Canine behaviourist Will Atherton has named the three breeds he would never own himself, including one he describes as "more cat than dog". In a video shared on his YouTube channel in late 2022, Atherton told his 1.23 million subscribers why he would steer clear of these dogs.
French Bulldog: Health Concerns
Atherton's first pick is the French Bulldog, a companion breed that originated in Paris during the Victorian era. While popular in the UK and elsewhere, he pointed to rising neurological problems in the breed.
"Now don't get me wrong, a great French Bulldog can be a great dog, but with the boom in popularity, I'm seeing lots of French Bulldogs with lots of neurological problems, creating lots of incredibly difficult and challenging behaviours that are nearly impossible to fix," he said. "So for that reason I would steer well clear."
French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed, meaning they have a short skull and flat face, putting them at elevated risk of health problems including breathing issues.
XL Bully: Overbreeding Concerns
His second pick, for "almost identical reasons", is the XL Bully, an American Bully type that emerged in the US in the 1990s. The breed was partly developed to create a companion dog while retaining the strength and stature of its bull-breed ancestors.
The type has been largely banned in England and Wales following a series of deadly attacks, and owning one without a valid Certificate of Exemption is now a criminal offence.
Atherton said in the 2022 video that XL Bullies were "booming" in popularity, leading to "overbreeding and bad breeding". He argued that while the breed was created for "amazing purposes, of taking the intensity and aggression out of the Pitbull, unfortunately, bad breeders are starting to put that back into them, which is why we're seeing XL Bullies go as far as actually murdering people here in the UK".
Siberian Husky: Hard to Train
His third and final pick is the Siberian Husky, a breed that emerged in the harsh Arctic climate of Siberia. Their insulated double coat, high energy and stamina make them suited to working in brutally cold conditions, and while they can be good companions with training, their needs and stubbornness can overwhelm owners.
Atherton said they are "incredibly difficult to train" and that it is "incredibly difficult to fix any problem behaviours", describing them as "more cat than dog".
