28 of the 63 recognised British and Irish breeds have fewer than 300 annual registrations. Does anyone have the full list of affected breeds?  Of these breeds are any growing in numbers abroad?

Thanks In Advance :)

Bloodhounds, Deerhounds, Greyhounds, Otterhounds, Gordon Setters, Irish R & W, Curly coated Retrievers, Clumber, Field, Irish Water & Sussex Spaniels, Dandie Dinmonts, Smooth Fox, Glen of Imaal, Irish, Kerry Blue, Lakeland, Manchester, Norwich, Sealyham, Skye, Soft coated Wheaten & Welsh Terriers, Smooth Collie, Lancs Heelers, Cardi Corgis, English Toy Terriers & King Charles Spaniels. The Kennel Club via the Kennel Gazette recently produced a special supplement on Vulnerable Native Breeds - maybe you could get hold of a copy if you're interested.

It really breaks my heart, I have owned two of these wonderfull breeds and have admired a great many of the others.  A healthy campaign along the lines of the Rare Breeds Trust would be in order in my opinion, in fact I wonder they don't add them to their lists they must be as important to our heritage as the Belted Galloway!

This is why I get SO annoyed with the people who want to "create a new breed"i.e. crossbreed

Trouble is those people are probably not the ones you want to cast an eye over the list and think they might have novelty value

Sorry if I come across as stupid but I didn't think a King Charles Spaniel was a rare breed.

I bet you are thinking of the Cavalier King Charles :)  I don't think I have ever seen a KC outside a showground.

Yes thats what I was thinking about. My next door neighbour has 4 CKCS and They were what I thought were on the list, sorry

See they are not even rare up your road :D

Being the owner of one of the breeds on the vulnerable list, the recent publicity is welcome to highlight the problem. It is however a double edged sword, since in theory the demand for these breeds will rise and as a result the "puppy farm potential" will also substantially increase. When we contacted the puppy list co-ordinator for our breed to say that we were having a litter of puppies we were advised that there was an increased potential for unscrupulous owners or puppy farmers. We were aware of this situation and had intended to endorse the puppies pedigrees as a matter of course, but I feel it may be a prudent exercise on behalf of the kennel club to contact the people who own these breeds and highlight the potential for the afore mentioned problems to occur. It is a difficult enough job to vet potential owners without having to be wary of such unscrupulous breeders.

Ditto - my breed is pretty "borderline" (usually betwen 250 and 300) but is on the list. This morning my yearbook arrived and I was worried to see the number of litters bred by "pet owners". Dont get me wrong - I realise that this is one way to increase the gene pool - but I do worry that the proper health checks have been done before producing these litters, and whether they are all breeding with the right intentions. The last thing any of these breeds need is a sudden surge in registrations as it ideally should be a gradual increase of awareness in the public that these breeds actually exist.

I have been looking at Gordon Setters for some years now. I had no idea they were so rare. I am yet to go out and meet some breeders, ive simply been collecting information on their background, health, breed standard etc.
Looks like i had better get my skates on if im going to be buying a pup beofre the breed disappears!

I don't think the breed will disappear (fingers crossed), there are too many loonies :D like me out there who love their Gordons and would not let this happen to such a lovely breed. It is however difficult trying to let potential owners know what they are taking on. I have had a few people come and meet my girl and say 'oh she's a bit of a handful' and leave quite promptly :D  My OH actually listened to me on the phone the other night talking doggy to someone who wanted to know a bit more about them and he said I did a very good job of putting them off. I replied yes well that may be the case, but if they still want a Gordon after hearing all the bad things, then I'll be willing to discuss matters further with them.

Well try 6 Akitas running riot and see how a Gordon looks lol. Im used to hard work. Im still in the research stage so it wont be for a good 2 years till i even look into actually buying a pup.

lol I just can't help myself, I must be the worst breeder ever trying to put people off buying a breed that I love so much :D Hmm 6 Akitas you must have the patience of a saint. I think you'll probably do very well with a Gordon.

