Anger over birth of UK’s first hairless French bulldogs

The birth of the UK’s first litter of hairless French bulldogs is further proof of how “extreme breeding” is harming the long-term health of these short-faced dogs, the British Veterinary Association has said.

While the trend of hairless Frenchies (known as Chinese Dushi) is believed to have started in China in in 2020, it has bow been reported that the first UK litter of the dogs has been bred in Scotland.

Commenting on the news, BVA president Justine Shotton told the Guardian: “Just because people like things to look a certain way it shouldn’t justify people being able to do things to these dogs that we know is going to cause potential harm and suffering and welfare issues.”

The BVA has long been outspoken about the health of bulldogs, pugs, and other short-faced, or brachycephalic, dogs. The breeds’ short noses and big eyes, can cause pain for the animals and prove costly for owners to treat, while shortened muzzles raise the risk of breathing problems and other conditions, with some breeds are also prone to spinal and neurological issues.

These newer dogs are likely to have added challenges due to their hairless skin, Justine Shotton noted. They’ll be more vulnerable to sunburns, less able to regulate their body temperature, and more prone to acne breakouts and skin infections without proper care.

She added: “We feel like a lot of these types of dogs that are being marketed as very rare or particularly unique, are just being bred as a sort of popularity thing to get people potentially attracted to these dogs, because they’re almost a status symbol, rather than thinking about the welfare of the dogs themselves.

“I’m just really disappointed when I see things like this and I wish that we can get potential owners to understand how much some of this extreme breeding really does affect the day to day welfare of these dogs.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) said crosses of certain dogs were worrying, adding the organisation has a confidential helpline for anyone with concerns about low-welfare breeding.

“The Scottish SPCA is extremely concerned about the increase in unscrupulous breeders breeding dogs with exaggerated characteristics and attempting specialist medical procedures without training. We are spearheading a taskforce to look in to these issues specifically,” they said.