Title:  Beloved and Debated, French Bulldog Becomes  Top US Breed

Source: US News and World Report (US News)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2023-03-15/beloved-and-debated-french-bulldog-becomes-top-us-dog-breed

Date: 03/15/2023

Summary 

The French bulldog (FB) is the Top Breed in the United States. 

Situation:

1. According to the AKC, the FB is now the favorite dog breed in the U.S.  
2. Because they are the more prevalent purebred dog last year.
3. The Labrador Retriever held the top spot for the last 31 years
4. The US News took an interesting angle in reporting this story.
5. They wanted to frame it as an argument between pro-FB and con-FB people. (creating division)  Their actual first sentence is a run-on, but the first part says, “Adorable in some eyes, deplorable in others,(a bunch of adjectives) the FB became the nation’s most prevalent purebred dog last year,”  
   1. They talk about why people like or dislike the breed
      1. Like 
         1. Comical 
         2. Funny 
         3. Loving
         4. Small
      2. Dislike 
         1. Medical
            1. Breathing
            2. Spinal 
            3. Eyes 
            4. Skin conditions 
   2. The article talks about countries that urge or forbid people from purchasing that breed. 
      1. British Veterinary Association urges people not to buy “Flat-faced breeds.
      2. The Netherlands prohibits breeding very short-snouted dogs and the country’s agriculture minister aims to outlaw owning those breeds. 

Problem

1. These dogs have problems.
   1. Owners need to research breeders and health testing and recognize that problems can be expensive to treat
2. Even with genetic shortcomings, these dogs can be active.
   1. They can do agility, take hikes, play fetch, and play tug-a-war  
3. They are a bully breed
   1. Sometimes like conflict 
   2. Not always good with other dogs- That is true about a lot of breeds, but these dogs seem to have a lower threshold for foolishness. 
   3. They can bully people
      1. They seem to like to charge at people's feet. 
   4. They are, IMO hard to read.
      1. Facial features are difficult to read, and their faces are less expressive IMO
      2. Body language is different from most dogs due to structure and temperament. 
   5. They are bred for looks, not for health. 

Action

1. The AKC's popularity rankings cover about 200 breeds in the nation’s oldest canine registry. The stats are based on nearly 716,500 puppies and other dogs newly registered last year — about 1 in every 7 of them a Frenchie. Registration is voluntary.
2. The rankings don’t count mixed breeds or, at least for now, Labradoodles, puggles, Morkies, and other popular “designer” hybrids. The AKC's top 10 were: French bulldogs, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, bulldogs, Rottweilers, beagles, dachshunds, and German shorthaired pointers.
3. Last year, about 108,000 newly registered FB surpassed Labs by 21,000
4. A lot of these problems can happen with any breed, and some other breeds have different problems that are rare with FBs. But any dog can get sick
   1. Hip dysplasia 
   2. Cancer 
5. The American Veterinary Medical Association is exploring ways to improve flat-faced breeds.
6. Reseach what goes into owning any breed. 
   1. Websites are not best for researching breeds. They  tend to harp on the good qualities while remaining silent about many of the bad qualities, including temperaments that may be more likely in a particular breed. 
   2. IMO it is best to connect with someone that works with dogs. They see a lot of dogs and are more likely to articulate the drawbacks of many breeds. 

Result

1. People will continue to breed these dogs. They are popular, and the money is too good. 

Closing 

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