The Kennel Club’s prime responsibility is ‘to promote in every way the general improvement of dogs’.  It is also particularly concerned, of course, to protect those breeds of dog which are of British origin and are considered to be vulnerable i.e. those whose numbers are declining and whose status within the world of dogs has diminished over a number of years.

 A decision was made in June 2003 that research would be undertaken to identify and confirm the relevant breeds and the extent and nature of their vulnerability. This research not only featured breeds of dog which are basically of British origin, but with the support of the Irish Kennel Club, the research also included native Irish breeds.

The work carried out concentrated on those breeds which achieve 300 or fewer registrations each year in the UK, and statistics were pulled together to identify the relevant breeds and the extent and nature of their vulnerability.  A list of those breeds identified is given below:

Deerhounds, Greyhounds, Otterhounds, Irish Red & White Setters, Clumber Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Irish Terriers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Skye Terriers, Welsh Terriers, Smooth Collies, Lancashire Heelers, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, English Toy Terriers (Black & Tan), Miniature Bull Terriers.

Subsequent to this research, the Kennel Club approached all the registered clubs of the breeds concerned for their views and enclosed a questionnaire to help identify ways in which each club currently works with breeders, owners and show societies to promote their breed.

 

What determines popularity?
By Simon Parsons, Associate Editor of Dog World newspaper, Editor of Dog World Annual and a Championship Show Judge of several breeds.

If you think about the ways in which the pedigree dog scene has evolved over the last half-century or so, one aspect stands out. Look at the Kennel Club Stud Books for the years immediately before WW II. In total, 89 breeds were recognised.

I know there can be dispute about which country various breeds are supposed to have originated in, but at a rough count I think it’s fair to say that of these 89,about 54 could be described as British or Irish breeds.

Look at the situation today. More than 200 breeds are on the Kennel Club register,over twice as many as in the late 1930s. Of these, just 63 are British or Irish.

In the intervening years, very few native breeds have found their way on to the Kennel Club register. Those that have, are mainly breeds such as the Bearded and Border Collies or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel which have ‘always’ existed but which have only in post-war years been taken up in a big way by the show fraternity.

All the other ‘new’ breeds, more than 100 of them, originated in other countries, mainly but not exclusively, Europe. Some, such as the Dobermann, Weimaraner, Rottweiler or Miniature Dachshund, have become so popular that it’s hard to imagine that they haven’t always existed in Britain. Others have a more minority appeal and some are just beginning to make their way.

Why should this be? Is it a yen among dog breeders for something new, something different, something to make your mark in? Certainly, with it now being so much easier to import dogs, the trend is unlikely to be reversed.

Today, there is a vast and sometimes bewildering choice of breeds available to the pet owner, to the exhibitor and in some cases to the working dog enthusiast. Inevitably, with such a choice on offer, the popularity of individual breeds fluctuates according to the period. Before WWII the Wire Fox Terrier was all the rage. Then we had the peak of Poodle popularity, the Afghan boom in the swinging ‘60s and ‘70s and the worrying proliferation of ‘macho’ breeds which seemed to go with the national mood in the ‘80s. In each case the boom has been followed, if not quite by bust, but certainly by a dramatic falling off in the popularity of these breeds.

Meanwhile, other breeds manage to retain their place in the Top Ten, even if their popularity goes in cycles too: the German Shepherd, the Cocker Spaniel and the Labrador Retriever, today joined by the Golden Retriever.

So here we have two trends. Firstly, the search for something new and exotic from abroad; secondly the inevitable rise and fall in popularity of different breeds.

Equally inevitable is that some breeds can reach a stage where their numbers fall to a dangerously low level. Sometimes this may not matter too much if the breeds remain popular in their native country. But when this happens to British or Irish breeds, is it not time for us to do something about it? Do we not owe it to these breeds, bred and shown in Britain for far longer than many of the ‘foreign upstarts’, to try to ensure that they survive in as healthy a form as possible?

What is it about these breeds that prevents them from appealing to a wider cross-section of the public? Sometimes it is hard to understand what determines a breed’s popularity. Irish and English Setters have plenty of enthusiasts in the show ring and as pet owners. So why are not Gordon Setters more widely appreciated by the general public? It is fair to say that of those that are bred, a far higher proportion are shown than in many other breeds, entries being at a very healthy level.

