The nature of dogs

How to recognize a dog’s character on its face

More and more people have begun to buy dogs with short noses as a pet. Speaking in scientific terms, experts call them brachycephalic. A recent study revealed that this trend is so popular. The brachycephalic breeds include pugs, both French and English, and classic long-legged bulldogs.


Dogs with shortened noses (muzzles) are often chosen as pets for protection. In addition, children and the aged people grow deeply attached to them. We just think these dogs are gentler, lovely and childishly naive, sometimes clumsy.

According to the statistics, I found out that these dogs more often suffer from disruptions in the body, and their lifetime is much shorter than one of the pets with a pointed muzzle. This unfortunate trait can be eased by the fact that short-nosed dogs are often awarded at exhibitions and canine competitions. These forms may be obtained only by the genetic selection method. But the flatter nose and the more substandard skull shape a dog has, the harder it breathes. Often, these dogs have frequent appointments at a veterinary surgeon.

Today we know more than 400 registered breeds. They are dogs of different shapes and sizes, ranging from a 60-kilo Newfoundland to a 2-kilo Chihuahua.


According to one of the co-authors of a recent research on breeds – Professor McGreevey – pets with a flat nose are taken to the vet more often due to a great number of genetic changes. However, people opt for these dogs on the subconscious level, even despite low life expectancy and health problems. In accordance with McGreevey, these breeds have a special personality and behavioral nature, and all this together is able to outweigh possible disadvantages.


Eight thousand dogs have been examined recently. It is found out that small dogs often get out of hand, attack, and fight. Larger dogs behave more calmly. The researchers analyzed 60,000 dogs of 45 breeds. According to the results of 60 tests, a dog’s skull shape determines its behavior and character. As a result, all the brachycephalic dogs were gentle, communicative with people, easily contacted, rather than pets with a pointed face.

The brachycephalic dogs played with sticks and dog toys, so we can conclude they are capable of being excellently trained. When strangers approached, the dogs demonstrated defensive qualities, i.e. they showed themselves as good guards and watchdogs.

It is important to say that they did not react to the dummies, which indicates they are intelligent and not too timid.