Forgotten British Breeds
6th October 2019In February 2018, the British Kennel Club launched their “Save the Forgotten Dog Breeds” Campaign, an extension of the Vulnerable Native Breeds project. Having owned a Norwich Terrier for 15 years, I fully support this initiative to celebrate and promote the British dog breeds; I recognise their place in our history and the need to ensure that they have a future.
To that end, I plan to write a feature about each Forgotten British Breed here on my blog. With 62 to cover, it’s going to be quite a challenge!
These dogs represent all four countries within the United Kingdom, and seven out of seven dog show groups; their diversity in history and purpose is quite astonishing. They range in size from the gigantic Irish Wolfhound to the diminutive English Toy Terrier. Their numbers span from the incredibly vulnerable (see below) to the perennially popular, with nine out of the top 20 breeds in 2018 being of British origin.
The breeds are as follows:
English Breeds
- Airedale Terrier
- Beagle
- Bedlington Terrier
- Bloodhound
- Bull Terrier
- Bull Terrier (Miniature)
- Bulldog
- Bullmastiff
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- English Setter
- English Toy Terrier
- Fox Terrier (Smooth)
- Fox Terrier (Wire)
- Foxhound
- Jack Russell Terrier
- King Charles Spaniel
- Lakeland Terrier
- Lancashire Heeler
- Manchester Terrier
- Mastiff
- Norfolk Terrier
- Norwich Terrier
- Old English Sheepdog
- Otterhound
- Parson Russell Terrier
- Retriever (Curly Coated)
- Retriever (Flat Coated)
- Spaniel (Clumber)
- Spaniel (Cocker)
- Spaniel (English Springer)
- Spaniel (Field)
- Spaniel (Sussex)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Whippet
- Yorkshire Terrier
Irish Breeds
- Glen of Imaal Terrier
- Irish Red & White Setter
- Irish Setter
- Irish Terrier
- Irish Wolfhound
- Kerry Blue Terrier
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
- Spaniel (Irish Water)
Scottish Breeds
- Bearded Collie
- Border Collie
- Border Terrier
- Cairn Terrier
- Collie (Rough)
- Collie (Smooth)
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier
- Deerhound
- Gordon Setter
- Retriever (Golden)
- Scottish Terrier
- Shetland Sheepdog
- Skye Terrier
- West Highland White Terrier
Welsh Breeds
- Sealyham Terrier
- Spaniel (Welsh Springer)
- Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)
- Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)
- Welsh Terrier
According to the Kennel Club, which recognises over 220 different breeds, “As of 1st January 2019 there are 29 dog breeds considered vulnerable and 9 breeds considered at risk of becoming vulnerable.”
A breed is considered “Vulnerable” when it registers less than 300 puppies each year. So, the 2019 Vulnerable Native Breeds (with their 2018 registration figures) are:
Bearded Collie | 274 |
Bloodhound | 62 |
Bull Terrier (Miniature) | 221 |
Collie (Smooth) | 77 |
Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 145 |
Deerhound | 198 |
English Setter | 290 |
English Toy Terrier | 126 |
Fox Terrier (Smooth) | 126 |
Glen of Imaal Terrier | 48 |
Gordon Setter | 172 |
Irish Red & White Setter | 51 |
Irish Wolfhound | 239 |
Kerry Blue Terrier | 117 |
King Charles Spaniel | 106 |
Lakeland Terrier | 139 |
Lancashire Heeler | 112 |
Manchester Terrier | 172 |
Mastiff | 143 |
Norwich Terrier | 81 |
Otterhound | 39 |
Retriever (Curly Coated) | 70 |
Sealyham Terrier | 107 |
Skye Terrier | 50 |
Spaniel (Clumber) | 280 |
Spaniel (Field) | 48 |
Spaniel (Irish Water) | 111 |
Spaniel (Sussex) | 34 |
Welsh Corgi (Cardigan) | 147 |
While the At Risk breeds – which registered between 300 and 500 puppies in 2018 – are:
Bedlington Terrier | 307 |
Bullmastiff | 409 |
Irish Terrier | 384 |
Old English Sheepdog | 318 |
Parson Russell Terrier | 360 |
Scottish Terrier | 438 |
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier | 307 |
Spaniel (Welsh Springer) | 330 |
Welsh Terrier | 325 |
The nine most popular British breeds, by comparison, had registration numbers between 2,000 and 24,000 in 2018:
Beagle | 2,094 | 20th |
Whippet | 3,475 | 14th |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 3,701 | 13th |
Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 4,858 | 12th |
Border Terrier | 5,245 | 11th |
Retriever (Golden) | 7,794 | 7th |
Spaniel (English Springer) | 10,152 | 5th |
Bulldog | 10,665 | 4th |
Spaniel (Cocker) | 23,927 | 3rd |