When Labradors and Golden Retrievers are so universally popular, why not Curly Coats? Rough, but not the easier-to-manage Smooth Collies? Cavaliers, but not King Charles? And so on.

But it is the Terrier Group which includes the largest number of ‘vulnerable’ breeds. Most of the Terrier breeds started life in Britain or Ireland. Some have always been, or have become, exceptionally popular, such as the West Highland White Terrier, Cairn Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. But it is the breeds which demand a very high level of skill in show-ring presentation which have suffered most, though this cannot be the only reason as Wire Fox Terriers still register more than Smooths, even though both register a fraction of the numbers from their heyday 60 or so years ago.

Perhaps the saddest drop is that in the Sealyham Terrier which registered 1,084 puppies in 1938 and a mere 60 in 2004. They are not the easiest breed to keep in top form for the ring, but they have much going for them as do all the other ‘minority breeds’.

Some of these breeds are never going to attract huge numbers, for finding the type of home best suited to their size, exuberance or exercise requirements will never be that easy.
For example, with today’s smallish houses and smaller gardens and with countless TV programmes encouraging us to keep our homes spotless, Bloodhounds are always going to be a minority taste, though a wonderful breed for those with the space and the time to allow them to reach their full potential.

Others, the Gordon Setter and the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier being two examples, have for years existed happily at a consistent numerical level, and with active, responsible breed clubs and buoyant show entries, there is probably no need to change the healthy status quo. Indeed any sudden rapid rise in popularity would not be a good thing.

But undoubtedly some of these breeds have the potential to attract more enthusiasts than they currently do. Take Lakeland Terriers, for example. For the type of person who appreciates the Terrier character, these should surely have enormous appeal. Affectionate towards humans and a handy size - what more do pet buyers want? Yes, it takes time and skill to learn how to present such breeds to advantage in the show ring, and this is not simply a matter of a bath and a trim the night before the show. Yet other breeds, which need specialist grooming, have no lack of supporters.

Over the years there have been mutterings that something should be done for the British breeds. Many, many years ago, there was a British Breeds’ Club which ran dog shows, but that ceased to exist before most of today’s enthusiasts can remember. In any case, it is certainly not all British breeds which need a boost; many are doing just fine.

A catalyst was an article in Country Life magazine, with a Lakeland Terrier on the cover, highlighting the problems some of these breeds face. Soon the Kennel Club began to take the breeds’ predicament seriously, initially working out which breeds came under the heading of ‘vulnerable’, an average of fewer than 300 registrations annually being generally considered the criterion.

Meanwhile an independent group of enthusiasts, the British and Irish Native Breeds Preservation Trust, held its first meetings in mid 2003. This was followed by the setting up of a Kennel Club Working Party, and the signs are that both groups will be working together.

Breed clubs have been asked for their input; in some cases the clubs are quite happy with the level of popularity their breed has obtained. Others appreciate any help in promoting the breed, bearing in mind, of course, that the last thing anyone wants is to encourage irresponsible breeders or those concerned only to make a quick buck.

Are there any precedents for this? Certainly there are, and a number of overseas Kennel Clubs are keen to promote their country’s native breeds. Sweden, Spain and Hungary are three that spring to mind. As far as the show ring is concerned, such countries offer special prizes for the best of the Spanish breeds at the major shows, sometimes with annual points competitions. In extreme cases, where breeds are really in a desperate state, cheap or free registration has been offered for puppies or the rarest native breeds.

Ireland, too, has done its bit. I well remember when the Irish Kennel Club hosted the world congress of Kennel Clubs, there were impressive displays in Dublin’s Trinity College by clubs and enthusiasts of the Irish breeds, and experts delivered lectures on them to the many prominent personalities who attended.

A start will be made by showcasing the vulnerable breeds at events like Discover Dogs and Crufts.  In addition, one needs to go beyond the confines of the dog-showing world and reach out to events like game fairs, county shows and so on. These breeds are part of a great British tradition. Britain and Ireland were the cradle of serious dog-showing and breeding and played for many years a major part in supplying top class dogs, and dog expertise to fanciers overseas. What we need is to make people proud to own a native breed, and to encourage them to consider seriously one of these breeds when they first get a dog, either as a show dog or purely as a companion.

