Many of us have welcomed new puppies to our families over the last few years, as the Kennel Club has seen dog ownership soar to record levels – around one-in-three households now include a four-legged friend.
But the growing popularity of imported breeds like the French Bull Dog mean that some of the UK’s formerly well-established native breeds are dwindling towards extinction on these shores.
A total of 32 breeds are now ‘considered vulnerable’ by the Kennel Club, having fallen below 300 annual registrations. including such previously-popular pups as the King Charles Spaniel and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
Even the Skye Terrier, the breed famous for loyalty and typified by Edinburgh’s Greyfriar's Bobby, is at risk.
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Kennel Club Secretary, Caroline Kisko, said: “We could lose even more of our most iconic and historic native dog breeds if people don’t look beyond the most obvious choices and start to explore the huge diversity of breeds we’re lucky enough to have in this country.”
So, if you’d like to help one of the UK's struggling breeds, opt for one of these instead of the usual Labrador Retriever or Springer Spaniel.
Here are the 10 most at risk breeds of dog in the UK.
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A total of 32 breeds are now ‘considered vulnerable’ by the Kennel Club, having fallen below 300 annual registrations. including such previously-popular pups as the King Charles Spaniel and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
![A characterful breed originally bred to track deer, wild bore and, since the middle-ages, people, only 36 Bloodhounds were registered last year, putting them joint third in this list.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjBkYjhmN2JiLWJiMmMtNDcxMC05YmJhLWM3NmE1Y2I3NjMwNzo4YTNlMzEwNy1hNzAyLTRjNGYtOWQ3OS00YWQxYjg1NmVmMmU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
5. Bloodhound
A characterful breed originally bred to track deer, wild bore and, since the middle-ages, people, only 36 Bloodhounds were registered last year, putting them joint third in this list.Photo: Canva/Getty Images
![The tallest of the UK's spaniel breeds, the Kennel Club only received 57 new registrations for Irish Water Spaniels last year.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOmU0NWQ4NzliLTgyM2UtNGE3MS04N2I3LWIyMjRjNzk5YTVlYjo2NjQ5MWI4Yi05YTExLTQ5NjYtOGQ2Zi0yYzM0YjFlNzI2NmU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
6. Irish Water Spaniel
The tallest of the UK's spaniel breeds, the Kennel Club only received 57 new registrations for Irish Water Spaniels last year.Photo: Canva/Getty Images
![One of the more surprising entries on this list is the King Charles Spaniel. As recently as 2012 over 200 hundred of the big-eyed breed were being registered each year - now it's was down to just 56. They can be distinguished from the similar Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from their slightly smaller size, short muzzle and upturned nose.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjcwYjRhOGZhLTRhMDEtNDk1Mi05YzBlLTQxYTBjZDFhMGI2YTpkNjVmOWQ3MS0zZGVmLTQ1NmQtYmU2ZS1mMTQ5Mzk1NzQwNmY=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
7. King Charles Spaniel
One of the more surprising entries on this list is the King Charles Spaniel. As recently as 2012 over 200 hundred of the big-eyed breed were being registered each year - now it's was down to just 56. They can be distinguished from the similar Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from their slightly smaller size, short muzzle and upturned nose.Photo: Canva/Getty Images
![Originally bred to herd sheep, Smooth Collie numbers have struggled over the last decade, never reaching triple figures on any given year. Last year a total of 72 dogs were registered with the Kennel Club.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjAyYmU5NTVhLTQzMTgtNDQ3Yi05NjkzLWM0OGU1NjM3ZDM2NTo5NTgyMzcwNS0yNWE3LTRlYTAtODkyNC04ODcwYWU2MTk5MjQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
8. Smooth Collie
Originally bred to herd sheep, Smooth Collie numbers have struggled over the last decade, never reaching triple figures on any given year. Last year a total of 72 dogs were registered with the Kennel Club.Photo: Canva/Getty Images