Is This the End of the British Bulldog?

LONDON, Jan. 14, 2009 — -- British bulldogs may never be the same again, thanks to new breeding guidelines proposed by the British Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club has decided that the time has come to draw the curtains on a British icon. The British bulldog, beloved of so many, will swap its familiar jowls, large head and loose skin along its legs for a shrunken face, a sunken nose and a leaner body with longer legs.

But for those who are worried that the bulldog has become the latest Brit to succumb to Botox or plastic surgery, they can rest easy.

The changes to bulldog breeding rules are being touted as humane and were announced in the wake of a controversial BBC documentary, "Pedigree Dogs Exposed," which screened over the summer.

The film highlighted what it called abusive breeding practices, saying that bulldogs are unable to give birth naturally, since they are bred to have large heads and proportionally narrow hips, making childbirth difficult. Mating is also a challenge because of the bulldog's anatomy, hence many bulldogs are conceived using artificial insemination. After the film was released, the Kennel Club initially objected and made a formal complaint to Ofcom, the British broadcast regulator, accusing the documentary of bias.

But in a statement released on its Web site this week, The Kennel Club announced a revision of its breeding practices, saying that they would "not include anything that could in any way be interpreted as encouraging features that might prevent a dog from breathing, walking and seeing freely."

"This will help to prevent the practice of exaggeration, where features that are perceived to be desirable, such as a short muzzle or loose skin, are made more prominent by breeders, and which can have detrimental effects on a dog's health."

Meanwhile, Patrick Bateson, president of the Zoological Society of London, announced Tuesday that he will be heading an independent inquiry into dog breeding techniques, following the allegations made in" Pedigree Dogs Exposed." His report is expected to be completed by fall of this year.

The new plan to prioritize health over vanity has not gone down well with some breeders.

The British Bulldog Breed Council chairman, Robin Searle, told The London Times that the council may take legal action against the Kennel Club. He said, "What you'll get is a completely different dog, not a British bulldog." Calls from ABC News to the British Bulldog Breed Council were not immediately returned.

The reason for all the furor has to do with the British bulldog's unique place in British culture.

The bulldog's precise origins are unclear, but it is believed that it is a crossbreed between the mastiff and the pug. The bulldog was first used during the 1600's in bullbaiting, a form of dogfighting, when trained bulldogs would jump at a bull tied to a post, grab on to its snout and try to suffocate it.

This dangerous sport was finally outlawed in 1835, but the bulldog endured as a spirit of British resilience, especially after the Second World War. Indeed, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reportedly told a Nazi envoy, "Do you know why the English Bulldog has a jutting chin and sloping face? So he can breathe without letting go."

But now, under these new guidelines, the British bulldog might well become an icon of the past, along with dozens of other breeds, such as Labradors, Clumber Spaniels, Pekingese, bloodhounds, German shepherd hounds, basset hounds, and mastiffs.

Breeders who disagree with the Kennel Club can lodge their objections up until the end of June.

Marc Abraham, Veterinary Advisor at the Kennel Club said that these proposed changes to breeding practices "will leave breeders and judges in no doubt about their responsibilities to safeguard the health and welfare of dogs, first and foremost."