 

A breed in crisis
Paul Keevil is a canine writer, photographer and  Championship Show Judge. He asks how the Dandie Dinmont Terrier has become so univesally out of  favour and what can be done to reverse the trend . . . I enjoy walking my dogs through town and I can guarantee that I will nearly always be stopped by someone who will exclaim: “I haven’t seen one of those for years!” or even “What are they? Never seen one like that before.”  Dandie Dinmonts are scarce, rare and very vulnerable right now.  I am a relative newcomer to the breed, having acquired my first Dandie a mere 18 years ago. Back then the breed was enjoying registrations around the 250 mark, entries at Crufts and breed club shows were at the 120 level. If you wanted a puppy you had to put your name down on a waiting list; that is if you passed the tough interview each prospective owner had to endure.

But times change. In the last three years, registrations have dipped below the 100 mark, and it is not uncommon to see only around a dozen dogs turn up at Championship Shows with CCs on offer. This is a breed in crisis. When you are involved with something every day, things have a habit of creeping up on you unnoticed. This is probably the case with my breed, the decline has been gradual but steady.

We have three breed clubs, which seems bizarre for a breed that in 2003 only managed to register 90 puppies. And the decline is not just limited to the UK. In 1972 there were 249 Dandie puppies registered by the AKC in America and last year that had declined to just 76. 

So why has the breed become so universally out of favour and what can be done to reverse the trend?

Could it be that the Dandie, in common with many other British Terrier breeds, is just no longer fashionable or that its coat needs regular attention to look its best?  If so, how do you explain the continued popularity of the West Highland White Terrier (9,823 registered in 2003) or the Border Terrier (6,477 registered in 2003). Could it be that the continued importation of ‘new’ breeds from around the world has hit the indigenous UK dog breeds making it more difficult to sell the less ‘exotic’ home grown product?  For example in 2003, the Kennel Club registered more Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers than they did Dandies!  A whole host of other theories have been put forward for my breed’s decline in popularity.  Internal disputes within some of our breed clubs, which resulted in one club losing its CC status for several years, have not exactly helped either. Neither has the over protective attitude that some diehard breed enthusiasts still doggedly hold on to to this day. 

So, what can we do to get our numbers up once again? Let’s face it, we are never going to be as popular as West Highland White Terriers and many would say “jolly good thing too”, but we should be aiming to get registrations up to an achievable and sustainable level of about 250-300 a year. That would still keep the breed exclusive, but would give us all a potentially wider base to breed from. Most breeders in Dandies are hobby breeders; at the most they will only have a couple of breeding animals and only have a litter when they want something and then pass the rest on to pet homes. Dandies do not have large litters. The year on year average has remained fairly constant for the last 50 years at about three puppies per litter, so what we desperately need to do is get more people interested in breeding.

My name appears in some canine directories for breed advice and I do from time to time receive enquiries for Dandie puppies. The overwhelming number of enquirers seek bitch puppies and when asked what they will do about seasons, exclaim that they plan to have the bitch spayed as soon as possible. Surely, with our registrations at danger level, this is a practice we can no longer afford to support. The last quarter’s registrations show that from July to September 2003 there were 21 Dandie puppies registered, of which 18 were dogs.  

We all have to accept that we do have a problem and a major one. Unbelievably the message still does not seem to get through to some enthusiasts. Then we have to try and attract new people into the breed, make them feel more welcome when they do arrive and find ways to encourage those who perhaps do not have the time, skills or inclination to trim a Dandie to show standard, but would still enjoy a good day out with their dog.

I believe the Kennel Club has a great opportunity to provide guidance and leadership to many of the breeds who have gone on the Vulnerable Native Breeds’ list. Properly promoted and wisely managed the ‘brand’ that these 20 odd breeds make up is totally unique in the world of pedigree dogs. How many other countries have 28 breeds, let alone 28 which are recognised as being potentially vulnerable?

I would love to take my Dandies for a walk in the town and for people to say, “Oh look, Dandie Dinmonts, my neighbour has one of those.”

