Improvements include a smaller head, less facial skin-folds, longer legs and a leaner body. In time these changes will deliver less classic breed-specific problems such as difficulties in the animals’ breathing coupled with exercise and heat tolerance, which are all directly affected by an elongated soft palate, narrowed nostrils and a flattened face. The greatest change however will simply be the reduced number of caesarian sections required to actually bring them into the world.

With their new slim-line design featuring shrunken head, fewer bitches will require general anaesthetic accompanied by some major abdominal surgery – just to deliver them. Sadly this practice is still common with Belgian Blue cattle – they are just too big to be born naturally and as a result one cow can have up to nine caesarians in her lifetime, usually all just a year apart and one after the other.

Many other popular breeds, like the German Shepherd and Bloodhound are also due exciting new re-vamps. It’s all change in the Pedigree Dog world, and if Obama, the States and our human world is anything to go by, change can only mean good news for all.

Useful Links:

Kennel Club: www.thekennelclub.org.uk

Crufts: www.crufts.org.uk

Bulldog on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulldog