How Intensive Dog Breeding Led to a Wide Range of Health Issues

Paleontologist Danielle Dufault of Animalogic explained how intensive inbreeding and overbreeding lead to a wide range of health issues in dogs that were not previously present in the breed.

Customization can come at a cost. Our fixation with designing dogs is causing health problems, deformities, and behavioral issues for our furry friends.  …Have people ruined dogs?! 

Dufault also talked about the history of dog domestication, their relationship to wolf, and the specific types of issues that have appeared in so-called “designer dogs”.

German Shepherds have hip and elbow issues  because of people’s preference for a slopped back. Labrador retrievers have joint problems because their popularity…made them a very inbred breed. Cavalier king spaniels are also very inbred and many have heart issues. …Similarly, dobermans are prone to have a disease  that affects the muscles of their hearts. This  can lead to heart failure. …Collies and related breeds are  prone to epilepsy and eye problems. Cocker Spaniels are also at risk of vision loss. Bernese dogs and golden retrievers have a very high incidence of cancer. 

There is hope, however, to give back to the dogs who have given so much to us.

But there is good news. With growing awareness of these issues, countries around the globe are taking action  to better regulate poor breeding practices. The UK, Canada, Denmark, the USA,and Australia are just a few of the countries taking action to pass new laws and  regulations to stop bad breeding practices. And innovative programs from vets and responsible breeders are being developed to restore the health of our beloved companions.