Background: The respiratory functional grading scheme was introduced to aid breeders in avoiding using brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)‐affected dogs. It can also be used to introduce owners of extreme brachycephalic dogs to the possibility of breathing problems in their dogs. It allows monitoring of any disease and aids with surgical decision making and audit.Aim of the article: This article aims to guide general practitioners in recognising the clinical signs of BOAS and in assessing the severity of disease by performing respiratory functional grading.