Animal welfare activists claim that pets bred to be flat-faced to look cute have inherent

breathing problems forcing them to live in perpetual respiratory distress.

Breeders and kennel clubs say this should be outweighed by the importance of preserving

the heritage and history of these breeds.

What does science have to say on this question?

That's coming up right now on Skeptoid.

You're listening to Skeptoid. I'm Brian Dunning from Skeptoid.com.

Why you don't want a flat-faced pet?

Dogs are the best humans ever, and cats can make the best self-sufficient, warm-purring

teddy bears.

Most of us love one or the other or both, and we've bred them over the centuries to better

fit our notions of what looks good or cute.

In some cases, this has produced breeds that are short-nosed, sometimes to the point of

being flat-faced with no protruding nose or snout at all.

Think of a dog like the pug or a Persian cat.

The anatomical term is brachycephally, literally short-head, and it's a trait that many enthusiasts

of pedigree dog and cat breeds strive for.

However, if you're aware of these breeds, you have likely also heard the claim that

brachycephalic breeds have inherent health problems, mainly that they live their entire

lives in a state of inescapable respiratory distress.

To the point that quite a lot of animal welfare activists consider these animals to be essentially

tortured.

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