What is it about some breeds which makes people want them?

[basildonbond]

Recent threads about pugs and Ridgebacks etc have got me really puzzled .. I just can't get my head round why you would want to perpetuate what are in essence deformities and which in the case of dogs like pugs get in the way of dogs being dogs IYSWIM I mean I find it hard enough to understand why many breeds came into existence in the first place but why people would still want to keep them going nowadays just baffles me - I'm not alone in thinking this am I?

I suppose it's aesthetics. No dog is 'natural', we've fucked about with all of them. I personally wouldn't choose to take on a breed which had major health issues because of its looks, but then I chose Jas because he was adorable and he costs me a fortune in special diets and vets visits. Every breed has issues as far as I know.

We were tied to breed that are lower allergen as ds is allergic.

But I chose out the crop based on breed typical personality. We have a Border Terrier and it helps that I love hairy scruffy looking muck wallowing types. It is all part of the charm of an enthusiastic dog. It wouldn't be everyones definition of pretty but it's mine. I wouldn't want to br part of continuing a breed with issues though personally.

The 'be more dog' tagline on that advert always makes me smile and think of my dog as everything is just a huge happy adventure!

I chose possibly one of the least fucked-with breeds - Siberian huskies, still mostly wolfy, athletic, with few hereditary diseases - and I'd still happily see them die out as a pet breed. The same properties that make them all primal and active means that they are craptacular pets and don't fit in with an average lifestyle.

Maybe lame and brachycephalic dogs are so popular because they don't need to be exercised and are thus undemanding.

It is purely a looks thing .personally I like most terriers ,lurchers ,whippets ,greys , spinones and wolfhound types . I'm not keen on squashed faces ,bulgy eyes or lots of drool . If I had to go out tomorrow and buy a pedigree dog I'd probably get a whippet.

I love ridgebacks, yes they can have a hereditary disease but good breeders are breeding this out and dogs with it should never be bred from.

I like ridgebacks because they are large, strong dogs, short coats, capable of running miles but usually very placid indoors.

I think it's like everything else dog breeds come and go in fashion, around here it's huskies and Alaskan Malamutes and loads of Llasa Apsos.

Ridgebacks aren't deformed? They have some hereditary health issues, but most breeds do and they're nowhere near as common as the issues some other breeds have are. They're perfectly athletic functional dogs.

Pugs, well, they are supposed to be lovely dogs, with fantastic personalities and make great companions...personally I wouldn't take the risk that they wouldn't be up to small dog activities because of their health - but I do know people who felt they weren't appealing until they were won over by their temperament.

There are lots of very common breeds that don't appeal to me personally, but that's just personal choice, surely? I do have an issue with the more extreme brachycephalic breeds (like pugs) because I don't see how breathing properly is optional...but other than that it's just your own taste I think.

We also chose a husky because we wanted a dog who would enjoy an active lifestyle, but I have lost count of the number of youths who approach us to admire our "wolf" and ask where we got him. I spend a lot of my time pointing out that they really aren't for everyone but I know it falls on deaf ears because they are just think they look tough.

Round here labradoodles appear to be the family dog of choice, most of them the size of small ponies.

Also personal experiences play a part.
If you had a lovely lab as a kid then they are possibly the first choice for you when you have a family of your own. I met two separate dark brindle boxers who were vile, aggressive bastards that caused me to never wish to own one myself.
I have working cockers, several people I know would love one as they are "so well behaved" (after years of training I should add!)
Ad just personally the sort of "look" that you go for. Personally DH and I would struggle to go smaller than the cockers but (if we had space) would have no issue going bigger. We like sporty dogs who are active and biddable, no place in our lives for a dog that dislikes getting its paws wet and has a high maintenance coat :)

I think you have hit the nail on the head there Topbanana with regard to personal experience.

In fact your post just highlights it for me even more as ypu mention Cockers. A family member who we stay with sometimes has a cocker. We nicknamed the two dogs the prince and the pauper as my terrier hares everyehere through thick undergrowth and diving in the river. I brush him fairly rarely and dirt tends to come off him before you reach home.

The cocker on the otherhand needed lengthy grooming, wouldn't get his paws wet and had to be carried through thick undergrowth as he wouldn't go through it. Size wise he is the same height as my Border though is obviously thicker set.

The cocker is also very snappy where as the terrier isn't though 'type' would suggest it should be the other way round.

I concede that he is probably not a working cocker line but I just thought it was interesting that one experience can colour your view on what breeds are like and just how subjective it is.

Well I've got a pug x (x with French Bulldog but looks very pug like) and I wanted a pug as:

A) I love their looks, they're my fave looking dog ever
B) They have a good temperament for a family dog
c) They have the low energy requirement that I was after.

As it was the first dog I'd owned, I was nervous about it and wanted to get an "easy" type of dog, which indeed she is.

I did however get a cross to hopefully minimise any breathing issues.

I now would always, always want a pug in my life. HOWEVER, I fully admit that I was very naive when I got my pug x - I bought her out of the paper (probably from a puppy farm) without knowing a hell of a lot of the stuff I know now. I feel guilty for having bought her and therefore encouraged the breeding of dogs with breathing issues (although actually, my dog doesn't have those issues, but that's luck I think) and I feel very guilty about the puppy farm issue.

We have since got a second dog (boxer x border terrier), a rescue. I would only have a pug again if I could get a rescue one, therefore alleviating my guilt about encouraging the breeding of them.

But come on Basildon, I'm sure you want to admit that really pugs are bloody gorgeous

I had a thread recently about pugs.

It was my dd who was first drawn to them - at the age of about 6 at the time. Being six she wasn't remotely aware of breeding etc, she just thought they looked cute. I happen to agree with her and everyone we have heard of with a pug raves about their lovely personalities.

We are looking into getting our first dog and the health problems with pugs is obviously an issue we are investigating now.

If you don't know a lot about dogs you wouldn't know how different breeds develop. It was news to me.

I think it is great to learn from people who know lots about the subject but I hate being condescended to.

Does anyone go into dog ownership looking for a dog who will have bad health and suffer? Of course not but not everyone is an expert.