Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University analysed behaviour in 5,000 dogs and found that short-nosed breeds such as French Bulldogs and Pugs show behavioural patterns linked to head shape, while low trainability among those dogs is driven largely by small body size and lack of training. Dog head shape is linked to health: numerous studies report that brachycephalic (short‑nosed) breeds have higher risks of breathing disorders, eye and skin diseases, and other health concerns.

The study, conducted by ethologists at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), drew on questionnaire data collected in Germany and examined how skull form relates to temperament and cognitive responses across many companion animals. The results separate traits that appear tied to head shape from those that reflect body size and owner treatment. Additional coverage of this same incident.

“We found that the low trainability of short-nosed dogs is mainly due to their small body size and lack of training — not their head shape,” said Borbála Turcsán, a member of the MTA-ELTE ‘Momentum’ Companion Animal Research Group. Her comment underscores the team’s finding that owner behaviour and physical stature substantially influence whether a dog responds well to training. Owners can cater to their dogs’ needs by providing regular exercise, mental enrichment, and positive social interaction tailored to each dog’s temperament.

At the same time, the researchers identified behavioural characteristics that remained associated with short-headed skulls even after accounting for background factors. “Calmness, boldness, and poor recall response are all traits specific to short-headed dogs. These behavioral traits are directly connected to head shape and remain significant even when we control for background factors,” Turcsán added. Research suggests small dogs tend to show more problem behaviours, such as fearfulness and excitability, than larger breeds, which may contribute to this aspect of their temperament. What steps can dog owners take to ensure their pets’ behavioral needs are met?

Enikő Kubinyi, head of the Department of Ethology at ELTE, framed those findings in neurological terms. “The brains of short-nosed dogs are more rounded, and their patterns of brain activity differ from those of other breeds, so it’s easy to imagine that their brains regulate behavior differently,” she said.

The authors emphasised a multifactorial picture: some tendencies — notably calmness and boldness coupled with weaker recall — line up with cranial form, while lower responsiveness to training tracks with being a small dog and how owners handle and socialise them. The paper noted that short-nosed breeds are often described as interactive, friendly, and playful, and that they are frequently spoiled and less frequently trained, contributing to their various behavioural traits. Specifically, health problems associated with these breeds can further complicate their behaviour and training.

The ELTE study sits alongside other work exploring links between morphology and welfare, and the researchers made their findings available for further scrutiny; an overview of the research is accessible on websites covering Hungarian science activity, including Study-In-Hungary.

For practitioners and owners, the study reframes an ongoing debate: breed-related physical traits can align with certain behavioural tendencies, but those tendencies do not explain all differences in how dogs perform in training or in everyday situations. The authors point to owner practices — frequency and type of training, socialisation and management — as decisive for trainability in many small, short-nosed breeds.

The findings have implications for vets, trainers and owners who work with brachycephalic (short-headed) dogs and for breeders and policy-makers considering how breed selection relates to behaviour and welfare. Readers seeking broader context on head shape and breed-related health or behaviour can consult complementary research into morphological risk and cognition from various academic institutions.

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