The bull terrier was a handsome, athletic dog. Somewhere along its journey to a mutated skull and thick abdomen, it picked up other maladies like supernumerary teeth and compulsive tail-chasing.

Most people who own a bulldog will tell you that the vet is on speed dial and many people who have bought or adopted a labrador end up with a dog far removed from the docile and friendly breed they are meant to be.

Unfortunately, trends in dog ownership will make a breed more popular than others for some time, giving opportunity for the unscrupulous breeder to make a quick profit.

The basset hound needs the long ears to gather the scent around the nose, but it certainly will not benefit from an exaggeration of this feature as ears get injured dragging on the floor and eyes deteriorate due to the skin folding over them.

Unfortunately when dogs became things of beauty rather than functionality, we started seeing more health problems related to their looks.

Such is the same for the Cavalier King Charles, which now has such a small skull that the brain pushed down on the brain stem, causing seizures. Bulldogs can hardly ever reproduce without the help of a test tube and a Caesarean section. One should question whether we have gone too far.

Temperament has also suffered in the process as many skills bred into certain breeds are being lost and owners are left baffled as why their pure breed acts totally opposite to the breed standard.

Repeatedly, breeding for looks alone will always be at the detriment of temperament and health. The number of labrador retrievers we see being admitted to shelters now because they show signs of aggression is staggering and totally against the breed standard. The German Shepherd is known for its courage, yet we often receive them with such fearful dispositions that we cannot find a new home for them.

But there is hope yet. A few well-intentioned breeders will do the necessary testing, the necessary mate selection and the necessary socialisation required to ensure a healthy sustainable population of dogs for the future but one must look for them.

What many people fail to realise when shopping for a new puppy is that price is not everything. Dogs Trust Malta is working with breeders who want to learn about socialisation up to eight and 16 weeks.

Looking beyond the price when looking for a puppy might just help you get a healthier and better behaved dog; maybe a few freebies in the future from Dogs Trust Malta.

Look out for The Puppy Plan logo in the coming weeks. But buyer, beware! Do not believe it until you see proof of The Puppy Plan and of any testing that was done on the parents. Dogs Trust Malta can help you ask the right questions.

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