 

The pride of Manchester
Peter Eva, Championship Show Judge, Manchester Terrier owner and breeder talks about why he believes they are such a great breed. The Manchester Terrier, originally called the Black and Tan Terrier is not a designed dog but the result of selective breeding from the local Terrier for a purpose. That is to live close with its people, having all the controlled spark of a Terrier. It has a single coat for ease of maintenance, a wonderful clean mouth containing amazing teeth and the agility and speed of a first class athlete.

The earliest recorded sighting that we know of is in a 1355 painting called the Hour of the Virgin, which appeared in Dr Caius’ book. The breed clearly existed before this as it is referred to as the other Black and Tan Terrier alongside the rough coated variety from which the Welsh, Lakeland, Airedale etc were derived. Having a smooth single coat, it was a ‘house’ dog rather than the coated outdoor types and so did not get the fame and kudos of the Huntsman’s assistant.

His ratting talents were prodigious and he was favoured in houses, ships, warehouses and coal mines, the black and tan colouring being obvious camouflage in the dark unpleasant conditions. The single coat is easy to clean and does not show the smuts and grime. It is said that the tan eyebrow, cheek, muzzle and chest spots are to confuse the rat. I have never been able to ask the rat or the dog, so it’s an assumption! The famous black ‘thumb spots’ on the wrist could be another confusing marking or God’s two-handed blessing, such as on the haddock and other fish for the five thousand. That is a bit far fetched, even for me. It always breeds true Black and Tan, with varying degrees of perfection. There is no doubt however that the Black and Tan, or the Manchester Terrier has changed little over hundreds of years, less than most. That is apart from the ears, which like most natural dogs were upright and lent themselves to the barbaric practice of being ‘cut’ when the dog is about six months old.  However, the practice of cropping was banned by the Kennel Club in 1883.

The breed was not derived from the Whippet or improved by the Whippet and to quote the late and great ‘Doggie’ Hubbard “That’s nonsense”. If anything the Whippet has a bit of Black and Tan in him. In fact some breeds such as the Dobermann in the early years of its development has recorded matings with the Manchester Terrier. Those perpetuating these stories about Whippets do not help in establishing the true identity of the breed. It existed long before.

In the beginning, the Manchester Terrier varied in size as it does to an extent today. Originally it came in three sizes, the smallest down to below 7lbs and this became the English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) with his own history and reputation, the medium or Manchester Terrier 15/16” and the larger 21” plus dog which is rarely seen now. It could have been this latter size that Herr Dobermann used.

At the first dog show, Newcastle Canine Society in 1858, Black and Tans had classes of all three sizes and they were amongst the largest entries. At Birmingham in 1859 they were also listed but the actual entry was less, maybe it was too far to travel. Whatever the size, the Manchester Terrier is famous for its vermin killing abilities, but it is because of this he has become infamous due to the company he kept. 

Rat pits, gaming houses and a variety of non-PC activities meant that he did not always associate with the top people!  Some people however did appreciate his virtues, such as the young Queen Victoria, President Roosevelt and Agatha Christie. The breed is still used by horse owners to keep tack rooms vermin free. The Manchester Terrier’s fame as the ultimate burglar alarm makes electrical devices unnecessary. There are no inherited health problems.

As a dog carefully developed to be very active, powerful and quick in very small restricted areas, his conformation does not always lend itself to striding around the show ring as the ability to move like lightning a few feet or inches is much more important. The powerful, crested neck and the incredible bite means that a flick of the head and the prey is dead.

He is almost maintenance free, requiring just nails and teeth to be kept in order. On top of that he requires exercise, warm clean bedding, feeding, and fresh clean water. Owners agree that the digestive system is like a stainless steel tube that makes it fuss free.

 

Extending the gene pool
I cannot understand how we have fewer registrations than the Kennel Club’s qualification of 300 per year, when logic dictates that every home should have at least one. Extending the gene pool

Dr Jeff Sampson is a molecular biologist, who has many years of experience of owning and exhibiting dogs (Schipperkes). Prior to his appointment as the Kennel Club’s Health & Information Executive, he was based at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.  He is well known and respected in scientific circles as well as by the many breed clubs at whose seminars he has communicated the basis of canine genetics.

