What we mean when we talk about ‘Dogness’ and why it matters.

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What we mean when we talk about ‘Dogness’ and why it matters.

We Australians love our dogs; they consistently rank as one of our most popular animal companions, with 48% of households including one or more canine family member. And while their popularity has endured, history has shown significant trends in humans’ preferences of characteristics, appearance and breeds of dogs over time.

RSPCA Australia
Thursday, 10 April 2025

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Where once dogs were favoured for traits such as longevity, speed and skill, over time trends have shifted substantially to not only favouring physical appearance but more recently favouring exaggerated physical features. We’ve seen this in the rising popularity of dog breeds such French bulldogs, pugs and dachshunds, whose exaggerated features are viewed by some as ‘quirky’ or anthropomorphic (human like) and endearing. But in actuality, these dogs' physical appearance has been so altered by humankind from their ancestral counterparts that many suffer from a range of significant welfare issues that negatively impact their quality of life.

Another persistent trend that has come under scrutiny is the prominence placed on pure breeds of dogs, with a key concern that many purebred dogs from popular breeds end up suffering a high level of inherited disorders due to limited gene pools and inbreeding. There are also concerns related to the prevalence of health conditions as a consequence of deliberate selection of purebred traits such as hip dysplasia, musculoskeletal conditions and neurological conditions to name a few.

What both these trends have in common is that they are driven by humans choosing to breed dogs to suit human preferences, and in doing so humans have effectively brought into being extreme versions of dog breeds with exaggerated features that are linked to significant welfare issues. If dogs continue to be bred in this way, there’s a real risk of affected dogs losing their ability to experience life as a dog should, and their welfare will ultimately suffer as a result.

Let us explain …

What does it mean to be a dog?

When we think about dogs; their needs, wants, and general characteristics, a collective image generally emerges. An animal who likes to run and chase, who sniffs and digs and wags their tail, who commonly enjoys human companionship and the companionship of other dogs (to varying degrees depending on the individual) and who is often closely bonded to their caregiver. Delving deeper, dogs are naturally motivated to engage in these types of behaviours, we know dogs are motivated to sniff because their sense of smell is an important way in which they explore their environment, that they’re motivated to chase due to their ancestral instinct as predators and chasing for fun triggers the pleasure centres in their brains, that they’re motivated to play because they’re social animals and that they use their tail to communicate.

This composition of characteristics and behaviours can be described as a dog’s unique nature or ‘beingness’ that they seek to fulfill, essentially their purpose or telos. Telos, as it relates to animal welfare, is the idea that animals have a set of behaviors and life goals that are specific to their species, a dog's telos is their "dogness”, and the ability to fulfill those behaviours helps dogs to achieve their telos, which is important to their wellbeing.

However, the way many popular dog breeds are currently bred, focusing on appearance, breed purity and trends, is putting dogs’ achieving their telos – their “dogness” – at risk. All dogs should be able to run and play, to sniff, to wag their tail, and to enjoy the majority of their years in good health. And yet, many current popular breeds of dogs suffer a reduced ability to perform and enjoy the natural behaviours inherent to their “dogness.” For example, a common biproduct of the flat face of a brachycephalic dog such as a French bulldog or pug is that they often cannot run and play for long because their basic ability to breathe is compromised, and they’re prone to heat stress. Another example is the corkscrew tail common to breeds like pugs, French bulldog, Boston terriers and British bulldogs which interferes with their ability to wag their tail with joy or use it to communicate other feelings the way most dogs do.

These are just some of the health and welfare risks common in breeding today, but their prevalence is enough to paint a worrying picture of the harm that can be done by breeding dogs for a preferred physical appearance over health and wellbeing. When the very essence of what it means to be a dog is compromised by purposefully bred exaggerated features that affect the quality and longevity of a dog’s life, it’s time to seriously reexamine how our canine companions are bred. This means, ultimately, that we have to realign our priorities to focus on breeding dogs who can live a long, healthy and happy life, rather than prioritising appearance over health and welfare.

Protecting ‘dogness’ – the way forward.

A growing school of thought in the way dogs are bred is to focus on breeding dogs with the primary focus on them being able to function as dogs and experience all the natural behaviours that dogs should. Instead of concentrating on strict standards of appearance, or pure bloodlines from limited gene pools, dogs should be bred in a way that prioritises good health, welfare and longevity and so they are able to fully engage in behaviours that are important to them.

This will vary for different breeds and their purposes (for example, companion dogs vs working dogs) but essentially breeders should strive to maximise good health, welfare and temperament and these priorities should override all other considerations such as physical appearance. Innate health should be prioritised, meaning that the dog can live a healthy life without limitations from health issues linked to exaggerated features. This includes the ability to breathe normally without intervention, to move freely and without pain, to eat and drink effectively without compromise, to hear, smell, see, sleep, socially communicate and self-groom without impairment, and reproduce without assistance.

A new breeding culture is needed, in which health and welfare are prioritized over physical appearance and no dog experiences welfare problems that are attributable to having been selectively bred for exaggerated physical features. This requires a dedicated and holistic effort from all stakeholders involved; breeders, kennel clubs, veterinarians and pet owners included.

Breed-specific standards urgently need revising to remove the requirements for exaggerated features in purebred dogs and to ensure each breed standard includes conformation that helps to maximise good health and welfare. Internationally, there’s already a growing acceptance of these issues and a positive move in some countries to accept a range of steps, including using outbreeding and cross breeding, to improve the conformation of breeds for better welfare outcomes. Kennel clubs should move away from prioritising closed breeding pools and promoting breed standards that include exaggerated features. Instead, transparent and evidence-based breeding systems should be developed, designed to reverse negative inbreeding effects with selection against disease-predisposing characteristics and genetic screening for breeding dogs.

Potential pet owners should be encouraged to do their research on the specific traits, needs and potential health concerns of their chosen breed. Veterinarians can also play an important role; by sharing information regarding the health implications of certain exaggerated features and inherited conditions, including the potential emotional and financial cost, and discouraging the breeding of dogs with exaggerated features or conditions known to compromise their welfare.

There is a way forward to healthier, happier dogs, but there needs to be a cultural shift among breeders, regulators and dog owners to achieve this goal. It’s time to re-examine the reasons we include our canine companions in our homes and hearts and embrace their ‘dogness’ to truly put them first.

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