Who's afraid of an ugly dog?

Gone are the days when conformity ruled and oddities were shunned. Today, character increasingly trumps cookie-cutter, and quirks are celebrated as badges of honor. Our love for pets embraces all shapes, sizes, and imperfections.

Ugly Dog Day, celebrated every June, serves as a rebellion against the perfect pet paradigm. It gives a big middle finger to traditional standards and honors the "imperfect" dogs that have stolen our hearts and become viral sensations.

What flips the switch between “cute” and “cringe” in our pet preferences? How have we shifted from pitying to parading dogs that flaunt their quirks loud and proud? Buckle up, because we’re diving deep into the wild world of "ugly" dogs and why we adore them.

What’s with the historical obsession with perfection?

Historically, our obsession with physical perfection in pets has been just as ridiculous as societal beauty standards. For decades—and sometimes still today—breeding practices were aimed at eradicating any traits deemed "undesirable," resulting in the exclusion of pets with unique features and echoing a societal obsession with an impossible ideal.

While our quest for the picture-perfect pet isn’t new, no era was more notorious for it than the Victorian era. A time when dog shows became all the rage, and suddenly, beauty was more important than brawn, intelligence, or working prowess.

As Meg Daley Olmert of Nature points out, “The pug was shrunk from 14 kilograms to 10. Pointers grew larger. More toxic standards were set for the newly redundant bulldog. Selective breeding and surgical ‘face jobs’ produced extremely flat-faced dogs… The goal was improvement of the dog show, not the dog. Breed standards based on fashion were locked into place to make judging easier and competition fairer. The result was dog‑as-commodity.”

Fast forward to today’s supermarket aisles and Instagram feeds, where even our fruits must look flawless and our furniture catalogue-worthy. Thankfully, a cultural shift is underway. We’re ditching the gloss for the genuine, finding charm in the chipped and attraction in the unique. Brands like Imperfect Foods and platforms like Facebook Marketplace are turning yesterday’s rejects into today's must-haves. Perfection – it’s overrated.

Beauty, brains, and the neuroscience of cuteness

Now that we’ve shredded the history of pet aesthetics, let’s dig into what "beauty" actually means. What makes us melt for certain critters? Humans are hardwired to be drawn to certain traits we perceive as cute. This isn’t just a shallow preference—it’s deep in our brains' wiring.

• Nucleus Accumbens: This brain hotspot dishes out dopamine – a feel-good neurotransmitter – when we spot something cute, compelling us to cuddle, protect, and generally fawn over it.

• Amygdala: Here lies our emotional epicenter. It processes emotional stimuli, including those we find cute, triggering protective and nurturing behaviors.

• Orbitofrontal Cortex: Part of the prefrontal cortex, if you were to scan your brain while looking at an adorable puppy, you’d likely see this part of your brain light up brightly. It’s the headquarters of emotion, memory, and pleasure.

• Prefrontal Cortex: This area is all about higher-order functions like decision-making and social behavior. It helps us regulate our response to cute stimuli, ensuring our nurturing behaviors are appropriate (aka keeping too much cute aggression at bay). It also plays a role in long-term bonding and attachment.

A study summarized by Psychology Today delves into why we tend to care more about beautiful animals than those deemed less attractive. The research highlights several key points:

• Aesthetic Preferences: People are naturally drawn to animals with features that align with conventional beauty standards. Think symmetry, vibrant colors, and appealing shapes.

• Emotional Responses: Beautiful animals often elicit stronger positive emotional responses. This can include happiness, affection, and a desire to protect the animal.

• Evolutionary Perspectives: The study suggests that evolutionary factors may influence our preferences. Traits associated with health, vitality, and reproductive fitness are often perceived as beautiful, leading to an innate preference for such characteristics.

So, by these standards, you'd think “ugly” dogs would be at a disadvantage, right? Wrong. Despite our brain’s wiring to favor beauty, many "ugly" pets evoke strong positive emotional responses from people. Let’s break down why.

