The Dark Truth Behind a "Man's Best Friend" - Charlotte Lin

Golden Retrievers are popular pets, known for their loyalty and friendliness. German Shepherds are well-known as police dogs for their size, intelligence, work ethic, and trainability. Chihuahuas are famously loved for their petite size and adorable features. Most dog traits and characteristics have been artificially bred, defined, and enhanced through selective breeding. While breeding practices can produce desirable offspring with beneficial attributes, many are unaware of the price the animals must pay. This month I did a lot of reading about how breeding initiated by humans has affected the development and health of dogs for hundreds of years. At first, I was just interested in the incredible variety of a singular species and how canines have progressed to hundreds of different breeds worldwide. However, the topic of breeding and genetics surprisingly led me to learn about the ethics of these practices, revealing a darker side of dog breeding. 

The truth is that purposely breeding for specific traits to be continued generation after generation not only passes down the preferred characteristic but also the genetic risks that come with it. This is why certain dog breeds are especially prone to certain illnesses, conditions, or shorter life expectancies. For example, yes, Golden Retrievers make wonderful companions, as their friendly demeanor has been selectively bred for centuries. But unnatural breeding has enhanced the chances of certain health issues including hip dysplasia, heart problems, cancer, and seizures. Breeding has been practiced for hundreds of years to benefit humans but often does not consider the well-being of the dogs in question. Not to say there aren’t any ethical breeders, but the fact that most dogs are so inbred that they have a genotypic profile similar to if siblings or a parent and child mated (undoubtedly leading to countless health problems) says a lot.

I hope for the truth behind the cost of producing many dog breeds we know and love to become publicly common knowledge. Dogs don’t deserve to have years taken off their life or to live in discomfort because we want them to look or act a certain way. Another example would be the “cute”, wrinkled faces of pugs and other flat-faced bulldogs. This trait did not evolve naturally and is a product of selective inbreeding. Due to this condition, these dogs often suffer from neurological problems because of their compressed skull shape, as well as difficulty breathing. Are these consequences really worth it, just for their appealing appearance? If we keep supporting and buying dogs because of their breed, we are only feeding into this detrimental industry. Instead, we should try to rescue and adopt dogs as much as possible. Mixed breeds or mutts that are found in shelters are actually genetically healthier than purebred dogs because they were naturally, and randomly produced, not a result of selective inbreeding. There are millions of dogs abandoned, on the streets, in shelters, and euthanized each year. It doesn’t make sense for us to keep breeding these animals and making them suffer the repercussions, especially when they are already so overpopulated. The main takeaway I’d like anyone reading would be to always adopt, not shop, and understand that there is so much more behind the adorable face of a “man’s best friend” that many of us take for granted, not realizing what our dogs have to go through.

Articles I read:

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/most-dog-breeds-highly-inbred

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10080771/

https://bigthink.com/life/dog-breeds-inbred/

https://www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics