Scientists pinpoint the GENES that stop flat-faced dogs breathing

"Scientists from the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) assessed the respiratory health of over 4,000 dogs in their pedigree records. This revealed that two characteristics related to breathing difficulties are moderately heritable, meaning they can be passed on from parent to puppy. Scientists say that 21 to 49 per cent of the difference in a dog's respiratory health and 31 to 39 per cent of the variation in nostril size was down to genetics. This suggests that BOAS rates could be significantly reduced by preventing the worst-affected dogs from breeding."

"BOAS is a restriction of the upper airway tract caused by narrow nostrils, an elongated soft palate in a small head, and a windpipe that is proportionally too narrow. Its primary cause is excessive breeding for 'aesthetically pleasing' characteristics, such as small heads, bulging eyes, short noses, and flat faces. As such, the condition is almost exclusively found in flat-faced or 'brachycephalic' designer breeds."

"The RKC looked at rates of BOAS in three of the most popular flat-faced breeds in the UK: Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs. Their data, collected through a standardised exercise test, showed that these flat-faced dogs had significantly higher rates of breathing difficulties than healthy breeds. French Bulldogs had the lowest rates of BOAS among those breeds tested, with 15 per cent of all dogs in the RKC's records showing the debilitating condition."

Flat-faced dogs such as Pugs and French Bulldogs are prone to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), which causes breathing difficulty, exercise intolerance, overheating risk, and can be fatal. Researchers identified genetic contributions to traits associated with BOAS by assessing respiratory health in over 4,000 pedigree dogs. Two breathing-related characteristics were found to be moderately heritable, with genetics accounting for a substantial portion of variation in respiratory health and nostril size. BOAS results from anatomical features including narrow nostrils, an elongated soft palate, and a disproportionately narrow windpipe, driven largely by selective breeding for appearance. Data from Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs showed significantly higher BOAS rates than in healthy breeds, with French Bulldogs lowest among them.

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