Dog breeds 'facing extinction' - including one which was once UK's most popular

22 November 2023 , 21:51

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The Wire Fox Terrier hunting dog was once the most popular breed in the UK (Image: Shutterstock / TSViPhoto)

There are 34 dog breeds currently 'facing extinction' in the UK while another eight are said to be at risk - and the country's former most popular dog may soon be added.

The popularity of dog breeds tend to fluctuate over the years, meaning some breeds can be at risk of extinction if the numbers drop too low. And according to the Kennel Club, what used to be one the UK's most popular dog breed may be at risk of disappearing - despite it previously being a Royal Family favourite.

The experts have revealed that the Wire Fox Terrier looks set to enter the Kennel Club's list of 'at risk' breeds for the first time ever. This breed of terrier, which many people will recognise as the dog 'Snowy' from the TinTin franchise, was the most popular dog in the UK 100 years ago.

Irish Terriers are among the dogs on the Kennel Club's At Watch list (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

However, in more recent times, it has seen its numbers plummet. Annual puppy numbers from the dog registration body shows a significant fall so far in 2023 for the breed, with just 281 Wire Fox Terrier puppies born – a 21 per cent decrease in popularity compared with the same period in 2022, where there had been 359 puppies recorded in the first three quarters of the year, reports the Daily Record.

The small wiry-coated breed was historically a Royal Family favourite during the Edwardian era, with King Edward VII and Queen Victoria both reported to have owned one. But 100 years later, the once-popular breed is likely to enter the Kennel Club's 'At Watch' list which looks at breeds with between 300-450 puppy births a year. Breeds with less than 300 puppy registrations each year are noted on the company's Vulnerable Native Breed list.

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There are currently 34 breeds on this list, with a further eight on the At Watch list - and the Wire Fox Terrier could be added soon. Here is the Kennel Club's current list of 'at watch' breeds, as well as all the dogs that are on the Vulnerable Native Breed list.

Dog breeds - At Watch list

• Bedlington Terrier
• Bullmastiff
• Irish Terrier
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Norfolk Terrier
• Parson Russell Terrier
• Old English Sheepdog
• Welsh Terrier

Vulnerable Native Breed list

• Bearded Collie
• Bloodhound
• Bull Terrier (miniature)
• Collie (smooth)
• Dandie Dinmont Terrier
• Deerhound
• English Setter
• English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
• Foxhound
• Fox Terrier (smooth)
• Glen of Imaal Terrier
• Gordon Setter
• Greyhound
• Harrier
• Irish Red & White Setter
• Irish Wolfhound
• King Charles Spaniel
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Lakeland Terrier
• Lancashire Heeler
• Manchester Terrier
• Mastiff
• Norwich Terrier
• Otter Hound
• Retriever (curly coated)
• Sealyham Terrier
• Skye Terrier
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Spaniel (Clumber)
• Spaniel (Field)
• Spaniel (Irish Water)
• Spaniel (Sussex)
• Spaniel (Welsh Springer)
• Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)

Nicola Roy