With a face only a mother could love – or a pet owner, at least – ugly dogs bring a whole heap of joy to their human families.
Even if they are a bit unsightly, it’s not all about looks in this world. And Ugliest Dog Day is here to prove it!
Ugliest Dog Day Timeline
Early Domestication of Dogs from Wolves
Archaeological and genetic evidence suggests that wolves begin to be domesticated into early dogs, starting humanity’s long relationship with canines of all shapes and appearances.
First Modern Conformation Dog Show
A dog show held in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, judges Pointers and Setters on how closely they match ideal standards, helping cement the idea of formal canine beauty competitions.
Victorian Kennel Clubs and Purebred Dog Ideals
As kennel clubs form in Britain and beyond, enthusiasts refine breed standards that prioritize specific physical traits, shaping modern expectations of what “beautiful” dogs should look like.
Growth of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest
An annual competition at the Sonoma–Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, gains attention for celebrating dogs with unconventional looks, often highlighting rescued and special‑needs pets.
Rescue Advocacy Focuses on “Less Adoptable” Dogs
Major animal welfare groups emphasize that older, disabled, or visually unusual dogs are adopted less often, encouraging people to see these so‑called “imperfect” pets as especially lovable companions.
How to Celebrate Ugliest Dog Day
Enjoy Ugliest Doy Day with some of these ideas for celebrating the day:
Attend the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest
Those who are super serious about Ugliest Dog Day can make plans in advance to head on over to Sonoma County, California to attend the Ugliest Dog Contest.
And those who have an ugly dog of their own? Perhaps it would be fun to enter the contest too!
While there, it would be a shame to miss out on the thing that Sonoma County is famous for all over the world – the wine. Visit a few vineyards, take a tour, enjoy a wine tasting. Perhaps even pop down to San Francisco for even more access to interesting travel activities and sites.
Show Some Appreciation to an Ugly Dog
Have an ugly dog yourself or know someone who does? Ugliest Dog Day is an ideal time to spoil that ugly dog with a little gift.
Buy him a new toy or a little treat to chew on. Delight her with a new doggie bed or just pick up an extra box of her favorite biscuits.
Or, even better, enjoy the nice summer weather and take that ugliest dog for a walk at the dog park to be social and play with some other ugly dogs!
Learn About the Ugliest Dog Breeds
One fun way to celebrate Ugliest Dog Day might be to learn a bit more about breeds of dogs that are considered to be ugly.
Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there are certain breeds that tend to win the Ugliest Dog Contest each year.
- Chinese Crested
- Mexican Hairless Dog
- Chihuahua (often mixed with other breeds)
- Neapolitan Mastiff
History of Ugliest Dog Day
Each year, in the city of Petaluma, California, a contest is held to determine exactly which dog of all of them is truly the ugliest.
This ‘honor’ has been an annual tradition in the local area since the 1970s when the contest got its start. Beginning as a way to generate some revenue for a group called the Old Adobe Association.
Starting out as a pet parade activity, the ugliest dog contest seemed to be a better fit for the event and became very popular – so much so that it became part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair by the late 1980s. And by 2009, the phrase “World’s Ugliest Dog” was trademarked by the folks who run the fair.
With the Ugliest Dog Contest typically taking place around the last week of June, Ugliest Dog Day can be celebrated in advance by people around the nation or even around the world!
Facts About Ugliest Dog Day
Hairless “Ugly” Breeds Share a Single Genetic Quirk
Several of the dog breeds most often labeled as “ugly,” such as the Chinese Crested and the Mexican Hairless Dog (Xoloitzcuintli), owe their bare skin and odd dentition to the same dominant mutation in a gene called FOXI3.
Genetic work has shown that this mutation likely arose only once in dogs and then spread through different hairless breeds, which is why coated and hairless pups can appear in the same litter and why hairless dogs so often have missing or oddly shaped teeth.
Wrinkles and Rolls Come With Hidden Health Costs
Heavily wrinkled breeds that sometimes win “ugly dog” contests, such as Neapolitan Mastiffs and Shar Pei–type dogs, are intentionally bred with deep skin folds that can trap moisture and debris.
Veterinary manuals note that these dogs are at high risk of skin fold dermatitis, chronic infections and painful eyelid problems like entropion, which may need lifelong cleaning regimes or surgery to prevent constant irritation and damage to the eyes.
Flat Faces Make Breathing Harder Than Many Owners Realize
Short‑muzzled breeds that often look comically “squashed,” such as Pugs, Bulldogs and Pekingese, are prone to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, where shortened skulls leave too little space for soft tissues and airways.
The British Veterinary Association and other professional bodies warn that noisy breathing, snoring and quick tiring are not cute quirks but clinical signs, and they actively campaign for less extreme faces in these dogs to reduce chronic breathing, eye and overheating problems.
Shelter Dogs With “Less Pretty” Looks Really Do Wait Longer
Studies of shelter populations have found that physical appearance measurably affects how quickly a dog is adopted, with traits like age, size and perceived attractiveness all playing a role.
Research in applied animal welfare science shows that dogs considered less appealing in looks, including older or physically atypical animals, generally experience longer lengths of stay than younger, “cuter” dogs, even when behavior is similar, which is one reason many campaigns spotlight so‑called “underdogs.”
“Ugly” Rescue Dogs Often Become Media Ambassadors
Coverage of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest repeatedly highlights that many entrants are rescue dogs or have survived illness, neglect or congenital problems, turning their unusual looks into a platform for adoption messaging.
Local news reports describe winners like the French bulldog mix Petunia as shelter rescues whose backstories are used at the fair to draw attention to local rescue groups and to encourage people to adopt dogs that might otherwise be passed over.
Hairless Dogs Have Ancient Roots in the Americas
Although some modern hairless breeds carry exotic names, archaeological finds show that dogs closely resembling today’s Xoloitzcuintli have been depicted in Mexican ceramics and tombs for around 3,000 years.
Pre‑Columbian cultures such as the Aztec and Maya associated these hairless dogs with the god Xolotl and believed they could guide human souls in the afterlife, giving an animal now joked about for its looks a long history as a spiritual companion.
Purebred vs. “Mutt”: Health Is More Complicated Than It Looks
It is common to assume that mixed‑breed “ugly mutts” are always hardier than purebreds, but a large veterinary study of more than 27,000 dogs found a more nuanced picture.
Purebreds did have significantly higher risk for many specific inherited disorders, yet some conditions were more common in mixed‑breed dogs and many showed no difference at all, suggesting that health depends on the particular disorder and breeding practices rather than on pedigree status alone.