Well theres still a long way to go. I'll probably wait till this time next year and pop off to crufts for a butchers and chat with some breeders.
I wouldnt say i had the patience of a saint, people consider me to be one sandwich short of a picnic basket. Its the whole doggy love thing. I really think more of my girls than i do many many people! lol

Which are yours Japanese Akita Inu or Akita's just curious.  Must say the akita Inu's appeal to me more than the American more Mastiffy type :D  both goregeous breeds ,though not for me :D

I have the GJD, not the Inu, however i am growing to like the inu more and more.

I was sat with the owner of an Inu bitch when I was ahving my Elkhound bitch's eyes tested. 

She seemed to be much more dog outgoing than most Akita's I have met and the two girls, both adults were having a freindly encounter with a bit of play bowing (mine was 4 and the Inu about 2). 

She had a lovley Open expression, and she turned out to be on the coach traveeling to the St Patrick's day show un Dublin.  She was a s good as gold on the coach and I was amazed at how she snuggled into a 36 inch crate. 

My own pup was going to her first show on that trip, and I was ever so proud of her at just 6 months taking the coach travel in ehr stride.

I must say i prefer the bigger structure of the GJD. If you could get the face of the Inu and the rest of the GJD id be happy lol. As it stands i'd have to own GJD, Inu and a Shiba to get everything i wanted. Shame its impossible to roll them all together lol.

Ah now I prefer that they aren't as big, but maybe that is because I am a woman and would find it hard to lead walk more than one Akita at a time, whereas I can walk five of mine. 

I can do two Dobes or GSD, though do prefer them with headcollars.  I can walk around four Border Collies as I find they are inclined to twist and turn when you least expect them to.  I find small dogs the hardest to w2alk as I would tread on them.

Ah, thats all in the training. I walk all six of mine together through some fields, along the beach and i have almost an acre out the back. They all walk ok for me but then i use half checks and if one messes about they all get it lol.

No darling it is called being a responsible breeder. We looked at gordons when looking for our first dog. The breeder was fine but then a couple turned up with one each at training class and we decided that we wernt quite ready for them! Unfortunately bought 1st lab on experience of many docile 6+ year olds that we met and got a loonie, still at 8 1/2 he is now the dog I always dreamed of :D  

You are quite right it does have to be a gradual increase otherwiose quality will suffer.

Some of the breeds that are new to UK have suffered by a surge of popularity (thinking Akitas and DDB) which the breed cannot sustain and keep the quality in such a short space of time.  Akita only arrived in UK in 1980 and DDB in the 90's if I am not mistaken, yet they ahve registrations in 4 figures!!!

:D  I too try to put people off. I have 4 dogs and have never taught them not to jump over visitors for this very reason - baptism of fire. They need to be able to take the rough with the smooth if they are to pass my tests!

I have three wheaten terriers and all I can say is that people are missing out on a lot by not having them :( Mind you, you will probably find it hard to see a wheaten in pet shop and that can only be a good thing. Quiet a few of the dogs on the list I have thought about owning and I will hopefully own one of the one day. Including Dandie Dinmont, Lakeland, wire-haired fox and the Welsh terrier. I just hope that none of these breeds die out.

Sarah xxxx

Did you get anywhere with your Dandie enquiries?

Sarah, sad to say you can find wheaties in pet shops in the U.S. Just hope they dont become fashionable here.

