The number of pedigree dog breeds recognised in the UK is set to rise to 215 when the Kennel Club recognises the Hungarian Pumi and the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, from 1^st April 2014.

They are two of just five new breeds to have been recognised in the past five years. Most recently the Kennel Club announced the recognition of the Picardy Sheepdog, also from 1^st April 2014, having recognised the Turkish Kangal Dog as a separate breed and also the Portuguese Pointer in 2013. Prior to that, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was the last dog breed to be recognised, back in October 2008.

The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne will be classified in the Hound group and the Hungarian Pumi will be added to the Pastoral group. They do not currently have breed standards so cannot yet be shown at breed shows in the UK.

In other changes announced by the Kennel Club, the Beauceron will be transferred from the Import Register to the Breed Register and re-classified from the Working group to the Pastoral group from 1^st July 2014. The Kooikerhondje was re-classified from the Gundog Group to the Utility Group on 1^st January 2014.

The continual rise in foreign breeds comes as some of our oldest native breeds continue to decline. When the first ever Kennel Club stud book was produced in 1874, just 43 breeds were listed, including many of those that are now considered to be vulnerable, such as the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Clumber Spaniel, Otterhound and Skye Terrier.

This year, there will be three new breeds competing in their own classes at Crufts for the very first time: the Eurasier, the Catalan Sheepdog and the Turkish Kangal Dog.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “We look forward to recognising three new breeds in April and are lucky to have such a diverse range of breeds in this country, so that all potential dog owners can find a companion that is just right for them.

“The process of being recognised as a pedigree dog breed by the Kennel Club takes several generations of dogs, but once we recognise a breed it means that we know that it has a reliable lineage that will give people a dog with predictable characteristics, in terms of temperament and exercise and grooming needs. This helps dogs to find loving homes with the right owners.

“Whilst we now have many wonderful breeds in this country unfortunately, a number of our most historic British breeds are no longer in fashion and face disappearing from our streets, because they have been forgotten and we hope that events such as Crufts will really help people see the wide range of breeds that exist.”