Golden retrievers and Labradors are America’s favorite breeds, but you wouldn’t know it from Instagram. The most popular pups on the network are French bulldogs, pugs and bulldogs, with their genetically engineered bug-eyes and smushed faces, according to a study this year.
What’s good for the ’gram isn’t always good for the dog, however. Many of these brachycephalic breeds come with significant respiratory issues and other health problems, making actual ownership a more expensive and high-maintenance proposition than social media might suggest.
Hilary Sloan, a rescue advocate who runs the enormously popular @ellabeanthedog account, points out that media has always had a tendency to spawn trends.