Yeah that is sad fillis :( and like you said I hope they don't become fashionable here.
Hi Isabel, Yeah i got to talk to breeders who told me to visit them and to see their dandies and said that they would be willing to put me on their waiting list. I have also been to different shows and looked at the dandies and talked to breeders and owners and im pretty sure that they are the dog for me but at the moment I am not ready for another dog so I am just reading everything about them learning what i can. Eventually I am hoping to be ready to be put on the waiting list, but I just have to be an admirer at the moment. Can't wait to see them at crufts!!! :D

Sarah xxxx

I would definately take up any offers to go and see them at home, it will be lovely to see them at Crufts but there is nothing like a bunch of Dandies relaxing at home :D

Yeah I agree, I think that most breeds are completely different in the home than at a show. Saw a gorgeous dandie at LKA and when I was looking at the stalls it rolled over to have it belly rubbed in the middle of the aisle! What was your dandies affix/kennel name?

sarah xxxx

I was shocked to see Bloodhounds I absolutely adore them.  I had better not tell my son he has been trying to get me to get one for as long as I can remember ever since he saw Best in Show ;)

I like to have potential owners of the breed visit in the home, but have also found that takeing them for a walk for then to see how they interact with other dogs off lead, and whether their rather relaxed recall and obedience style is something they could live with is very useful :D

People have very different expectations depending on what breeds they have been exposed to before.  Your average GSD or Border Collie owner (a freidn who has both has one of my bitches, so I know) would be frustrated by theri I will do it if I want and see the point attitude to everything.  On the other hand someone I was demoinstrating my naughtiest bitch to thought she was angelic compared to the Afghans they had owned :D

Nellie did not have an affix but was mostly Hendell breeding, her father was Ch.Hendell Brother Giles out of a Dunscore bitch.  Brother Giles was perhaps best known for his charity work :) doing sponsored sit up and begs for various doggy charities.

That sound like a very good idea brainless. What colour was nellie?

sarah xxxx

Pepper, definately my favourite colour, but these days I think you have to be just happy to get hold of one let alone a particular colour :)
Pepper bitches, apparently, are the most sought after and the most likely to be kept by their breeder.

Shame as they are my favorite (typical of me to pick the one that is the hardest to get hold of! :rolleyes: :D)
They are soooo gorgeous!!

sarah xxxx

My parents have got a Sussex Spaniel called Jess - she's totally gorgeous and I can't believe that these are on the rare breeds list.  :-(

Am always amazed that the Smooth Collie is not more popular - intelligent, trainable, good with dogs and people, much easier to manage coat-wise than the Rough - and at least as handsome (IMHO!) - yet "at risk"!

The "Lassie" factor I suppose.... :(

Janet

It is a real shame about the native breeds. I have a Briard because I have grown up with them and only know them, but after a nasty upset we looked into other breeds and came up trumps with the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Absolutely stunning dogs, and if I ever persuade OH to get dog no.2 in a couple of years then it will be a Wheaten or a Gordon. A lady nearby has a 5 month Gordon and he is as scatty as you like, but beautiful to boot!!! Moulting is a big issue with me as me as my children and I have asthma.

Julia

Moulting is a nightmare in my house!
Imagine, a beautiful thick plush coat, could sleep in it its that soft...
Then the coat blows. Looking at a bin liner and a half of undercoat per dog, i have 6 :O Its everywhere, in your food, in your bed, on the TV, stuck in your black coat and thats before you look at the white carpet that certainly wasnt there last week!!!!
And its twice a year for gods sake!!!
Its a good job i love them! thats all i can say lol :D

Welcome to my world, well same typoe of coat, and I ahve five now who have synchronised their moulting over last year or two. qucik once round just one room has the dyson container full.  Makes a useful addition to my diet too :D

My daughter says she can't wait to leave home so that she can stop wearing top to toe dog hair.

I go round a few times a day but its not enough. I give up lol

6 dogs. WOW, thats a lot :-)

Wouldn't worry about the Smooth Collie Being at risk just yet. Most of the breeders don't consider it to be.
As for Greyhounds????? maybe I'm being naive but encouraging people to breed more of them?

Oh wow juliebob I didn't know that you are looking at wheatens! :D Well if you ever need to know more I am willing to help and fillis also has wheatens. Just have to persuade your husband! :D

Sarah xxxx