The truth is, there are dozens of vulnerable native dog breeds<\/a> in the UK, some well-known and others less familiar. The Kennel Club<\/a> says many of these “breeds are at\u00a0risk of disappearing from our parks and streets, simply because people don\u2019t know they exist or because they aren\u2019t considered fashionable.”<\/p> It’s time these breeds found the limelight once more. Here, we take a look at 10 of Britain’s forgotten dogs \u2013 and reveal what makes them so special.<\/p> Bearded collies are herding dogs which originate from the Borders and Highlands of Scotland, and dogs resembling the breed as we know it today are thought to date back at least 500 years. At its peak, in the late 1980s, the breed was registering nearly 2,000 puppies annually, but their numbers have since plummeted. Bearded collies tend to be steady, intelligent and lively \u2013 and they thrive on human companionship, so they are very well suited to dog-loving families.\u00a0<\/p> The origins of the breed dates to 1825 \u2013 their heyday was in 1980, when 1,706 puppies were registered that year by The Kennel Club, but their numbers have since dropped by 85%. As well as being very active, the English setter is also known to be outgoing and good-natured. Whilst they love affection, they are a large breed so require owners that can provide them with a lot of exercise, and a large home and garden.<\/p> Once owned by Princess Margaret, the Sealyham terrier takes its name from the village where it originated, in Pembrokeshire, on the river Seal. Around a century ago, the breed was registering more than 2,000 puppies a year, and was once popularised by a number of film stars, with historic owners including Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock. Sadly it\u2019s a different story for the breed these days, with less than 150 puppies registered in 2023.<\/p> The Irish wolfhound is known as a gentle giant and is the tallest dog breed recognised in the UK. It was originally bred to see off wolves which were a great threat to livestock in Ireland \u2013 by the end of the 18th century the wolf was extinct in Ireland and breed numbers dwindled. With the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, the breed became very rare, but it bounced back after becoming the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards in 1902.\u00a0<\/p> Perhaps best known as Nipper, the \u2018HMV dog\u2019, which has been seen across countless record labels and souvenirs. While less well-known than the wire fox terrier, the smooth was the first variety of fox terriers to be recognised. The early versions of the breed were often brown or black and tan but, in order to make them more recognisable from foxes when working, today\u2019s breed is predominantly white with small patches of black and tan. The breed was in the top five most popular dogs in the 1920s, with over 2,000 puppies born and registered a year, but a century later, it is a very different story. They are known to be a friendly and alert breed, which needs up to an hour of exercise a day, with access to a garden.\u00a0<\/p> The Irish terrier is considered to be one of the oldest terriers and was the fourth most popular dog in the 1880s. The breed is most recognisable for its vibrant red coat, and they are known for being good-tempered and devoted to their owners.<\/p> Whilst you may have come across English springer spaniels, their Welsh counterpart is much less well-known. \u2018Welshies\u2019, as they are often affectionately known, have a rich red and white coat, and can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages when a \u2018red and white Welsh hunting dog\u2019 was chronicled in Welsh literature.\u00a0<\/p> The Clumber spaniel\u2019s\u00a0origins can be traced to circa 1770, thanks to Henry the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0Duke of Newcastle, who is associated with the breed, and it takes its name from the family\u2019s seat, Clumber Park<\/a> in Nottinghamshire. It has a long history of being favoured by royalty \u2013 both King Edward VII and his son George V had Clumber spaniels. They are a highly intelligent breed but do require regular grooming owing to their abundant coat.\u202f\u00a0<\/p> Belonging to the Pastoral group, ancestors of the Lancashire heeler include the Welsh corgi and Manchester terrier.\u202fThe breed was previously known as the Ormskirk heeler, as they were used to herd cattle to market in the Welsh area of Ormskirk. Lancashire heelers are known to be intelligent and loyal dogs, with short legs but a big heart, who make an affectionate family dog.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p> Cousin to the more famous Pembroke Welsh corgi, which was favoured by Queen Elizabeth II, Cardigan Welsh corgis are intelligent little dogs. Despite their short legs, corgis are active and alert, having been originally bred to help farmers with livestock. Despite their countryside origins, Corgis thrive in both country and town, and can make a great, steady companion for a first-time owner.\u202f\u00a0<\/p> To find out more about all 223 native dog breeds in the UK, check out\u00a0The Kennel Club’s A to Z of breeds<\/a>.<\/p> Words: Laura Lloyd, The Kennel Club<\/em><\/p> More about dogs:<\/strong><\/p> The Kennel Club reveals 10 of the most vulnerable dog breeds in Britain, from the iconic bearded collie and adorable Welsh springer spaniel to the long-legged Irish wolfhound. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":36313,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk.jpg",1725,1150,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/04\/10-of-the-rarest-dog-breeds-in-the-uk.jpg",1725,1150,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Kennel Club reveals 10 of the most vulnerable dog breeds in Britain, from the iconic bearded collie and adorable Welsh springer spaniel to the long-legged Irish wolfhound.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/36312"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}10 of the rarest dog breeds in the UK<\/h2>
Bearded collie<\/h3>
English setter<\/h3>
![\"English](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/English-Setter.jpeg\")
Sealyham terrier<\/h3>
![\"Sealyham](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Sealyham-Terrier.jpeg\")
Irish wolfhound<\/h3>
![\"Irish](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Irish-Wolfhound.jpeg\")
Smooth fox terrier<\/h3>
![\"Smooth](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Smooth-Fox-Terrier.jpeg\")
Irish terrier<\/h3>
![\"Irish](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Irish-Terrier-puppy.jpeg\")
Welsh springer spaniel\u00a0<\/h3>
![\"Welsh](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Welsh-Springer-Spaniel.jpeg-.jpeg\")
Clumber spaniel\u202f\u00a0<\/h3>
![\"Clumber](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Clumber-Spaniel.jpeg\")
Lancashire heeler\u00a0<\/h3>
![\"Lancashire](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Lancashire-Heeler.jpeg\")
Cardigan Welsh corgi\u00a0<\/h3>
![\"Cardigan](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/04\/Cardigan-Welsh-corgi-scaled.jpeg\")
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