Are Sheepdogs and Corgis on the Brink of Extinction?

left: The Pembroke Corgi | photo: flickr/50-phi | right: The Old English Sheepdog | photo: flickr/Just chaos 
 

Recent trends towards pet ownership of “handbag” dogs such as Chihuahuas and Pugs suggest a slowdown in population growth of certain dog breeds and has placed them on a watch list over fears that they could face extinction. Among them, two prominent breeds are the Old English Sheepdog and the Queen of England’s own Pembroke Welsh Corgi, according to Telegraph News UK.

Kennel Club via Telegraph News UK, the old English Sheepdog had 316 of its puppies registered this year, while the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, the soft-coated Weaten Terrier and Welsh Terrier list breeds with 301 and 450 puppies confirmed.
The Kennel Club hopes to bring light to the old English sheepdogs before they reach “vulnerable” levels under 300 puppies. ''The decline of the old English sheepdog....can be partly explained by lifestyle changes as it needs a lot of grooming and exercise and so is not suitable for the fast paced urban lifestyles of many people,” said Bill Lambert, manager of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Sheme.

The Pug is a popular "handbag" dog breed | photo: flickr/phault

The more popular breeds also known as the “handbag” dogs such as the Pug and Chihuahua.

“But it is also a lot to do with fashion. Despite the fact that old English sheepdogs have good temperaments and can make fantastic family pets their popularity is being eclipsed by more fashionable foreign breeds that can be much harder to train and care for. “Of particular concern is the growth in popularity of the Siberian husky, a beautiful dog which is notoriously wilful and generally unsuitable for urban life.”

The Siberian Husky is gaining popularity in urban life. | photo: flckr/Steve Jurvetson

The Kennel Club takes note that there are currently 30 “vulnerable” breeds along with four dog types on the At Watch list. Among the list, the foxhound with no registration this year, the Cesky Terrier with 25 registrations makes the breeds the most “vulnerable,” with the biggest decrease seen in the Clumber Spaniel breed of 37% drop to 114 registrations.

People often go for the most obvious or fashionable dog choice, which isn't necessarily the right one for them.”

According to Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, ''People often go for the most obvious or fashionable dog choice, which isn't necessarily the right one for them.” The more popular breeds also known as the “handbag” dogs such as the Pug and Chihuahua thrive with 2,669 (a 615% rise) for Chihuahuas and 5,496 registrants with a 615% increase in the last decade. Also doing well are Labrador Retrievers, the UK’s most popular breed with 28,787 registered breeds in the first three quarters of 2012.

updated 10/30/12: Since the posting of this article, it has been brought to our attention regarding the validity of these figures because they are isolated to the UK. Though these numbers were cited from the UK Kennel Club, it does not necessarily reflect population figures for these breeds worldwide or suggest a world-wide endangerment.

Source: Telegraph UK