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Breeder Reengineering French Bulldog’s Face To Make Them Healthier

Breeder Reengineering French Bulldog’s Face To Make Them Healthier

The Dutch breeders are calling on the industry to help prevent heath abnormalities.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

It's a well known fact that French Bulldogs have evolved with some pretty concerning health problems.

They have a skull malformation due to years of breeding selection that makes their necks short and their noses and nostril openings even shorter.

This has resulted in the species having Brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome, which means they have trouble breathing, and it can cause death if it's not treated properly.

Their limited breathing system, combined with their single short coat, means they also have trouble regulating their temperature efficiently.

However, there's a breeder in the Netherlands who has been working to make the breed healthier.

Hawbucks French Bulldogs

Hawbucks French Bulldogs is trying to establish a new frontier for French Bulldogs and ensure they have a happy life.

Their motto is 'we breed for health, not show' helps guide them to making the best possible French Bulldog through 'time, effort, thinking, doubt, idealism, frustrations and hope'.

"It is not normal that a dog cannot do what he likes most because of his body type," the breeder says on its website. "It is not normal for a dog to be kept calm when it's above 20 degrees outside. It is not 'cute' when a dog cannot breathe without making noise.

"A French Bulldog is first and foremost a dog. A dog is supposed to move freely and not be held back by his body. A dog is at its most beautiful when it's not obstructed by physical limitations."

They were recently praised by people on social media for helping usher in a new type of Frenchie.

Hawbucks has been calling on the industry to make similar changes to ensure future generations of the dog don't have to suffer like their predecessors.

The Dutch breeder is run by Chantal and Krijn van Kruining, who fell in love with the species when they rehomed a six year old Frenchie called Quinta.

Owning that pooch alerted them to the abnormalities that afflict the species. They went searching high and low all over the world to find different French Bulldogs bloodlines while also researching the breed's genetics.

They have since been able to produce a Frenchie that has a seemingly longer neck and longer nose. They claim this still isn't the most perfect iteration of French Bulldog and admit there are still some health abnormalities.

However, they believe they are on the right path.

"We do not claim to know it all," the write. "The only thing we can do is promise that we will try our utmost best to breed health French Bulldogs. That is what we aspire. That is what we can hope for."

The French Bulldog is the second most popular breed in the UK and the US, and third most popular in Australia.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Animals