Range Rover advert creates craze for new dog breed

An advert featuring the White Swiss Shepherd Dog – one of Britain’s newest pedigree dog breeds – has led to it getting the biggest increase in online puppy searches of any breed in the UK.

The advert for the Range Rover Velar, which first hit screens at the end of September 2017, created a huge 1,407 per cent increase in searches the following month, on the Kennel Club’s Find a Puppy site.

Currently searches are up by 1,528 per cent on those during September 2017 – the biggest increase in searches of any dog breed over the same time frame.

The White Swiss Shepherd Dog was recognised as a new pedigree dog breed by the Kennel Club in 2017.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The huge increase in interest in the White Swiss Shepherd Dog is clearly linked to the TV advert featuring the breed, and demonstrates the enormous impact that advertising can have on people’s desires and impulses when it comes to puppy buying.

“Whilst the White Swiss Shepherd Dog can make a wonderful pet, it is not suitable for everybody. There are 220 pedigree dog breeds and each has unique and predictable characteristics that make them suitable for various different lifestyles, so we hope that people will see beyond the way a dog looks or their profile in the media and do their research before they buy any dog breed.

“It is equally important that people buy from responsible breeders, such as Kennel Club Assured Breeders, so that those looking to cash in on the popularity of new breeds but who don’t breed ethically or responsibly, aren’t the ones fulfilling the sudden market demand. Anybody looking for a breeder should contact the breed club, or use our Find a Puppy site and be aware that a good breeder will give their dogs the appropriate health tests before they breed from them, advise a potential buyer about the pros and cons of their breed and allow you to see your prospective puppy in its home, with its mother.”

Amy Treadwell, Secretary of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog Club of the UK, said: “We were inundated by people looking to buy White Swiss Shepherds after the Range Rover advert.

“Whilst the interest has been very encouraging, our main priority is to ensure that these lovely dogs are going to the right homes and bred by the right people. The White Swiss Shepherd is a perfect family dog, with a kind and loyal temperament and is friendly towards children. But it is also lively and intelligent, and so requires plenty of exercise, stimulation and company if it is not to get bored, vocal or destructive.

“There is currently a long waiting list for the breed, but if it’s the right dog for somebody, then we hope they will be prepared to wait and to buy responsibly.”

Read more information on the White Swiss Shepherd Dog.