One of Britain’s most iconic dog breeds, the Old English Sheepdog, has been put on an At Watch list by the Kennel Club because of concerns that the breed could face extinction in the future.
The breed has numbered just 316 puppy registrations so far this year, according to Kennel Club statistics released this week. This compares to 28,787 Labrador Retrievers, the UK’s most popular dog, 2,669 Chihuahuas and 5,496 Pugs, both of which are rapidly growing in popularity.
A breed is deemed to be vulnerable if it numbers less than 300 puppy registrations in a year. The Kennel Club has put the Old English Sheepdog on a new 'At Watch' list, for those breeds between 301 and 450 annual registrations, to highlight their plight before they get to vulnerable levels.
“The decline of the Old English Sheepdog can be partly explained by lifestyle changes as it needs a lot of grooming and exercise and so is not suitable for the fast paced urban lifestyles of many people," said Bill Lambert, Manager of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme.
“But it is also a lot to do with fashion. Despite the fact that Old English Sheepdogs have good temperaments and can make fantastic family pets their popularity is being eclipsed by more fashionable foreign breeds that can be much harder to train and care for. Of particular concern is the growth in popularity of the Siberian Husky, a beautiful dog which is notoriously willful and generally unsuitable for urban life.”
There are 30 vulnerable breeds in total and four on the 'At Watch' list. Some native vulnerable breeds have fared well, with the Norwich Terrier seeing the largest increase in numbers in the first three quarters of this year, compared to the same period in 2011. It increased by 96%, from 108 to 202 registrations. The Otterhound has also increased by 57%, from 21 registrations to 33.
However, other breeds have not been so lucky with the biggest declines being seen in the Clumber Spaniel, down by 37% to just 114 registrations and the Otterhound which has declined by 34% to just 73 registrations. The Foxhound has no registrations so far this year and the Cesky Terrier has just 25, making them currently the most vulnerable.
Outside of the vulnerable breeds, so-called ‘handbag’ dogs such as the Pug and Chihuahua continue to thrive. The smooth coat Chihuahua has increased by ten percent so far this year compared to the same period last year, to 2,669 registrations. This is a 615% increase in the breed in 10 years. The Pug has increased by 19% so far this year, to 5,496 registrations, which represents a 397% increase on the 1,105 Pugs registered 10 years ago.
To meet and find out more about more than 200 dog breeds, including those on the vulnerable list, visit the Discover Dogs event at Earls Court, London on November 10-11. For more details visit www.discoverdogs.org.uk
