A dog’s beauty isn’t always defined by external appearances. If you’ve ever looked into the eyes of a loyal and loving dog with less than perfect facial features, you’ll see the canine beauty that others have missed. Recently, contests for ugly dogs have become popular throughout the country which has drawn attention and fame to dogs that were previously thought of as just being ugly. Here are five beautiful dog breeds that many people think of as ugly:
The English Bulldog
This broad, muscle bound dog breed is often described as being “so ugly that they’re cute.” Their rather pushed in appearing faces and habit of snorting and slobbering as they shuffle through the house with their broad based gait has managed to win over quite a few devoted dog lovers. English Bulldog fans can be quite fanatical about their love for this breed. Even though they may not have the classical dog beauty of a Golden Retriever, their rather unconventional look and image became the symbol for the Mack Truck Company many years ago and it appears to have served the company well.
The Chinese Crested Dog
There is probably not a more distinctive appearing dog among dog breeds than this little fellow. The hairless version of this dog breed is characterized by smooth, soft skin on its body, patches of hair on its paws, and long flowing hair on its head. Interesting enough, a past winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest was Sam, a Chinese Crested dog mix. If you asked the owners, they would almost surely describe Sam as a beautiful dog. Sometimes you just need to look a little deeper than what you see externally.
The Shar-pei
This dog breed is characterized by abundant wrinkles and skin folds around the head, neck and chest region giving them the appearance of being old and wise. The Shar-pei puppy manifests even more pronounced wrinkling than does the mature dog. Interesting enough, people sometimes find the loose, wrinkled skin on the puppy to be cute and endearing but often describe the adult Shar-pei as “ugly”, with the exception of their owners who, in most cases, think of them as beautiful dogs.
The Pug
This dog breed is considered to be the largest member of the toy dog breed and some would say the ugliest. Although their faces appear a bit distorted and they seem to have a perpetual look of worry on their faces, they’re actually quite humorous and clown like in their antics. They’re also quite good with children. No wonder so many Pug owners are smiling when they mention their devoted Pug dog.
The Neopolitan Mastiff
The previous representatives of the ugly dog class all pale in comparison to the massive, large boned, lumbering Neopolitan Mastiff. This unusual dog was bred by the Italians to be an estate guard dog and a formidable appearing guard dog he is. His daunting appearance is characterized by loose skin folds and wrinkling extending over his entire voluminous body. Despite his rather unconventional appearance, the Neopolitan Mastiff is known for being both loyal and protective of his family which makes him quite a beautiful dog in the eyes of his owners.
What does this illustrate? It shows that at least when it comes to dogs, beauty may, indeed, be in the eyes of the owner.