The list of British and Irish vulnerable native breeds was drawn up mainly by looking at their annual registration numbers and their trends over the years. They all have relatively low numbers of dogs registered each year, however, numbers alone are not the only consideration. When the population structure of many of these breeds is examined, it’s noticed that relatively few bitches are becoming mothers and probably even fewer males are becoming fathers.

It’s likely that some of the major kennels that contributed to the breed structure in the past no longer operate and these major bloodlines are no longer available to today’s breeders. All this means that genetic variability within these breeds is becoming more and more eroded and their breed gene pools are becoming increasingly shallower. 

This erosion of genetic variability doesn’t have inescapable consequences, but it is far more likely to create a situation where the prevalence of breed-specific inherited diseases increases, and could very well lead to something called in-breeding depression. This is where the reduced genetic variation actually impacts on the breed’s overall fitness, causing, amongst other things, reduced fertility, often manifesting as a gradual reduction in litter sizes and an increasing inability to get bitches pregnant.  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) actually uses the numbers of mating pairs to determine whether a species is in danger, or is on the point of extinction.  If the WWF were to classify some of these vulnerable breeds, they would at least declare them as ‘endangered’. The Rare Breeds’ Survival Trust has also been tackling similar problems in other purebred domesticated species like sheep, goats, cattle and horses.

A concerted effort by breeders to breed more dogs is required to reverse the trends of the last few years. This doesn’t mean producing greater numbers of puppies from the same old dams and sires, it means increasing the number of dogs and bitches within the breed who become parents in their own right. Existing experienced breeders should try to persuade and encourage new owners who buy puppies from them to have at least one litter from the puppy. In this way breed numbers will increase and so will the parental base from which future generations are produced. This will go some way to stemming the current loss of genetic variability.

Breeders should also be encouraged to look overseas for fresh bloodlines.   Admittedly these overseas populations were initially imported from here in the first place, but the populations have probably been geographically separated for long enough to allow genetic drift to generate a different genetic profile. Dipping into these overseas gene pools may not be without potential problems and breeders will need to do their homework very carefully. There are a number of examples that I am aware of where breeds in different countries have disease profiles that are different to the British population of the breed. Care will need to be taken to avoid using overseas bloodlines that are affected by these problems.

Another possible approach will be to create breed sperm banks that can be used to store sperm from significant lines, so that if the breeder eventually stops breeding, the line will be available to future generations of breeders.  Of course, frozen sperm can only be used via artificial insemination (AI), but fortunately canine AI techniques are improving all the time, with a concomitant increase in success rates. Practioners of AI in the dog say that litters are produced in about 85 -90% of cases these days. 

Breeders of some of these vulnerable native breeds have made the point that in the beginning of their breed, the breed register was closed far too early, preventing the entry of fresh dogs, and therefore fresh ‘genetic blood’. For some breeds, at least, there are examples that have since been maintained outside the Kennel Club breed register, but have nonetheless been maintained as a purebred population. If some of these dogs could be allowed back on to the breed register it could have significant impact on the breed’s genetic variability.

Specific interbreeding programmes would regenerate the much-needed genetic variation in some of these breeds. However, the problems in this approach are obvious, not least of which is the choice of breed to participate in interbreeding programmes. Using foundation stock in the past from other breeds has produced most of today’s breeds, and an hour or so in the Kennel Club library, reading the numerous breed books, will demonstrate the various ideas that exist for the history of different breeds. Unfortunately, the true origins of many of today’s dog breeds are not known. For meaningful interbreeding to become a reality, the specific foundation breeds that lay behind a particular breed and the relatedness of today’s dog breeds needs to be known.

Fortunately, that information is just around the corner. Recent advances in understanding of the canine DNA molecule are now showing the way to develop methods of identifying breed specific DNA signatures. Professor Elaine Ostrander, a significant player in the international canine genome project, recently published a paper together with members of her group showing that DNA can be used to predict the breed of a dog. The paper presented the result of an experiment where the group was given 406 anonymous canine DNA samples from individual dogs from 80 different breeds. By analysing each DNA sample they were able to place all but four of the samples into the correct breed. This work is in its infancy, but it does open up the very real possibility that DNA analysis will be able to reveal the breeds that lay behind today’s dog breeds, and how present-day breeds are related to each other. The availability of this information will help to identify which breeds should be interbred, if such interbreeding is ever envisaged.

