THE BULLDOG and Shar Pei have become the latest in a long line of pedigree breeds attacked by
Jemima Harrison, producer of Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

In a detailed attack, which appeared in The Daily Mail, Ms Harrison took the news of Victoria
Beckham’s gift of a Bulldog, to husband David, as an opening to again unleash her thoughts on dog breeders, exhibitors and pedigree dogs, in particular the Bulldog.

Describing the breed as ‘a mess’, she goes on the say that, in her opinion, ‘years of intensive breeding have turned this once strong and proud British icon into a mess.

The poor things can't mate or give birth without help; and they're likely to overheat and collapse on anything balmier than a mildly warm day.’

The Bulldog, named Coco, was bought from a breeder in Hertfordshire, at an alledged cost of
£2,000.

However, the article claims that the Bulldog may not be with the family for long, according to Ms
Harrison, an average Bulldog’s lifespan in just six years and ‘their short lives are often beset by agonising health problems. They are the sickest dogs in Britain, with the worst levels of deformity, disability and disease of any breed.’

Coco will join David's two Rottweilers, Snoopy and Puff.

Painful

The Beckhams were also alleged to have once owned a Shar Pei bought, according to Ms Harrison, from a Spanish pet shop. Again, the breed comes under scrutiny, with regard to its wrinkles, which can in some countries result ‘in terrible skin infections. Skin folds around
the eyes cause problems even in UK shar-peis. Many puppies have their eyelids tacked back by a vet to prevent their eyelashes rubbing the eyes and causing painful ulcers.’

The Bulldog was also deemed a noisy dog, with severe snoring from one end and wind from the
other: ‘They are also notoriously windy, due to their misshapen bodies, which bear no resemblance to the bulldog of old. These, as the name implies, were strong and lithe enough to take on a bull’, says Ms Harrison.

Exercise intolerance and crippling hip dysplasia were also claimed to plague the breed.

'It is ironic that a professional athlete would purchase an animal that is destined to be so physically compromised,' says Dr Paul McGreevy, author of several key papers highlighting genetic problems in pedigree dogs.

The KC, which recently changed the Breed Standard for the Bulldog, declined to comment on the article.

David Cavill commented: ‘'I was interested to see Jemima Harrison's article in the Daily Mail about the Bulldog Victoria Beckham bought David for Christmas. Jemima is clearly milking and cashing in on her notoriety for all it is worth although to be fair, she is as critical of the Beckhams as she is of the breed - The Daily Mail milking their notoriety, of course.

Nonsense

‘It is true she pays lip service to the Kennel Club's work in the final paragraph but most of the diatribe is nonsense. She says that Bulldogs cannot be flown but once again her
research is flawed - one of the UK's top winning Bulldogs, Brando, travelled to Long Beech,
California for the Eukanuba show (and back and then to Finland a few days later) with no ill effects.

Jemima also makes other uncorroborated accusations about the breed.

She says that the size of its trachea, for example, is comparable with that of a Chihuahua. I have been out with Bulldogs which can keep up with my Finnish Spitz: such a
remark is prejudicial nonsense.

‘Of course there some problems in Bulldogs: it is an extreme example of what man has been able to achieve with dogs, but to castigate the Beckhams and breeders for a conformation which has been acceptable for generations and that many people love is thoughtless and insensitive, especially given the progress which has been made in the past few years in improving
the quality of the breed. The breed is the healthiest it has been for many years and we only have to look the current crop in the ring to see that they exhibit none of the 'sickly' characteristics described by Jemima in her article.

‘As someone who, with Our Dogs, is committed to improving the quality of life in dogs (I and Our
Dogs were given an honourable mention in Professor David Morton's paper delivered to the
University Federation of Animal Welfare's conference back in 2006 - our work, like that of the KC, is not new) I really resent the damage people like Jemima and the national media are doing to undermine the really progressive work being done by our breeders and the Kennel
Club. We have our own internal difficulties it is true but much progress is being made - and we
would move forward more quickly without further interference.

‘If Jemima and Co would focus on the real problem - the puppy farmers who are thoughtlessly
flooding the market with poorly bred stock - they might begin to do the world of pedigree dogs a service.'

Send your opinion of this story below