I just finished one of the most fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, articles on dogs I've ever read. Entitled "Can the Bulldog be Saved" this nine page piece in the NY Times Magazine is well worth the time if you love dogs.

The article deals with the medical issues created by the breeding practices that have resulted in the modern Bulldog. The protagonists in the article are predictable. On the one side are the animal welfare people. Their postion is basically that it is inhumane to continut to breed the Bulldog. On the other side of the issue are the various Bulldog associations and the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club, the British equivalent of the AKC.

Their position is that there is nothing terribly wrong with the breed, and if there is, it's the fault of irresponsible breeders trying to get rich off the Bulldog's sudden rise in popularity. The Bulldog is number five on the AKC most popular list and one bright spot for the AKC as many purebreed dogs are experiencing a decline in registrations.

No matter which side you are on, this article is a must read. Personally, I can see both sides of the purebreed issue. We have a purebred Lab now, but our last dog was a mutt and we loved her for 18 years. This article though, goes beyond Purebreed VS Mutt and into the realm of should this breed even exist.

I vividly remember a conversation I had with an established Veterinarian when I was starting out in practice in Montana. He told me that one sure fire way to get my practice going was to help establish the Bulldog as a breed in Western Montana. I thought he was joking, but he was serious. All the Bulldog people in the Western Part of the state saw him as the expert and brought their dogs to him. He told me that much of his success was based on the Bulldog.

I never followed up on his suggestion, but reading the perspective of the medical experts as reported in this article bear out the "practice management" suggestions of my old colleague. Not to say that any Vet would seriously advocate for Bulldog ownership these days given the statistics, and vitually all of the Vets quoted in the article discourage clients and pet owners from getting a Bulldog.

The reasons are pretty obvious, and pretty frightening. Consider this. According to statistics from Swedish Dog Insurance data the Bulldog is significantly more likely to suffer from eye and ear problems, skin infections, respiratory issues, immunologic and neurologic problems, and musculoskeletal defects. The Bulldog has the highest incidence of hip dysplasia of any of the breeds and is most likely to die from respiratory disease.

The topper is the average life span of the Bulldog. According to statistics the modern Bulldog lives only about six years.

So why do people do it. Why, despite all the medical evidence, do they go ahead and become Bulldog owners? Well, according to this article they simply can't resist, and the characteristic look of the Bulldog, the look responsible for all the maladies, is the reason.

Experts claim that the Bulldog's pushed in face is more appealing to people mainly because it is more people like, and people are naturally drawn to a more human face. Furthemore, the basic helplessness of the Bulldog increases it's appeal. They look like helpless little babies when born and keep those characteristics into adulthood. This "infantile" aspect of the Bulldog brings out a nurturing and parenting instinct in people that is hard to suppress.

I must admit that I think they're cute too. I feel the same way about the Pug and the French Bulldog. My wife loves them to and goes all baby talk when she sees one. If I wasn't a Vet we'd probably own one.

There is some hope for the breed. The Kennel Club in England is revising the breed standard to address some of the more aggregious health issues. The AKC is not and The Bulldog Club of America is against the idea too. It should be interesting to see how things shake out.

One word of advice if you can't resist the pull of the Bulldog, or the French Bulldog, the Pug, and the Boston Terrier for that matter. Get pet insurance and get it early. I wouldn't wait a day past 8 weeks of age to buy a policy.