Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2020 Aug 26;15(8):e0237276. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237276. eCollection 2020.
Brachycephalic breeds are proliferating internationally, with dramatic rises in popularity juxtaposed with common and severe breed-related health problems. Physical appearance is as a dominant factor attracting owners to brachycephalic breeds; however, whether these owners will choose their current breed for future ownership and develop 'breed-loyalty' in the face of health problems is not yet known. The aims of this study were (1) to quantify levels of, and explore factors associated with, brachycephalic dog owners' intentions to: (i) reacquire and/or (ii) recommend their current breed to potential first-time dog owners, and (2) to use qualitative methods to explore why brachycephalic dog owners would or would not recommend their current breed. This large mixed methods study reports on 2168 owners of brachycephalic breeds (Pugs: n = 789; French Bulldog: n = 741; Bulldogs: n = 638). Owners were highly likely to want to own their breed again in the future (93.0%) and recommend their breed to other owners (65.5%). Statistical modelling identified that first-time ownership and increased strength of the dog-owner relationship increased the likelihood of reacquisition and/or recommendation. In contrast, an increased number of health problems, positive perception of their dog's health compared with the rest of their breed, and dog behaviour being worse than expected decreased the likelihood of reacquisition and/or recommendation. Thematic analyses constructed three themes describing why owners recommend their breed: positive behavioural attributes for a companion dog, breed suited to a sedentary lifestyle with limited space, and suitability for households with children. Five themes described why owners recommended against their breed: high prevalence of health problems, expense of ownership, ethical and welfare issues associated with breeding brachycephalic dogs, negative effects upon owner lifestyle and negative behavioural attributes. Understanding how breed-loyalty develops, and whether it can be attenuated, will be key to controlling the current population boom in brachycephalic breeds in the long-term.
短头颅犬种在国际上日益流行，其受欢迎程度显著上升，同时也伴随着常见且严重的与品种相关的健康问题。外貌是吸引主人选择短头颅犬种的主要因素；然而，这些主人在面对健康问题时，是否会选择他们现有的品种进行未来的饲养，并发展出“品种忠诚度”，目前还不得而知。本研究的目的是：（1）量化短头颅犬主人的以下意图的水平，并探讨与之相关的因素：（i）重新获得和/或（ii）向潜在的首次养狗的人推荐他们现有的品种；（2）使用定性方法来探讨短头颅犬主人为什么会或不会推荐他们现有的品种。这项大型混合方法研究报告了 2168 名短头颅犬主人的情况（哈巴狗：n = 789；法国斗牛犬：n = 741；英国斗牛犬：n = 638）。主人非常希望在未来再次拥有自己的品种（93.0%），并向其他主人推荐自己的品种（65.5%）。统计建模确定，首次拥有和加强狗主人关系增加了重新获得和/或推荐的可能性。相比之下，更多的健康问题、与品种其他成员相比对自己的狗健康状况的积极看法，以及比预期更差的狗的行为会降低重新获得和/或推荐的可能性。主题分析构建了三个主题，描述了主人推荐他们品种的原因：作为伴侣犬的积极行为特征、适合有有限空间和 sedentary 生活方式的品种，以及适合有孩子的家庭。五个主题描述了主人不推荐自己品种的原因：健康问题高发、饲养成本高、与繁殖短头颅犬相关的伦理和福利问题、对主人生活方式的负面影响以及负面的行为特征。了解品种忠诚度的发展方式，以及是否可以减弱这种忠诚度，将是控制短头颅犬品种在长期内人口激增的关键。
