Dog World newsletter  3/11/11

NEW Kennel Club figures have revealed that the Dandie Dinmont and the
Otterhound have declined in the greatest numbers over the past year,
with the Otterhound now being the rarest of the British breeds.
The KC said its statistics show that breeds such as the Dandie have
seen a ‘staggering’ decline. The breed managed only 60 registrations
in the first three-quarters of this year, which represented a 48 per
cent decline on registrations in the same period last year.
This means that of the 26 breeds on the KC’s list of endangered
breeds, the Dandie has, in the past year, seen the greatest decline.
Since 2002, only 1,048 Dandies have been registered with the KC.
But Dandie enthusiast Paul Keevil, who is co-founder of the British
Heritage Dog Breeds group, said that there was a danger in taking the
figures out of context.
“Last year we experienced one very high quarterly total which has
distorted the overall picture,” he said.
The problem was a very complex one, he said, adding that registration
totals for the last six years gave a picture more of stability than
decline.
The Otterhound has also seen a 48 per cent drop in registrations from
last year with only 21 being registered. Since 2002, 390 have been
registered with the KC making it the rarest British breed.
DOG WORLD’s Otterhound breed note writer Judith Ashworth said that
there was an urgent need to recruit new, young Otterhound breeders,
and that the latest figures constituted a wake-up call to everyone who
loved the breed.
The Cardigan Corgi has increased in number the most, with a 207 per
cent hike in popularity, while some of the less well-known breeds of
foreign origin – such as the Hovawart, Beauceron and Mexican Hairless
– are also having more luck in the popularity stakes. However,
registrations for the nation’s most popular breed, the Labrador, while
retaining its top spot with 31,791, have dipped by ten per cent
compared to the same period last year.
The latest figures – which show that two breeds are no longer deemed
vulnerable and one has re-entered the threatened list – have been
released ahead of Discover Dogs, which takes place in London in a
week’s time, and gives people the opportunity to learn more than 200
breeds of dog.


Overall popularity

In the first three-quarters of this year, the vulnerable breeds
declined by 0.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.
However, overall the popularity of vulnerable breeds has increased by
19 per cent since the KC drew up a list of threatened breeds – those
with fewer than 300 registrations a year, and deemed to be at risk of
extinction – in 2003.
The British breeds which have fared better include the Cardigan Corgi
which has enjoyed a rapid increase in popularity in the last year,
with registrations increasing by 207 per cent to 89 so far this year.
The Welsh Terrier and the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier have managed to
climb above the 300 mark. Although the KC is still keeping an eye on
these breeds, they are no longer categorised as vulnerable.
Last year the Irish Terrier topped 300 registrations, at 357, but has
re-joined the list after managing only 223 registrations so far this
year, a decline of 15 per cent on the same period last year.
Breeds such as the Hovawart, Beauceron and Mexican Hairless are among
the fastest growing in the UK, according to registration statistics.
The Beauceron, an imported breed, is the fastest-growing breed in the
UK this year, when new figures are compared to the same period last
year. The 30 registrations so far this year are the highest yet
recorded and compare favourably to last year’s figure of only one.
The Beauceron’s popularity spurt is followed closely by the standard
Mexican Hairless which has grown more than tenfold from one to 11
registrations, and the Hovawart which has increased from four to 29
registrations – although the popularity of all three breeds has waxed
and waned over the past ten years.
The decline in interest in the Labrador has bucked a trend which saw
the breed go from strength to strength, growing by six per cent over
the past ten years, to more than 44,000 registrations last year.
Another breed which has declined in popularity is the Old English
Sheepdog which has dropped in popularity by 25 per cent, numbering
just 274 registrations so far this year. In total the breed’s figures
have fallen by 33 per cent over the past ten years and this looks set
to increase in 2011.
Other breeds which have continued to prosper include the so called
‘handbag dogs’ – small breeds including the Coton de Tulear which has
grown by 56 per cent so far this year to 168 registrations; the Smooth
Chihuahua which has increased by 16 per cent to 2,432; and the Pug
which has grown by nine per cent to 4,625.
Over the past ten years, the popularity of these breeds has soared,
with the Coton de Tulear growing by 1,170 per cent, from ten to 140
registrations, the Smooth Chihuahua by 651 per cent from 871 to 2,796
registrations and the Pug by 557 per cent to 5,726 registrations.
KC spokesman Carolne Kisko said: “It is a shame to see so many of our
native breeds fall out of fashion. People have lost all knowledge
about our native dog breeds and tend to view the perfect family as
containing a Labrador and nothing else.
“These latest figures show that while some breeds have, thankfully,
managed to prosper, others continue to fall and are now less numerous
than other endangered species, such as the giant panda.
“These vulnerable breeds will be among 200 that visitors can meet at
Discover Dogs. We want people to have the opportunity to find out
about the wide variety of breeds that are out there and to pick one
that is a perfect match for their lifestyle.”