Thanks guys, so the breed standard set by the kc was what messed up these traits in the dogs but now the kc and folks who show dogs are trying to do somthing about it but the small puppy farmer/back yard breeders/stubborn dog showers are less ethical about changing things.
cheers
It's the interpretation of the breed standard by show judges that can lead to exaggerations, and is what has happened with a small number of breeds. This is the general description from the breed standard for bulldogs:
"Smooth-coated, fairly thick set, rather low in stature, broad, powerful and compact. Head, fairly large in proportion to size but no point so much in excess of others as to destroy the general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with its powers of motion. Face relatively short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards although not excessively so. Dogs showing respiratory distress highly undesirable. Body fairly short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with no tendency towards obesity. Hindquarters high and strong. Bitches not so grand or well developed as dogs. "
This is the current breed standard, so this may well have changed to try and promote a healthier overall shape, but if you notice, although there's a good description of what a bulldog should look like, there are no specifics; for example the body should be fairly short, how short is fairly short? This is common among all breed standards, and it leaves the interpretation open to fashion trends, so with Labradors, they became (apparently) heavy set in the 80's when they were rewarded in the show ring for being heavier than before, I dread to think how heavy they could have been in comparison to some I've seen currently.
As for c-sections, there can be a number of reasons for them, either the breed overall isn't healthy as regards reproductive health, like the bulldog where they struggle in some instances to mate/whelp because of their conformation, or a bitch has a problem such as inertia which prevents her from either starting, or continuing contractions once they've started, or there can be a problem with the pups being in the wrong place, presented wrong etc.
