephalic purebred owners, 42.5% of brachycephalic crossbreed owners and 33.2% of owners of purebred brachycephalic dogs. Expected health gains were cited as relating to breathing, alongside less extreme facial conformation and fewer skin, eye and dental problems. Existing owners of crossbreed brachycephalic dogs were most likely to state that crossbreeding results in better temperament and improved appearance as positive reasons for crossbreeding compared to other ownership groups. Less commonly perceived benefits across all ownership groups included improved longevity and increased genetic diversity.
However, the wider UK public also expressed concerns about crossbreeding itself causing health issues, identified by 23.5% of purebred brachycephalic dog owners, and reduced predictability of appearance and temperament of crossbred dogs, which was identified as a drawback by 12.2% of owners of purebred brachycephalic dogs and 13.1% of owners of purebred non-brachycephalic dogs. Compared to other ownership groups, existing owners of purebred brachycephalic dogs were most likely to be concerned about the loss of pedigree or ‘purity’ of the dog’s genes as a result of crossbreeding, and to consider that there would be detrimental effects on appearance.
Fears that crossbreeding could worsen canine health overall by introducing the harmful brachycephalic traits into non-brachycephalic breeds were particularly common among non-brachycephalic owners. These concerns were cited by more than a quarter of respondents in this group, compared with just 9.6% of owners of purebred brachycephalic dogs.
Some respondents expressed their core ethical objections to crossbreeding on the grounds that it is inappropriate for humans to interfere in dog breeding by crossing between pure breeds, despite all purebred breeds being recent human inventions in the last few hundred years.
Dr Rowena Packer, Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC, and senior author of the paper, said: “If we accept that humans already shape dog populations, then we also have a responsibility to do it better.”
The differing groups of dog owners within the UK public also showed very divided attitudes towards their own future plans for ownership of dogs. An expressed desire to only ever own a purebred dog was significantly more common in owners of purebred dogs compared to owners of crossbreed dogs. Only 16.6% of non-flat faced dog owners said they would consider a brachycephalic crossbreed, with many stating they would only do so if the dog were adopted from a rescue rather than purchased. In contrast, 55.2% of owners of purebred brachycephalic dogs and 51.8% of crossbred brachycephalic dogs said they would consider acquiring a brachycephalic crossbreed in the future. This significant proportion of purebred brachycephalic dogs considering acquiring a crossbred brachycephalic dog in the future offers opportunities to transition owners away from dogs with extreme conformation and associated negative health problems.
Further evidence is now needed on the health, welfare and temperament of brachycephalic crossbreeds. If those results show positive health gains, then this could reassure owners of the benefits of moving away from extremes and breed ‘purity’, and support human behaviour change initiatives. Evidence of acceptable health in this population, combined with public acceptance of crossbreeding could also support formal recognition of either ‘designer’ brachycephalic crossbreeds or less extreme, outcrossed versions of existing pure breeds by existing dog registration bodies, or the development of new registration bodies for this purpose.
"Our findings demonstrate that public attitudes towards crossbreeding and canine health remain divided, highlighting the need for a more evidence-led and ethically grounded approach to influencing dog populations" said Lizzie Youens MRCVS, one of the paper's contributors.
The full paper can be accessed at:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0336661