People now keep flat-faced dogs such as French bulldogs(法国斗牛犬) as pets because they are cute. Some people call these dogs "lazy" because they get sleepier more easily than other dogs during the day. However, these cute dogs are having a hard time, according to a recent study.
Scientists at Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary watched 92 family dogs of different types while they were sleeping.
During the study, the dogs spent about three hours with their owners in the sleep lab. With nothing special to do, the dogs soon fell asleep. At that time, the scientists recorded the dogs'brain activities by an electroencephalogram(EEG, 脑电图), which doesn't hurt the dogs.
The study found that the flat-faced dogs slept more than the other kinds. This may be because they don't get enough sleep at night. The scientists explained that this is because of sleep apnea(睡眠呼吸暂停症), which only happens in French bulldogs.
During their sleep, they can't get enough air and may find it difficult to breathe, which makes them constantly wake up.
Some French bulldogs may sleep while holding a toy ball in their mouths. Owners may think this is funny. But they're actually doing it to keep their airways open so they can breathe more easily.
This, however, is only one of the health problems dogs have because of breeding(培育). According to the website Pet Helpul, a lot of pet dogs are bred based on what people like, such as shorter legs, heavier bodies, and larger ears. Bulldogs are one of them.
Lots of pet lovers are calling for people to respect dogs as they are. "Breeders must take the health of their dogs seriously instead of just for cuteness," Australian vet Karen Hedberg told ABC News,
