Dogs in advertising

 

Dogs in advertising

When an appealing dog is used to advertise a service or a commodity, public demand for that breed increases, often to its detriment. There are many respected and responsible breeders for whom health and temperament of the animals they breed are the first of their considerations, and those two are frequently co-dependent, but when a breed becomes popular, it attracts unscrupulous people seeking to make money.

Greedy breeders breed indiscriminately and far too frequently, with little thought for the health of the brood bitches or their resultant litters. The puppies are sold to anyone who expresses a wish to pay for one without regard to the future living conditions of the dog or the suitability of the owners to care properly for them. Too many puppies are given up or thrown away when they grow out of the puppy stage or chew one too many chair legs, or growl at the children because the children have not been taught how to behave with animals.

We have always been interviewed for any animal we have wanted to acquire and that applies to animal shelters, too. When we, in a very small way, bred Burmese cats, we were always very careful about who they went to. One woman got quite snooty with me because I refused to let my kittens go around Christmas, quite the worst time of year for a young animal to go to its new home.

Pug

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

English bulldog

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Currently, it’s brachycephalic dogs that are causing concern. They are ‘cute-looking’, I’m told. For example, pugs have huge eyes that remind some people of babies. I’m sure there are responsible breeders of these dogs, but in the wrong hands, their inherent breathing problems will be exacerbated and their health and behaviour affected. The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) says:

"There is a real concern that the use of French Bulldogs, Bulldogs and Pugs in adverts is fuelling the popularity of these breeds, and is widening the market for those who simply wish to make money from these dogs with little or no regard for their health and wellbeing.   “These breeds can suffer from some horrible long-term health conditions . . . we are currently fighting a losing battle while these dogs continue to be used needlessly in thoughtless advertising. We are heading towards a welfare crisis for these breeds so it is time for companies to prioritise dog welfare over profit and commit to avoiding the use of flat faced dog breeds in advertising.  Not only will this make a real difference to the health and welfare of these dogs but it will help to protect the companies from brand damage and make it clear that they take their corporate social responsibility seriously.”  

Breeds that have suffered or may suffer in future because of advertising or exposure in film or television programmes, include the Old English Sheepdog, Dalmatian, Basset hound, Dachshund, the ‘doodle’ breeds (those breeds crossed with poodles, like Goldendoodle, Maltipoo, Cockapoo, of which there are currently 40 different mixes)

I wonder whether companies will, as the RVC hopes, ‘take their corporate social responsibility seriously’. My feeling, cynic that I am, is that they will move onto something else to capture the public’s imagination, a wolf hybrid, perhaps.

Would a tarantula or a scorpion excite the same acquisitive reaction? Possibly. The owl in the Harry Potter films generated a desire in children to have their very own owl, so an expertly photographed and photogenic chamaeleon or poison dart frog would probably appeal, too.