Qualifications for the Ugliest Dog Breeds

The saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder� has never been more true when it comes to ugly dog breeds. Some people consider breeds of dog like the Bull Mastiff, distinguished and powerful, while others consider them to be ugly and beastly. Many times, dogs of mixed breed, also known as mutts, are thought to be just that, a mutt. However, full bred dogs that are uglier than most mutt dogs are considered "distinguished, different� and sought after. Bottom line is there are no specific qualifications for a dog to be considered ugly. It all depends on who is doing the judging. People's views towards beauty and ugliness can be very different but one breed of dog that is always entered in ugly dog contests, if not the winner, is the Chinese Crested.

Some of the qualifications for being an ugly dog breed include:

•Winning the ugly dog contests
•Having health problems that contribute to their ugliness
•Having squished faces
•Being considered ugly historically

The following are some examples of dogs that tend to fit these qualifications for ugly dog breeds:

The Chinese Crested, as mentioned before. There are two types of Chinese Crested breed of dog, one is the hairless and the other Powderpuff. The hairless type has only tufts of hair on it's head, feet and tail. While the Powderpuff type is completely covered with hair. Both types are small dogs, with a height of nine to thirteen inches and weighing somewhere between five and fourteen pounds. Some people think they resemble a rat or a weasel, especially the hairless type.

It is believed the Chinese Crested dog originated in Africa from the African hairless dogs that live there. And from Africa, they were brought to China by traders, which used them on boats to catch mice and rats. During the reign of Han Dynasty, this breed was commonly used as food and eaten. Because they were hairless they were thought to be without fleas and the Chinese Crested were often chosen by traders to be used on ships as "ratters�. Upon these ships, they made their way into Europe and South America through the trade routes. They eventually made an appearance in the United States but it was not until 1960. This breed was not recognized by the AKC until 1991. The Chinese Crested has won the World's Most Ugliest Dog contest several times. It is common for this breed to experience eye problems, such as glaucoma and suffer from skin problems that appear like warts on their body. These health problems only add more "ugly� characteristics to this breed.

Another breed of dog that is often considered to be ugly is the Pug. The Pug dog is a small but robust dog breed with a wrinkled face. This breed has a compact body, a flat, wrinkled face and a curled tail. The Pug is larger than the Chinese Crested. The Pug dog generally stands between ten and eleven inches tall and weighs around fourteen to eighteen pounds. Because of their short noses, Pugs often times develop breathing problems, which can cause them to make grunting nasal noises that increase as they become excited. These nasal noises, along with their flat, wrinkled face and curly tail are why many people consider them to be an ugly breed of dog.

The Bull Mastiff is an intimidating, powerful breed of dog, which some consider to be ugly. This breed is quite large, standing twenty-five to twenty-seven inches tall and weighing 110 to 130 pounds. The Bull Mastiff originated in England in the mid 1800's. Mastiff dogs commonly were used to catch poachers or thieves but they were found to be too slow. Bulldogs were then used but too often the Bulldog would rip the poachers to pieces. Bulldogs and Mastiff dogs were bred to try to find a good medium, which eventually led to a breed that was sixty percent Mastiff and forty percent Bulldog. The end result: the Bull Mastiff, which is now one of the more popular of the mixed dog breeds.

More Learn About Dogs

« Los Angeles settles dog food | Only Dog Beds | Pros and Cons of Owning A So-Called Ugly Dog »