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If a Weimaraner has a hankerin’ for a poodle, who are we to judge, yet our yearning for perfection has wrought havoc on many of man’s best friends.

Science of Dogs takes a look at what a century of breeding has done to some well-known breeds, particularly in terms of the damage that’s been done over time.

Though there are many breeders out there with the best of intentions, it appears our experiments with evolution have gone horribly awry in too many cases.

The first pictures were found in the 1915 book Breeds of the World, the second, from modern sources.

Bull Terrier (above)

It seems incredible that at one time the Bull Terrier was a handsome, athletic dog. Somewhere along its journey to a mutated skull and thick abdomen the bull terrier also picked up a number of other maladies like supernumerary teeth and compulsive tail-chasing.

The English bulldog

The English bulldog has come to symbolize all that is wrong with the dog fancy and not without good reason; they suffer from almost every possible disease. A 2004 survey by the Kennel Club found that they die at the median age of 6.25 years (n=180). There really is no such thing as a healthy bulldog. The bulldog’s monstrous proportions makes them virtually incapable of mating or birthing without medical intervention.

The Dachshund

The Dachshund used to have functional legs and necks that made sense for their size. Backs and necks have gotten longer, chest jutted forward and legs have shrunk to such proportions that there is barely any clearance between the chest and floor. The dachschund has the highest risk of any breed for intervertebral disc disease which can result in paralysis; they are also prone to achondroplastic related pathologies, PRA and problems with their legs.

Full story at Science of Dogs via Gizmodo.

Demise of the dog.