Crufts to bring in breathing tests for flat-faced dogs
Pugs and French bulldogs competing at Crufts could face their last chance of glory as organisers prepare to introduce a new breathing test to restrict flat-faced dogs from entering the show.
Three breeds – pugs, bulldogs and French bulldogs – will have to pass an assessment from next year in order to participate in the renowned dog show, which starts today.
Fears of overbreeding and ill-health have long dogged flat-faced breeds, whose shorter noses and compressed skulls mean they often do not breathe as easily as long-snouted hounds.
A host of animal charities last year called on the Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, to completely bar brachycephalic breeds from participating.
Peta, the animal rights organisation, accused the Kennel Club of “promoting dogs who spend their lives in misery” as it joined the RSPCA and Blue Cross in advocating the ban.
Now the Kennel Club has moved to allay those concerns by making breathing assessments compulsory for three breeds.
Charlotte McNamara, its head of health, said that “protecting and improving the health of brachycephalic breeds remains one of our top priorities”.
She added: “Crufts is a great opportunity to showcase good examples of each recognised breed, and celebrate the work being carried out by responsible breeders… to protect and improve health.”
A step in the right direction
Breeding clubs welcomed the rule change but admitted it had not received unanimous support from dog owners.
A spokesman for the Midland and Northern Counties French Bulldog Club told The Telegraph that the test was “the best thing that has happened in veterinary medicine for brachycephalic dogs in 50 years”.
“It is the easiest way of checking if a dog needs remedial surgery, and the vets who are doing this are specially trained so they know their stuff,” he said.
“Some of our members oppose it, but you’re always going to have a few who don’t like change and wish the Kennel Club would just leave them alone.”
The respiratory function grading (RFG) scheme checks if dogs have a breathing disorder called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) and grades their respiration from zero to three.
Those dogs which are not assessed or who are assessed as grade three – meaning those who find it hardest to breathe – will not be allowed to compete at Crufts from 2025 onwards.
It is not the first time Crufts has clamped down on brachycephalic dogs, with it warning judges in 2018 not to award prizes to those which do not meet breeding standards.
Dr Laura Hamilton, a vet who is the Kennel Club’s French bulldog breed health coordinator, said “social media and celebrity culture” had sparked a boom in the popularity of flat-faced dogs.
“Some brachycephalic breeds, including French bulldogs, are hugely popular, with little to no awareness amongst puppy buyers of any health concerns – and many rogue breeders producing puppies simply for profit,” she said.
French bulldogs in particular have ballooned in popularity over the last decade, with Kennel Club data showing new registrations increasing from 9,670 in 2014 to 26,704 last year, although this is almost half the 2021 peak of 54,704.
Bulldogs have also become more popular as new registrations have increased from 5,958 in 2014 to 6,924 last year, though again this has declined from the 2021 peak of 15,403.
The popularity of pugs, however, has plummeted over the last decade from 9,245 in 2014 to just 1,994 last year.
In the test, a vet uses a stethoscope to listen to the dog’s breathing before and after three minutes of brisk walking.
The Kennel Club recommends that grade three dogs are not used in breeding and that owners get their dogs tested every two years.
The organisation also offered free breathing assessments on Thursday at Crufts for the three soon-to-be restricted breeds.
Alison Dean, secretary of the Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association, said Crufts’ policy would improve awareness of the health issues faced by the flattest-faced dogs.
“It is possible that commercial breeders could start offloading puppies which don’t meet the new criteria, which could lead to even more pugs being surrendered and abandoned,” she said.
“But, overall, encouraging responsible breeding is good news for everyone and could bring down the number of pugs being given up by their owners.”
Crufts will conclude on Sunday.
