Is keeping dachshunds and bulldogs a form of animal cruelty?

Artificial selection is the process where humans breed specific plants and animals because of a particular desired trait they have. They then select the offspring which show this characteristic the most and breed them, repeating this process over generations to exaggerate the trait. An example is only choosing to breed the fastest horses, a quite lucrative industry with an insemination from undefeated horse Frankel setting you back around £110,000. However, it is often most prevalent in the farming industry, where traits are selected for to get the most out of every animal, and with it a lot of ethical issues

A broiler chicken is any type of chicken that is reared for meat production. The fastest growing and largest of these chickens are selectively bred. For example, the time taken for a broiler chicken to reach 1.5kg has decreased from 120 days in 1925 to 30 days in 2005. This increased weight has led to the chickens suffering from skeletal problems related to their movement and also heart issues. With over 9 billion broiler chickens being produced in 2018, it is no wonder animal rights activists work for the better treatment of these animals.

Furthermore, the mistreatment of dairy cows also seems to generate a lot of press nowadays. Dairy cows are bred to increase the volume of milk they produce. An individual dairy cow on average produces over 1,500 litres more milk in a year now than it did in 2001. This selection places a lot of strain on the cow, reducing its lifespan, increasing the chances of becoming lame and can cause inflammation of breast tissue. So how is this similar to certain dog breeds?

Well, similarly to cows and chicken (what a programme), humans artificially select dog traits. This happened unconsciously to start off with around 40,000-20,000 years ago when the most tame and least aggressive wolves would hang around the campfires of our hunter gatherer ancestors, reproduce and pass on their tameness to their offspring; a process repeating itself until they eventually became person’s best friend. In more modern times the human selection is for less useful and more aesthetically pleasing traits, but it has led to around 360 different breeds of dogs worldwide. When is selection too far?

Dachshunds were bred in Germany centuries ago in order to help in the hunting of badgers, which seems rather absurd if you look at the modern day appearance of the ‘sausage dog’. Dachshund numbers in the UK have more than doubled in the past decade, if you don’t believe me go take a stroll round the Northern Quarter. They have been selected to have those short stumpy legs and adorable eyes. However, this cuteness comes at a price. Due to their abnormally short legs having to bare the weight of their bodies, they suffer a range of health problems. This includes intervertebral disc disease which reportedly causes immense pain and is estimated to affect 25% of all sausage dogs and other conditions such as deformities of the hip joint and patella luxation - when the kneecap pops out of its groove.

In addition, around 50% of all flat faced dogs, English/French bulldogs, pugs etc. suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Flat faced dogs have been selectively bred for those squishy and adorable faces caused by scrunched skulls and snouts. However, the soft palate at the back of the mouth has not changed, meaning it is now too big. This prevents sufficient air getting through and can lead to oxygen starvation. These issues are becoming especially problematic at veterinary surgeries, with the Kennel club reporting increases in the numbers of French bulldogs by 30 fold in the last decade, whilst the number of pugs have doubled.

I drink milk and eat chicken, so whereas I am far from any moral high-ground and preaching the vegan lifestyle and the absence of all pets, I just feel we should be aware of some of the health issues involved in the selective breeding of animals. Whereas the farming industry receives a lot of sometimes justifiable, sometimes far-fetched attention on their practices and treatment of animals, is it possible people sometimes place their morals to one side when considering a furry sidekick?