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Pug
Pugs are among the breeds most affected by airway disease in UK studies, so the parents' breathing grades from the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme come first; grade 0 or 1 is what you hope to see. The prominent eyes are prone to ulcers and pigment spreading across the cornea, which is why a current eye certificate is the other minimum check.
Two further questions are worth asking. Have the parents had the DNA test for Pug dog encephalitis, which reports risk rather than a diagnosis? And have their spines been X-rayed? Older Pugs often develop a slowly worsening wobble in the back legs from spinal cord disease.
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French Bulldog
Narrow nostrils and an overlong soft palate leave a large share of French Bulldogs with some degree of breathing obstruction, so a breathing grade on both parents is the minimum the Royal Kennel Club recommends. Its best-practice list adds hip, elbow and eye scheme results and the DNA test for hereditary cataract.
Ask too about skin folds, ears and backs. The breed is prone to fold infections, ear disease, malformed vertebrae and early disc problems. Unusual colours such as merle are a warning sign rather than a bonus: the Royal Kennel Club will not register merle Frenchies because the gene raises the risk of deafness and sight problems.
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Bulldog
The Bulldog brings the airway problems of a flat face together with heavy skin folds, a tight tail and a broad, low frame, so the questions go beyond breathing. The Royal Kennel Club's minimum checks are a breathing grade and an eye certificate, as inturned eyelids and cherry eye are common. Hip and elbow scores and the DNA test for hyperuricosuria, which leads to bladder stones, are best practice.
In a UK breed survey, more than 80% of Bulldog litters were delivered by caesarean section. Ask how the facial folds and tail pocket are kept clean, because owners will be doing it for life.
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Pekingese
In a 2026 University of Cambridge study of 14 short-faced breeds, the Pekingese was the most affected: almost nine in ten dogs showed signs of airway disease, and only about 6% had open nostrils. That puts it on a par with the Pug and French Bulldog. Its breathing grade became a recognised Royal Kennel Club test in August 2026, so ask whether the parents have been assessed.
The long back and short legs carry a high risk of disc disease, and the large, exposed eyes are easily injured. A current eye certificate and a puppy kept lean as it grows help on both counts.
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Japanese Chin
Easy to file under low-risk toy breeds, the Japanese Chin was the second most affected breed in the same 2026 Cambridge study, with around 82% of dogs showing signs of airway disease and fewer than one in five having open nostrils. Ask for the parents' breathing grades, recognised by the Royal Kennel Club since August 2026, and an eye certificate, since the wide-set, prominent eyes are prone to scratches and ulcers.
Slipping kneecaps and heart murmurs from valve disease are also reported in the breed, so a vet's check of knees and heart on both parents is a fair request.
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Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier sits in the moderate group for breathing problems, but Cambridge researchers found it more likely than most breeds studied to have narrowed nostrils, so look at the parents' noses as well as their grades. Its large, forward-facing eyes are a frequent site of ulcers, and the breed has a DNA test for an inherited early cataract (HSF4) that a breeder should be able to show alongside an eye certificate.
In a UK breed survey, more than nine in ten Boston litters were born by caesarean section. Screw tails and malformed vertebrae also occur, so ask whether either parent has had spinal X-rays.
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Shih Tzu
The flowing coat makes it easy to forget the Shih Tzu has a flat face, yet it sits in the moderate-risk group of the 2026 Cambridge study, where between half and three quarters of dogs showed some sign of airway disease. A breathing grade has been a recognised Royal Kennel Club test since August 2026.
Eyes are the breed's minimum check, and UK vet records show more corneal ulcers and disc disease in Shih Tzus than in dogs overall, so ask for a current eye certificate on both parents. The short jaw crowds the teeth, so plan for regular dental care and keep the hair around the eyes trimmed.
More about Shih Tzu8
King Charles Spaniel
Not to be confused with the Cavalier, the King Charles Spaniel has a much shorter, upturned face and falls in the Cambridge study's moderate-risk group for breathing. It shares the Cavalier's skull-related problem: Chiari-like malformation with syringomyelia, where fluid-filled cavities form in the spinal cord and can cause neck pain and scratching, is suspected to be inherited in the breed and is screened by MRI.
Ask whether the parents have been heart-checked for valve disease and MRI-scanned, alongside an eye certificate and, since August 2026, a recognised breathing grade.
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Griffon Bruxellois
This small Belgian toy breed is in the moderate-risk group for airway disease, and Cambridge researchers found it more likely than most breeds studied to have narrowed nostrils. Its other major concern is neurological. Chiari-like malformation with syringomyelia, where the skull is too small for the brain and fluid-filled cavities develop in the spinal cord, has been shown to be inherited in the Griffon.
Ask whether the parents have been MRI-screened under the BVA scheme, alongside eye and breathing results. Scratching at the neck, yelping when lifted and sensitivity around the head are signs to raise with a vet.
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Dogue de Bordeaux
A giant breed is easy to leave off a flat-face shortlist, but the Dogue de Bordeaux's short muzzle puts it in the moderate-risk group for airway disease, and in a dog this heavy, overheating is a real concern. The Royal Kennel Club's minimum checks are hip, elbow and eye scheme results, reflecting the joint problems common in fast-growing giants.
Aortic stenosis, a narrowing where blood leaves the heart, is a recognised problem in the breed, so ask whether the parents have been examined by a vet with cardiology experience. Expect a shorter life than a smaller dog, and budget for joint care.
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Breathing is a lesser worry in the Cavalier, which fell into the mild group of the 2026 Cambridge study, but two serious conditions dominate the breed. Mitral valve disease starts earlier in Cavaliers than in most dogs, so ask for both parents' current heart grades and their ages when tested. Chiari-like malformation with syringomyelia, which can cause pain and scratching at the neck, is screened by MRI.
The Royal Kennel Club's minimum checks also include DNA tests for episodic falling and for curly coat with dry eye. For this breed, heart results on both parents are not optional.
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Boxer (dog breed)
Most Boxers breathe reasonably well, and the breed sits in the mild group of the 2026 Cambridge study, though its short muzzle still calls for care in hot weather. The bigger questions concern the heart. Aortic stenosis and an inherited rhythm disorder, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, both run in the breed, so ask for the parents' results from the breed club heart scheme and whether a 24-hour heart recording has been done.
Hip, elbow and eye scheme results are listed as best practice, and a DNA test for degenerative myelopathy, a late-onset spinal cord disease, is widely available.
More about Boxer (dog breed)13
Affenpinscher
The Affenpinscher's monkey-like face is short but less extreme than most here, and it sat in the mild group of the 2026 Cambridge study, where noisy breathing was common but clinically significant disease was rare. For a buyer drawn to a short face, it is one of the lower-risk options among the breeds assessed.
The Royal Kennel Club lists no specific tests beyond protecting genetic diversity, which reflects a small population rather than a clean bill of health. Ask about slipping kneecaps, eyes and crowded teeth, and whether the parents have had a breathing assessment anyway.
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