As most vulnerable English breeds risk extinction this St Georges Day

One of Britain’s most endangered breeds of dog is experiencing new found popularity after it took the title of Best in Show at this year’s Crufts, bucking an overall trend that has seen the popularity of vulnerable British dog breeds continue to decline.

The Kennel Club has already registered eight Sealyham Terriers in the first quarter of this year, which compares favourably to no registrations in the same period in 2008.  And it expects to see this number increase even further as the number of enquiries about the breed has increased by 55 percent since its Crufts success at the beginning of March, compared to the same period in 2009. Only 43 were registered with the Kennel Club throughout 2008.

The success of the Sealyham Terrier, a Welsh Breed, contrasts with the fate of a large number of vulnerable English Breeds this St Georges day. This includes the Otterhound whose puppy registrations are down 42 percent, from 12 to 7, in the first quarter of 2009 and the Field Spaniel whose puppy registrations are down by 64 percent, from 17 to just 6 registrations. The registrations of the Smooth Fox Terrier, Manchester Terrier, English Toy Terrier and Lancashire Heeler have all also declined.

All of these breeds are on the Kennel Club’s British and Irish Native Vulnerable Breeds List which includes 23 breeds that all have less than 300 puppy registrations per year. It is estimated that if a breed falls below this number it may be under threat of extinction.

Overall, there has been a 15 percent decline in the number of all dogs registered by breeders in the first quarter of this year, as the recession sets in – however the number of searches for puppies on the Kennel Club’s Find a Puppy website have continued to increase, showing that people’s desire to own a pedigree dog has not been affected. This figure is matched by an 11 percent decline in the number of vulnerable breeds registered with the Kennel Club, breeds which can ill afford to see their numbers drop any further.

It is thought that part of the reason that lesser known breeds are suffering is because of a growing trend to mimic celebrity choices when people choose a breed. This is causing a rise in the popularity of certain popular breeds, such as the Smooth Coat Chihuahua which was featured in the hit film Beverly Hill Chihuahua, whose registrations were up by 16 percent in the first quarter of this year, numbering a total of 484 registrations.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “The popularity of many dog breeds is often determined by the amount of publicity that they receive and for our vulnerable breeds this is of critical importance. This year’s Crufts, for example, was a perfect opportunity to allow people to see what a wonderful character the Sealyham Terrier is and this increased its popularity.

“It is a real concern, however, that many of the vulnerable breeds are not experiencing the same surge in popularity as the Sealyham Terrier has since its Crufts success. This is particularly poignant when we look at the number of vulnerable English breeds that are teetering on the brink of extinction, this St George’s Day.

“Of course, overexposure can also have a detrimental impact and part of the reason that these breeds are vulnerable is because of an increasing tendency to buy a certain breed as a result of the publicity it has received in a film or because of a celebrity connection. This can lead to misinformed choices where people are motivated more by a sense of fashion than whether the breed would fit properly into their lifestyle.”

People can find the right breed for them by visiting the Kennel Club’s website at www.findabreed.org.uk. For the latest dog registration statistics and a list of the Kennel Club’s vulnerable breeds visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk

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