39 native British dog breeds now classed as Vulnerable

The 2024 UK Kennel Club breed registration statistics have been released; and they bring bad news for our Forgotten British Breeds, with 41 breeds now classed as “Vulnerable” and seven on the “At Watch” list.

Vulnerable native breeds are dog breeds of British and Irish origin that are considered to be at risk due to their declining registration numbers. To support them, the UK Kennel Club launched its Save The Forgotten Breeds campaign, which aims to use events such as Crufts and Discover Dogs, and the Vulnerable Native Breeds competition, to raise awareness of these often-overlooked dogs. A breed is classed as “Vulnerable” if it registers less than 300 puppies per year and breeds which register between 450 and 300 are placed on the “At Watch” list.

The 2024 registration statistics show that some breeds are declining. Four breeds – the Welsh Terrier, Bullmastiff, Old English Sheepdog, and Bedlington Terrier – have moved from the At Watch list to the Vulnerable list. And two more – the Airedale and Jack Russell Terriers – have moved into At Watch status.

Meanwhile, the Smooth Fox Terrier is facing an uncertain future after recording their lowest annual puppy births (45) since records began. The lowest registration figure was the Sussex Spaniel, with just 24 puppies registered in the entirety of 2024; that’s compared to 10,201 Labradors! Even at the higher end of the registrations, things don’t look good for British breeds: both the Yorkshire Terrier and Shetland Sheepdog have recorded their lowest numbers since 1944 and 1946, respectively.

There was some positive news, however, for some British breeds which saw a surge in popularity last year, including the Rough Collie and Cairn Terrier, both of which left the At Watch list, recording more than 450 puppies in 2024. Meanwhile two Vulnerable breeds saw their numbers double, compared to 2023: the Skye Terrier increased from 36 puppies to 71 puppies, and the Otterhound, which saw their numbers soar from 18 puppies in 2023 to 42 in 2024.

More common British breeds also made it into the top 10 most popular list, based on registrations: Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, English Springer Spaniels, Bulldogs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers remain ubiquitous on UK streets.

It should also be noted that registration figures were down in 2024 in general, with a 17% decrease in registrations across all breeds: 187,772 total in 2024 vs 227,273 in 2023. So, it may not all be doom and gloom.

We here at Dogs In The News are firm lovers and supporters of British Native Breeds. We have owned Norwich Terriers (Vulnerable) and an Irish Terrier (At Watch) and feel it would be a crying shame if these parts of our islands’ heritage became history. We will continue to report on this topic; watch this space for further analysis in the months to come.

And, if you have a story to tell about your Forgotten British Breed, please do let us know; we’d love to share it.