Vets are welcoming new data indicating a significant decline in the popularity of flat-faced dog breeds across the United Kingdom. According to breed registration statistics from the Royal Kennel Club (RKC), the number of pug registrations in the first three months of 2026 fell by 43% compared with the same period last year. Similarly, French bulldog registrations dropped by 37%, and bulldog registrations decreased by 34%.
Sharp Declines in Registrations
The RKC figures reveal that there were only 1,400 registrations of French bulldogs in the first quarter of 2026, a stark contrast to previous years. Bulldog registrations also fell sharply, while pug registrations plummeted to just 126 in the same period. These declines appear to be part of a long-term trend; pug registrations have fallen from 10,408 in 2016 to 834 in 2025, and French bulldog registrations dropped from a high of 54,074 in 2021 to 7,750 in 2025.
Health Concerns Drive Change
The surge in popularity of flat-faced, or brachycephalic, breeds had previously caused concern among experts. Veterinary organisations and charities have run numerous campaigns to highlight the serious health issues these breeds face due to their extreme body shapes, including skin disorders, eye ulcers, breathing difficulties, spine abnormalities, and complications during birth.
Prof Dan O’Neill of the Royal Veterinary College suggested that the decline in registrations reflects an end to the demand for flat-faced dogs in the UK. He noted that other data indicates the public is moving heavily towards owning poodle-cross designer dogs. "The British public are known as animal lovers, and the new RKC breed data support this view," he said. "After a decade of evidence generation and campaigning, the British public are now responding by rejecting ownership of these breeds, despite the dogs themselves often having lovely temperaments."
He added that issues such as high financial costs from frequent health problems, along with the human heartbreak and guilt from watching these dogs struggle to breathe or die early, are likely contributing to reduced ownership demand.
Growing Awareness of Responsible Breeding
The RKC suggested that the fall in registration figures reflects growing awareness about responsible breeding and ownership of such breeds. Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, a senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, welcomed the figures. "We saw a huge explosion in the popularity of flat-faced dogs at the start of the last decade, fuelled largely by social media and celebrity influencers. These new figures are an encouraging sign that campaigns such as BVA’s #BreedToBreathe and collaborative work by the Brachycephalic Working Group are beginning to have a positive impact on demand," she said.
However, she cautioned that there is still work to be done. "Of course, we know that there’s a large population of flat-faced dogs who aren’t Royal Kennel Club registered who’re being bred and bought across the UK, or being imported from abroad, so there’s still work to be done to tackle irresponsible breeding and to improve the overall welfare of these breeds. Our advice to anyone looking to get a puppy continues to be to prioritise health over looks."
