A Study Says Pugs Aren't 'Typical Dogs' & They're Just So Unhealthy By Comparison
They've "diverged" from other breeds.
A child holding a pug puppy. Right: A pug sitting on a colourful duvet.
Pugs, while very cute, should no longer be considered a "typical dog" because of all the health issues that come along with the breed, according to a new U.K. study.
Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College made that slightly awkward declaration this week, after comparing the breed's health issues to those of other dogs.
They looked at 16,218 pugs and compared them to 889,326 dogs of other breeds, and they found that pugs' physical features put them at a higher risk of having health issues, obesity and other disorders.
"Highly differing heath profiles between pugs and other dogs in the U.K. suggest that the pug has diverged substantially from mainstream dog breeds and can no longer be considered as a typical dog from a health perspective," read the study.
They found that pugs are more prone to disease than other breeds and that they also showed higher rates of obesity, breathing problems and heart issues.
Researchers pointed to pugs' unusual noses as one of the reasons they have more medical issues — a trait that humans have specifically tried to breed into them.
The study points out that many people fall in love with pugs' baby-like features, but "these same facial features that humans find so appealing have also been associated with several conformationally-driven disorders."
The study adds that some of these issues have been normalized as part of "what makes a pug a pug" but they say all those health issues add up, and pugs generally don't live that long as a result.
While their popularity is on the rise in the United Kingdom, they are equally as popular in the U.S. with the American Kennel Club listing them as 28th most popular breed out of a count of 204.
All this is to say that while pugs are cute, the evidence suggests that humans have bred them in a way that they're just not as healthy as other dogs.