British vet Cat, a popular TikToker, posts pet-care advice to 323,000 followers as @cat_the_vet. In a video from 2022, she gave a rundown of the five dog breeds she would not have as a pet, stressing that her choices were a personal preference and that other people may be better suited to them.
German Shepherds are 'really reactive'
Cat's first pick was the German Shepherd, which she called "absolutely beautiful dogs" but said are "really reactive" because they have been "bred to be suspicious and anxious".
"If they have a bad experience, they never forget it," she added. "They’re beautiful, but they’re big, they’re powerful and they can be really, really challenging." She said that for those reasons, they are "just not for me".
Flat-face breeds 'do not deserve to suffer'
The vet also ruled out any flat-faced breeds because of the health struggles they face. These brachycephalic breeds are "absolutely fabulous little dogs", she said, but "do not deserve to suffer as much as they do".
Cat said she could "never contribute to that suffering by deliberately owning one".
Border Collies are hard-wired to keep moving
Border Collies originate in the Anglo-Scottish border and have been bred for centuries as sheep herders, leaving them hard-wired to be constantly on the move. While some people have the time and energy to keep them occupied, Cat said she could never have one.
"I see quite a lot of these in practice bought from farms and kept as pets," she said at the time. "Huge numbers of them have mental health problems." She added: "these are dogs who need a job." Cat said she does not have enough free time to "make sure they’re living their best lives with me".
Shar Peis, St Bernards and the problem of slobber
Shar Peis, the medium-sized breed from southern China known for their deep wrinkles, also made the list. Cat said it is a "breed that doesn’t appeal to me personally", adding that they have "lots of health problems and lots of behavioural issues as well which often relate to the fact that because of their health they're in pain and discomfort", which makes them "grumpy".
She also ruled out ever getting a St Bernard, or "really any large breed dog with loads of jowls" prone to slobbering - something she said she "can't cope with". St Bernards are large working dogs from the Western Alps in Switzerland and Italy.
"I had a client once tell me that she had slobber on her ceilings, I am 5'2, I would need a step ladder to reach it," Cat said. She said she has enough to clean in the house already, without the added stress of mopping down slobber, though she described them as "lovely" and "sweet dogs".
