LF: How a century of breeding 'improvement' has turned once-healthy dogs into deformed animals

The common perception of purebred dogs is that they are more striking, beautiful animals than they would be without human intervention.
However, that notion has been thrown to the dogs.
Strong photographic evidence has emerged that shows how 100 years of breeding has actually warped the good looks of the original hounds.

Ear we go: The basset hound has been transformed

Dog blogger Mus Musculus has published photographs of breeds taken in 1915, from Breeds Of All Nations by W E Mason, alongside photographs of the same variety taken recently to illustrate how their physical forms have been altered – and not necessarily for the better.

He explained: ‘To be able to make an honest comparison, I’ve chosen pictures with similar poses and in a couple of cases flipped the picture to get them both aligned in the same direction. I had to skip some breeds I wanted to include because of the lack of detail in the older photographs.’

The modern boxer now has a shorter face and slightly upturned nose

His comparison shows how the Basset Hound has become lower and now has ‘excessively large ears’.
The modern Boxer, he says, now has even more difficulty controlling temperature because its face is shorter and the muzzle is now slightly upturned.

Size matters? The English bulldog is now a hefty animal compared to 100 years ago

The English bulldog – the star of the Churchill insurance

ads – has become a real brute thanks to breeding.
Musculus said: ‘The bulldog’s monstrous proportions make them virtually incapable of mating or birthing without medical intervention.’

How low can you go? The dachshund's legs are now much shorter

The Bull Terrier, meanwhile, now has a ‘mutated skull’ and is nowhere near as handsome as it used to be, according to Musculus.
Photographs of the Dachshund show how its legs and body are no longer in proportion, meaning that it’s now more prone to intervertebral disc

disease.

Bigger and better? The St Bernard is now much stockier

The German Shepherd Dog has also gone downhill, according to the blogger.
He says that they used to be able to clear an 8.5ft wall, but are now ‘angulated and barrel-chested’, meaning that such a feat would no longer be possible.

Verdict: The dog blogger claims that the modern-day German shepherd would not be able to match its predecessor's athletic ability

Pugs have had a double-curl tail bred into them, but Musculus says that this can lead to paralysis. And its folded skin can lead to overheating.
One of the most striking transformations is the St Bernard, which used to be a sturdy athletic breed but now have lots of overheating problems and are more prone to disease.

Face facts: The bull terrier now has a different-shaped skull

Curly: The pug now has a tail that can lead to paralysis, the dog blogger explained

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