First of all, saying that there’s no way is ignorant because there IS a way to fix it, if only people knew about it publicly and breed clubs embraced it.
These are called Retro Mops (website here), and they’re pugs bred specifically to be longer-legged, leaner, with smaller eyes, longer muzzles, and more open nostrils. And while the project is still a work in progress, it’s heading in the right direction.
This new breed type started in Germany, and developed from the selective breeding of purebred pugs with longer muzzles and a longer legged frame.
From the website:
“We want to prove that a pug does not have to be short of breath and phlegmatic, but a very sporty and docile family and companion dog”
And there’s also the Old English Bulldog, which is a muscular and athletic bulldog that can actually clean itself, mate, and give birth on its own (something that mainstream Bulldogs cannot do)
This should be the goal of EVERY pug breeder and owner, to have a healthy dog that doesn’t struggle to breathe and walk.
I’m sure you’re a pug or bulldog lover, which is why you’re so eager to defend them, but you’re not helping these dogs out by ignoring the problems in the breed. This is not a “little problem”, it’s a HUGE issue that’s killing dogs, and it’s prefectly preventable if pugs were outcrossed to have longer muzzles and wider nostrils.
Just look at the difference and tell me you’re not horrified:
As long as people stay blind to these issues, nothing will change. Which is why I’m saying this here so at least some people will see that there IS an alternative, and that wheezing pugs and bulldogs are not cute. When the public realizes the difference, the demand for these mutants will stop and more healthy, longer-lived alternatives will replace them.
But it starts with someone talking about them, and not just thinking there’s nothing to be done. Although if there were a time machine at my disposal you bet I’d use to pinch the nostrils of the original Victorian breeders and see how they like it.
Help the pugs yall
Finally a post that summarizes why pugs make me so uneasy…
They really are lovely dogs with great personalities, but these health issues can’t be ignored.
please wipe your pups paws after taking them on a winter walk. un-purified rock salts contain traces of heavy metals such as mercury and lead. however, most municipalities in north america use ferrocyanide (a form known to cause cancer) as an anti-caking agent to facilitate the spreading of rock salt and prevent clumping. these ice melter toxins combined with antifreeze (ethylene glycol, that’s been spilled onto roads/sidewalks/driveways) are known to irritate pets who lick their paws and ingest these chemicals in harmful quantities after their winter walks. dogs that have stepped in antifreeze will be inclined to lick it because it smells and tastes SWEET.
antifreeze poisoning symptoms:
– lack of coordination
– excessive drinking and urination
– gastrointestinal irritation
– coma, seizures, and/or death
rock salt poisoning symptoms:
– burns to the mouth
– dehydration
– raw and sore paws
– liver and kidney failure
– pancreatitis
protect your furry four legged pals this winter season!! i had a dog ingest antifreeze after licking some off someone’s driveway and it was heartbreaking watching his condition worsen while on the way to the vet. he ended up being treated and made full recovery but i would have been devastated if it was anything other than old age that took him from me. stay safe!
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!!
I don’t live in a cold place that uses such anti-freeze items, nor do I have a dog. But I know people who do.
In the dog world, humans are elves that routinely live to be 500+ years old.
“They live so long…but the good ones still bond with us for our entire lives.”
“These immortals are so kind we must be good friends to them”
My heart wtf
Not gonna lie, this fucked me up a bit.
POV Fantasy slice of life book when?
“Now I am old. The fur around my muzzle is grey and my joints ache when we walk together. Yet she remains unchanged, her hair still glossy, her skin still fresh, her step still sprightly. Time doesn’t touch her and yet I love her still.”
“For generations, he has guarded over my family. Since the days of my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather he has kept us safe. For so long we thought him immortal. But now I see differently, for just as my fur grows gray and my joints grow stiff, so too do his. He did not take in my children, but gave them away to his. I will be the last that he cares for. My only hope is that I am able to last until his final moments. The death of one of his kind is so rare. The ending of a life so long is such a tragedy. He has seen so much, he knows so much. I know he takes comfort in my presence. I only wish that I will be able to give him this comfort until the end.”
In the dog world, humans are elves that routinely live to be 500+ years old.
“They live so long…but the good ones still bond with us for our entire lives.”
“These immortals are so kind we must be good friends to them”
My heart wtf
Not gonna lie, this fucked me up a bit.
POV Fantasy slice of life book when?
“Now I am old. The fur around my muzzle is grey and my joints ache when we walk together. Yet she remains unchanged, her hair still glossy, her skin still fresh, her step still sprightly. Time doesn’t touch her and yet I love her still.”