Pets, Perception, and Personal Preference
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I recently participated in the educational and thought-provoking conference on brachycephalic breeds presented by the Swedish Kennel Club, 27 February 2016. More on that later …
Something that arises in all discussions of problems in dogs – especially those with exaggerated physical characteristics – is the fascinating issue of personal preference and people’s attraction, devotion, and attachment to certain breeds. For example, although there have been concerted efforts at educating consumers about brachycephalic breeds and their higher risk for health and welfare issues, especially in the UK, we heard that the numbers of Pugs and French Bulldogs being bought as pets continues to increase – by as much as 30% in recent years.
The Washington Post has recently published an interesting article that is very timely for our consideration of these complex issues – including thoughts and information from two friends of DogWellNet.com Hal Herzog and James Serpell, These experts help keep us thinking about tough issues (and we profile some of their work elsewhere on DogWellNetl.com).
Why We Love Dogs and Cats but not Bats and Rats
I suppose I could have included another P-word in my title – psychology (but of course it wouldn’t have supported the alliteration).
These animals at the other end of the leash from our beloved doggies – they are really fascinating!
Understanding their complexities is needed to help us to move forward on enhancing dog health, well-being and welfare.
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