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.
![Yet another of the at-risk spaniels, the Field Spaniel was bred to be a show dog and had 69 registrations last year - good news, since it was the highest figure since 2016.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjRlNDQ3NTIzLTY5OTItNDU2Yi1hMmQwLWE5YjVjNTk0ZmZmMTpmYzNkMmRiNi1iODI1LTRhMjUtYWQ3ZC0yZTAyYjM1ZGY5MWI=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
9. Field Spaniel
Yet another of the at-risk spaniels, the Field Spaniel was bred to be a show dog and had 69 registrations last year - good news, since it was the highest figure since 2016.Photo: Canva/Getty Images
![While the Labrador Retriever is currently the UK's most popular dog, its close cousin, the equally friendly Curly Coated Retriever, is struggling with just 55 registered.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjQyYmQxY2I4LTBmMzAtNDVmNy04ODI3LWU2ODg4ZjI0ZGE1Yjo3NDUwNDc2Ni0zYTAzLTRkYmYtYWVkZi03YWRkZGM1NmVlNWU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
10. Curly Coated Retriever,
While the Labrador Retriever is currently the UK's most popular dog, its close cousin, the equally friendly Curly Coated Retriever, is struggling with just 55 registered.Photo: Canva/Getty Images