Two Corgi breeds and Kate’s Cocker Spaniel breed get royal boost

The popularity of the endangered Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, whose popularity has plummeted in recent years, has soared in the Queen’s Jubilee year - leading the Kennel Club to be hopeful about the future of the Corgi breeds.

The Kennel Club’s Find A Puppy website statistics, which have just been released by the Kennel Club, show that the number of people searching for Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies, the Queen’s favourite breed, has increased by 37 percent in the first four months of 2012, compared to the last four months of 2011. In total 5783 people have searched for Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies between January and April 2012.

There has also been a ten percent rise in Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy registrations in the first quarter of this year, compared to the comparable period in 2011.This follows a decade of decline for the breed, which the Kennel Club has been monitoring closely for fear that it could soon become vulnerable. There were 371 pups within the breed registered in 2011.

Puppy searches for the endangered Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed – cousins to the Queen’s Pembroke Welsh Corgis - have also soared by 59 percent in the first four months of 2012, compared to the previous four months. In total 2231 have searched for puppies within the breed between January and April 2012.

Puppy registrations for the breed have also increased by 70 percent, with 17 puppies being registered in the first quarter of this year, compared to just ten in the comparable period in 2011. This marks a continued upward trend for the breed, which has been struggling with less than 100 annual registrations for the past ten years. It topped the 100 mark for the first time in more than a decade last year, seeing 108 registrations - a 134 percent increase on registrations in 2010.

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is one of 29 breeds on the Kennel Club’s list of Native Vulnerable Breeds, which the organisation deems to be at risk of extinction because they number less than 300 puppy registrations per year. A further four breeds are on the At Watch list for numbering less than 450 registrations.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Sadly dog breeds go in and out of fashion, so after a long period of worrying decline for the Corgi breeds it is reassuring to see an increase in numbers.

“It is a wonderful tribute to the Queen that the popularity of her chosen breed and its cousin, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, has increased in her Diamond Jubilee year, which will have raised people’s awareness of the breeds. The internet is also playing an important role by helping people to research suitable dogs for them and to find less obvious breeds that might be a perfect fit for their lifestyle.”

Karen Hewitt, Chairman of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi Association, said: “Whilst we must not be complacent we are very happy to see an increased interest in our wonderful breed. The Diamond Jubilee and the fact that a Cardigan Welsh Corgi recently won its Group at Crufts are both factors that are increasing people’s awareness of the Corgi breeds.”

Despite the increasing popularity of the Royal breeds there are many native breeds whose numbers are continuing to decline to dangerously low levels. The English Setter, which became endangered for the first time in 2011, continued to decline by 30 percent, with just 54 registrations in the first quarter of this year.

There is also concern for two of the three rarest breeds in this country, the Foxhound and the Otterhound, which failed to register any puppies in the first quarter of this year. In 2011 there were just nine and 38 puppies born within these breeds, respectively. The Cesky Terrier, which was the second most endangered breed in 2011 saw a 100 percent increase in registrations in the first quarter of this year, from six to twelve.

At the other end of the scale interest in the Cocker Spaniel, which is in the top three most popular breeds in the UK, has increased since it was bought by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the end of last year. The number of searches for Cocker Spaniels on the Kennel Club’s Find a Puppy service has increased by almost 32 percent in the first four months of 2011, compared to the previous four months.

To find a puppy visit the Kennel Club’s Find A Puppy service or find a rescue dog at the Kennel Club’s Find A Rescue Dog service.

Photo Caption – A newly born litter of Pembroke Welsh Corgis, bred by a Kennel Club Assured Breeder in Wales, which are distantly related to Her Majesty the Queen’s own line. They have been named Charles, William and Elizabeth (left to right).

Date page created:

Categories:

 

This article has been read 2462 times.