"I'm a vet, and these are five breeds I'd never own"

The vet explains why these five breeds are problematic(Image: Getty Images)

An internet-famous vet has shared the five dog breeds he would never own, and some on the list might surprise you, considering they're surefire favourites of dog lovers.

Dr Amir Anwary is a practicing veterinarian in South Africa and is known as Amir The Vet. Boasting close to 967k followers on TikTok and roughly 460k followers across his two Instagram pages -- Dr Amir regularly posts animal-related content, especially about dogs, on his social media.

In one such reel titled '5 Dog Breeds I Would Not Own As A Veterinarian', the animal doctor has shared the top five breeds of dogs, which according to him, would not make for very good pets.

The doctor's reasoning covers a myriad of reasons -- prevalent health issues, food-related problems, and the fact that as a practicing vet, he himself wouldn't have enough time to give certain dog breeds the extra stimulation they so badly need.

In the two and a half minute video, Dr Amir shares the "five dog breeds that should be avoided as a veterinarian" and they are: Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, Shar Pei, Belgian Malinois, and French Bulldog.

Giving detailed reasons for the deterrent behind owning each dog breed, the vet first explains why he wouldn't go for a dachshund: "Guys, I love dachshunds, but they're prone to back problems, namely a condition called Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).

"This can range from mild back pain to full paralysis of the hind limbs. It can be fixed with surgery, but it's extremely distressing and expensive, so I as a dog owner, would not want to risk getting a dachshund for this reason. 1 in 4 Dachshunds will be affected by IVDD, so it's a no for me."

Next, he goes on to talk about how labrador retrievers, though an ultra popular breed of dog, are not great to own in his opinion: "Next is labradors, also a very very nice breed, I do really like them, but their problem is two things for me. One is that they're very food-driven. They love food so much they will find food anywhere, they will pick up anything on the floor.

"Secondly, they're very prone to getting overweight. This is actually a genetic thing with labradors. Now, you have the combination of a dog that loves to eat everything and is very food-motivated with a dog that also gets overweight when it eats anything.

"This is why labradors are always so overweight, it's nearly impossible to keep them skinny. I know as an owner, I will give them that extra treat. I may not be able to take them for a walk every single day because I work so much. My labrador would get fat -- it's not for me."

Shar Peis are the next dog breed on Dr Amir's list of no-nos.

"Shar Peis are bred to have these characteristic skin folds. The risk of these skin folds is they can get skin fold dermatitis, which is basically an infection in between the skin folds because they capture moisture, which is not ideal.

"They also suffer with a condition called Entropion, which is basically where their upper eyelid folds in onto their eye, causing damage to the surface of the cornea. So I find this to be very unnecessary and I would not own a Shar Pei just for that reason," says the vet.

Fourth on Dr Amir's list of dog breeds he wouldn't own is the Belgian Malinois.

Explaining how this super-smart breed needs extra stimulation and is very "needy", the animal doctor shares: "These dogs are way too clever and require way too much mental stimulation and way too much exercise. There are not enough hours in my day to keep a Belgian Malinois happy and stimulated.

"If you don't keep them stimulated, they will become destructive. This is an extremely needy breed that I would not risk owning because I simply do not have the time to invest into this breed.

The last dog breed on Dr Amir's 'do not own' list are French Bulldogs. While admitting he loves Frenchies, the doctor shares the health problems that make them a no-go on his personal list.

"I love French bulldogs, but they are allergic to planet Earth. If it's not allergies, it's back problems. If it's not back problems, it's breathing problems because of their brachycephalic (flat-faced) nature," says the doctor.

He adds: "I would not own a French bulldog purely because there's no way I can confirm it's going to be a healthy dog, and it's very possible I may be treating it for chronic conditions for the remainder of its life."