Pugs lack many of the basic features of a normal dog. They suffer for a lifetime. That’s according to a new British study of more than 16,000 pugs.
British Professor Dan O’Neill, senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, conducted a study on more than 16,000 pugs in the UK. That study found that the breed is at a whopping 50 times higher risk of serious health problems and a shorter lifespan. On 23 of the 40 most common health problems in dogs, pugs are at increased risk.
“We have compiled a list of the main body functions of dogs,” O’Neill told British newspaper The Telegraph. For example, dogs must be able to blink their eyes. “It seems basic, but many pugs can’t. A dog should also be able to sit and sleep without snoring or gasping continuously, and have skin that is not split. Pugs simply don’t have the basic functions expected of a dog,” the professor continues. “Their health needs are so much greater than other dogs and extreme breeding means those problems are only going to increase.”
A French study previously found that French bulldogs have the shortest life expectancy, just four and a half years. Pugs follow with a maximum lifespan of eight years. Jack Russell terriers live the longest, averaging about 13 years. The professor calls on people to take action. “Only buy breeds that have normal, innate health traits, but no Pugs.”
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