The ugly-cute conundrum

Despite our beauty-biased brains, “ugly” dogs often snag our sympathies and steal our hearts. Why? Blame it on the alc– or rather –psychological, evolutionary, and social factors.

• Baby Schema (Kindchenschema): Proposed by ethologist Konrad Lorenz, this concept suggests that certain infant-like features trigger nurturing and caregiving responses in adults. Droopy eyes and lopsided ears? Evolution’s sneaky way of making us adore the underdog.

• Symmetry and Familiarity: Symmetry is often associated with beauty, but slight asymmetries and unique features can make an animal more relatable and memorable. Imperfections can make a pet stand out and become more endearing to us.

• Evolutionary Advantage: From an evolutionary perspective, being drawn to animals needing care, regardless of their looks, might have been beneficial for our ancestors, ensuring the survival of species.

• Social and Cultural Influences: Media and cultural narratives help shape our perceptions of "ugly" pets. Stories of animals overcoming adversity or showing loyalty and affection despite their flaws tug at our heartstrings. Think classic fairy tales like Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” or the more modern “The Sneetches” by Dr. Seuss.

Imperfect pets, with their asymmetries and unique flair, remind us of ourselves—flawed but lovable all the same. And in a world plastered with polished selfies and filtered façades, a bit of realness is refreshingly relatable.

After all, coming home to a companion who offers nothing but pure devotion and excitement trumps everything.

From misfits to megastars

Today, the unique characteristics that once may have been a death sentence can now catapult a dog into a social media sensation.

Image credit: TunaMeltsMyHeart on Instagram

Ugly pets are the unexpected viral MVPs, with Dogs like Tuna the Chiweenie, with his standout smile, and Cash “Munty” the eternally grumpy pup, flipping scripts and racking up followers. These influencers champion individuality, turning their quirks into fans and followers.

The ugliest show on Earth

The famous World's Ugliest Dog Contest is a testament to this cultural shift. Far from being a cruel joke, it's a celebration of uniqueness and seeks to raise awareness about dog rescue and adoption. Held every June in California since the 1970s, this event brings together up to 30,000 attendees, all eager to celebrate the charm of dogs with lopsided grins, missing teeth, and unconventional proportions.

Image credit: NJ.com

2023’s contest winner Scooter (above) is a textbook example of our evolving attitudes around perfection. The seven-year-old Chinese Crested turned heads with his reversed hind legs and mobility cart and tugged at heartstrings with his story of resilience and second chances; Scooter was adopted and saved from euthanasia by his family before taking home the title.

It’s the ultimate underdog story; rescued from an early demise and now a crowned and celebrated champion! Many of the dogs who take the title are rescues who got a second chance at life.

From 'no way' to 'yes, please!': The adoption revolution

As seen with Scooter and many others, celebrating the uniqueness of "ugly" pets has a real impact on adoption rates. Shelters and rescue organizations report that showcasing these pets' unique stories often leads to a surge in adoption interest.

For example, the story of an adoptable dog named Dutchess who made headlines after potential adopters were overheard calling her ugly. When the shelter recounted the unfortunate incident in a Facebook post, they were surprised to see it rack up thousands of interactions, leading to an outpouring of adoption applications. Ultimately, the deformities that caused her initial discrimination likely are what ended up finding her a forever home.

“Ugly” is in the eye of the beholder

All pets, like people, deserve to be seen just as they are. That’s why it’s so important to push for a pet world where love trumps looks, and for us to support local rescues and national charities that advocate for every pet, regardless of pedigree.

Embrace the unique, champion the quirky, and look for beauty in every woof, wag, and wiggle. After all, who's afraid of an ugly dog? Certainly not us.

Lizz Caputo is the Manager of Content Strategy at Figo, animal enthusiast, and owner of a rescued senior American Bully. Her hobbies include checking out new restaurants in her area, boxing, and petting dogs of all shapes and sizes.