A veterinarian has spilled on the five dog breeds he would never “risk” owning — ranging from family-favourites to a “clever” type that will become destructive if you can’t keep them happy every day.
Amir Anwary, who runs an animal clinic in South Africa, explained the different varieties he would not recommend due to their life-long health conditions, weight problems or expensive vet bills.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Vet’s list of dog breeds he would never own.
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The vet said he would steer clear of the food-obsessed Labradors.
“Labradors are a very nice breed, I really like them but there are two problems things for me,” Amir said in a now-viral video.
“One is that they’re very food-driven so they love food so much they will find food anywhere — they will pick up anything from the floor.”
Secondly, Amir said the breed is prone to obesity, especially if their owners are not strict on their diet.
“So this is actually a genetic thing with Labradors, they’re prone to picking up weight,” he explained.
“Now you have a combination of a dog that loves to eat everything and very food motivated and a dog that gets overweight when it eats anything.
“So this is why Labradors are always so overweight — it’s nearly impossible to keep them skinny.”
As he works long hours, Amir said he would not have time to take a Labrador out on daily walks.
“I know, as an owner, I will give them the extra treat, I may not be able to take them for a walk every single day because I work so much and my Labrador will get fat,” he said, adding: “It’s not for me.”
Dachshunds
Amir said while he loves dachshunds, he can’t look past their serious condition called Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).
“They are prone to back problems. This can range from mild back pain to full paralysis behind limbs,” he explained.
“It can be fixed with surgery but this is extremely distressing and extremely expensive as well.
“So I, as a dog owner, would not want to risk getting a dachshund for this reason.”
According to statistics, one in four dachshunds at some stage in their lives will be affected by IVDD.
Shar Pei
Amir took particular issue with the Shar Pei breed due to its painful and excessive skin folds all over its body.
“They are bred to have this characteristic skin folds. The risk is that they can get skin fold dermatitis which is basically an infection between the skin folds because they capture moisture which is not ideal,” he explained.
“They also suffer from a condition called entropion which is basically where their upper eyelid folds in onto their eye, causing damage to the surface of the cornea so I found this to be very unnecessary and I would not own a Shar Pei just for that reason.”
Belgian Malinois
The vet explained how Belgian Malinois dogs are an extremely smart breed that requires constant attention — so they’re not ideal if you don’t have time to care for them.
“These dogs are way too clever, they require way too much mental stimulation and require way too much exercise,” Amir said.
“There are not enough hours in my day to keep a Belgian Malinois happy and stimulated. And if you don’t keep them stimulated, they will become destructive.
“So this is an extremely needy breed that I would not risk owning because I simply don’t have the time to invest into this breed.”
French bulldogs
Finally, Amir said he could never own a French bulldog due to their life-long health problems.
“I love French bulldogs but oh my word, they are allergic to planet earth and if it’s not allergies, it’s back problems. If it’s not back problems, it’s breathing problems because of their brachycephalic nature,” he explained.
“So I would not own a French bulldog purely because there’s nowhere I can confirm it’s going to be a healthy dog.
“And it’s very possible that I may be treating it for chronic conditions for the remainder of its life.”
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