 

Putting our trust in the future
By Julien Barney, Chairman of the British & Irish Dog Breeds Preservation Trust

On the cover of the 2003 Christmas issue of Country Life, a Lakeland Terrier was featured, with the headline ‘Who Will Save This British Dog?’ Around the same time the Kennel Club sent out a questionnaire to 28 breed clubs identified as having fewer than 300 registrations a year.

These two actions were the catalyst for the formation of the Trust. This sparked a lot of interest from people wanting to do something for all the listed breeds affected. Pamela Cross-Stern, who was a great support in the early days, and I decided to see whether there was more than the normal hardcore enthusiasts prepared to do something. With the agreement of the National Terrier Club (Terriers being the hardest hit) we manned a stand at its April show to ascertain interest.

This led to an open meeting being held in late May where we had representation from the Kennel Club, the canine press and around 50 people from various breeds. The outcome of that first meeting was a working group being asked to formulate a set of aims and objectives and also how the Trust should function.

The working group came back to the next open meeting in August which resulted in the official formation of the Trust, with an executive committee being elected. We discovered that people from all the relevant breeds are interested in working together for a common purpose and not just for themselves, and it was also very clear to us that the Trust would not be a dog club or canine society in the usually expected sense. The Trust is far more fundamental; it will be about ensuring that all the breeds and others that may become in need of support are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

We are very keen to educate potential owners and the public on the positive aspects of our native breeds. By encouraging the responsible ownership of one of these vulnerable breeds we hope to ensure a secure future for them.

At Discover Dogs in November people were shocked when made aware of the list of breeds affected. A vet we spoke to had no idea about the plight of these breeds, but now will recommend these instead of the predictably popular breeds. What was also heartening from our first experience of meeting the public was that all of us who spent time talking to people came away with the feeling that this was a fantastic way to get our message across.

What of the breeds themselves? It has transpired that each breed has a slightly different issue(s), be it health, popularity or getting the breed to be shown more actively. Some owner/breeders and clubs are keen to receive more publicity whilst others are happy to remain on an even keel.

Some simple research on registrations showed over a four decade period some breeds have remained constant in terms of numbers: Curly-Coated Retrievers, Field Spaniels, Kerry Blue Terriers being examples. A number of others have even increased in popularity e.g. English Toy Terriers, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, Irish Terriers and Gordon Setters. Unfortunately others have declined dramatically particularly Cardigan Corgis, Bloodhounds, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Skye Terriers and Smooth Fox Terriers, showing a decrease in excess of 50 per cent. 

One thing not previously considered was the fact that this is not confined to the UK and Ireland. The effects are far more global. Correspondence from overseas with regard to the work of the Trust has been received from people asking how they can get involved. One such example is a gentleman from Australia who owns Lakeland Terriers. He is extremely worried about their plight in his homeland, as the gene pool is getting smaller and they need to import stock, but are finding it increasingly more difficult to locate new lines to bring in that they don’t already have.

The executive committee of the Trust and the Kennel Club are acutely aware that substantial progress will take time and must not be rushed into. Careful thought and sensitivity has to be put into how we, the Trust, the Kennel Club and breed clubs and breeders approach this. It must be done holistically, as everyone has their part to play in achieving the long-term preservation of our breeds.

The first step along this road will be a symposium in 2005 to discuss with clubs and breeders and other interested parties what they feel should be done for their respective breeds. Clearly apparent from the results of the Kennel Club survey there needs to be further investigation and fact finding to understand the problems and issues. We will be writing to each of the clubs with further details. As part of the symposium the Kennel Club will be invited to take part in a feedback session and also given an opportunity to respond to questions from breeders and breed clubs.

It was agreed at the August open meeting that we would work towards charity status by 2006 and this will mean meeting certain criteria laid down by the Charities Commission.

We shall have a presence at Crufts in March within the Discover Dogs area to build on November’s success with the public.

As the year progresses, the Trust will also attend a number of events, such as country fairs and game fairs to gain further contact with the public and raise awareness of these breeds. The Trust will also continue to work with the Kennel Club with John Richardson and I on the Vulnerable Native Breeds Group.

Inevitably it will be a long term development bringing these breeds to a level of prominence, and will require support from everyone interested in the future of these breeds.

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