Gasp! Bulldogs at Discover Dogs

I'm at Discover Dogs and the above video shows two six-year-old Bulldog brothers (one called "Boss") on the Bulldog stand. They are in a dreadful state - note particularly the purple tongue, a classic sign of severe respiratory distress. The owner appeared oblivious to it, so de-sensitised are bulldog owners to the fact that many of their dogs live their entire lives in a state of hypoxia (oxygen starvation). And while these dogs were gasping for breath on the floor, members of the public ooh'd and ah'd and took pictures.  When will they learn? These dogs are suffering - really suffering.

The dogs were in such a poor state that I reported them to the show vet and showed him my footage, mentioning who I was.  "Could you hang on here a moment while I go and show this to the Kennel Club" asked Eric the vet, reaching out for my iPhone (on which I filmed the dogs). Fearing my beloved Apple portable device  might meet a sudden and untimely end once in KC paws, I said I would stay put while they fetched someone. Eric disappeared. I waited. Who would it be, I wondered. I waited some more. No one came. But of course - they would have gone straight to the Bulldog stand! I left my phone number with the veterinary nurse and hot-tailed it to the Bulldog stand just in time to see Eric the vet and KC Secretary Caroline Kisko ushering the two bulldogs and their unhappy owners off the stand. And it wasn't just for a quick vet-check either. They didn't return.

If you really want a Bulldog, avoid the KC version and go for one of the non-KC alternatives such as the Dorset or Victorian or Olde-Tyme Bullodgs. They are much less extreme and many more can mate and give birth naturally.

More from Discover Dogs shortly... Or perhaps I'll just do some shopping. Who's to tell?