It was a paws-itively great day in Warwick with more than 550 dogs travelling from all over the country for a one of a kind dog show by the Kennel Club - which hosts the biggest dog show Crufts in Birmingham every year.
On Sunday (June 18), 550+ dogs from 34 breeds on The Kennel Club’s Vulnerable Native Breed list showed up at the Kennel Club Building in Stoneleigh for the first-ever show of its kind.
The Kennel Club’s Vulnerable Native Breed list is a list of 34 dog breeds with 300 or less puppy registrations per year, in the first open show dedicated to these beloved but now rare breeds. The Kennel Club wanted to highlight the UK native dog breeds, like the Foxhound and Harrier, that are at risk of vanishing with some having registrations in just single digits.
Some of the breeds are seen in such low numbers that they are completely unrecognisable to the British public despite being native to the country. The Kennel Club said that this is a concern because “it means that breeds that might be the perfect fit for people’s lifestyles are being overlooked in favour of other breeds that might not be, simply because they are not as well known.”
The Kennel Club said on its website: “We find that people tend to choose a breed from the pool of breeds they have heard of before, which means that the perfect breed for them and their lifestyle might be overlooked.”
One of the breeds of the Vulnerable British and Irish Breeds list is the Miniature Bull Terrier - which was developed by James Hinks in Birmingham in the 1850s and the 1860s. It shares its ancestry with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier which originates from the West Midlands but, in contrast, is currently one of the most popular breeds in the UK.
At the Kennel Club first ever Vulnerable Native Breed Show, the winner of Best of Breed was a Curly Coated Retriever, Anise, winner. The Kennel Club has created a list of vulnerable British and Irish Breeds to protect them and it can be found on The Kennel Club’s website. They also have a list of ‘at watch’ list (breeds with between 300 and 450 registrations a year) so they can monitor them.
Here are 11 photos of dog breeds at risk from the first ever Vulnerable Breed dog show by the Kennel Club:
1. Curly Coated Retriever
Vicki Hayes with her son, Reuben, and Curly Coated Retriever, Anise, winner of Best of Breed at the first ever Vulnerable Native Breed Show. (Photo - Heidi Hudson/The Kennel Club)
2. Bearded Collies
Only 281 registerations in 2022 for this breed. (Photo - Heidi Hudson/The Kennel Club)
3. Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Only 201 registerations in 2022 for this breed. (Photo - Heidi Hudson/The Kennel Club)
4. Dandie Dinmont Terriers
Only 112 registerations in 2022 for this breed. (Photo - Heidi Hudson/The Kennel Club)