Research study reveals short lives of brachycephalic dogs

Brachycephalic dogs are up to 40% more likely to have a shorter lifespan than their counterparts with typically shaped faces, a major new study has concluded.

A senior vet and academic said the findings emphasised both the “health and welfare crisis” associated with several popular breeds and the importance of responsible ownership choices.

Researchers also hope the analysis will support stakeholders in reaching “informed decisions” on key welfare issues.

The study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, is based on Dogs Trust-led analysis of data from more than 580,000 UK dogs, across more than 150 breeds and crossbreeds.

Around four-fifths of the sample are pure breeds, and brachycephalic dogs account for 20.9% of that group – below 100,000 individual animals.

At risk

The analysis placed both the English and French bulldog among the breeds most at risk of an early death, with each having a median lifespan of 9.8 years.

That compares with equivalent figures of 12.5 years across all dogs, 13.1 years for a border collie and 15.4 years for the breed with the longest recorded lifespan, the Lancashire heeler.

Across all pure breeds, the study recorded median survival of brachycephalic dogs as 11.2 years, compared to 12.8 years for their mesocephalic counterparts.

Although figures published by The Kennel Club late last year showed significant falls in registration levels, more than 28,000 pugs, English and French bulldogs were still registered with the organisation during the first three quarters of 2023.

Issues

Dan O’Neill, who chairs the Brachycephalic Working Group of veterinary, breeder and welfare organisations, said: “Issues related to their huge popularity and serious health problems have triggered a health and welfare crisis for flat-faced dog breeds such as the French bulldog, pug and English bulldog.

“This new research underlines these major health issues by revealing that flat-faced dogs live 1.5 years shorter lives than typical dogs.

“It is crucial that the public prioritises health over what they might think looks ‘cute’ and we urge anyone considering getting a flat-faced breed to ‘stop and think’ and to ensure that they acquire a dog with the best chances of a long and happy life.”

The study’s lead author, Kirsten McMillan, who is also Dogs Trust’s data manager, said the study was the first to examine variations in canine life expectancy based on factors such as breed, body size, face shape and sex and has “important implications” for canine health debates.

Informed choices

She added: “Many of these factors interact to compound the issue, for example medium-sized, flat-faced male dogs are nearly three times more likely to live shorter lives than small-sized, long-faced females.

“We hope this study can help breeders, policymakers, funding bodies, and welfare organisations make informed decisions to improve the welfare of companion dogs, as well as helping owners understand the range of factors that influence health and longevity, especially when acquiring a dog.”

The Dogs Trust collaborated with the Liverpool John Moores University on the study, which analysed data from 18 participating organisations including charities, major veterinary care providers and insurance companies. Around half of the cases in the study relate to dogs that are already deceased and the paper stressed that reasons for death were not part of the analysed data.

However, although they acknowledged the analysis can’t detect direct risk factors linked to early deaths, the researchers argue that “by comparing survivorship across parental lineage, breed, body size, sex, cephalic index, and phylogeny, we can identify groupings and/or lineages that demand further consideration”.