Scottish Terrier numbers in decline
The Scottish Terrier has recorded their lowest numbers since records began, placing them on The Kennel Club’s ‘At Watch’ list for the second time in their history.
The breed recorded just 406 puppy births in 2023, a staggering drop since its heyday in the mid-1930s through to the early 1940s where the breed was the third most popular breed in the country, later peaking in 1947 when there more than 5,800 puppies registered.
The ‘At Watch’ list monitors breeds with between 300-450 puppy registrations a year. Those with less than 300 puppy births annually are recorded on the organisation’s Vulnerable Native breed list, which was devised to highlight those British and Irish native breeds which could be at risk of disappearing.
Three other British breeds have entered the ‘At Watch’ list for the first time – the Pointer, Rough Collie and Wire Fox Terrier, while the Cairn Terrier has also rejoined the list, meaning there are now more breeds classed as ‘At Watch’ and ‘Vulnerable’ than ever before.
However, there was good news for other British breeds who saw a surge in popularity last year, including the English Setter (+18%), the Yorkshire Terrier (+14%), and the Jack Russell Terrier (+14%).
The breed that saw the most significant increase originates from the continent, the Bernese Mountain Dog, which saw its numbers rise by nearly a quarter in 2023.
Bill Lambert, spokesperson for The Kennel Club, said: “The Scottish Terrier has been such an iconic and recognisable breed in the UK for decades, and means so much to so many different people, so these latest figures are really worrying.
“We are lucky to have an amazing 222 breeds of dog in this country, each with unique personalities and characteristics, but the vast majority of dogs that you will meet come from within the top ten breeds alone. People often opt for the well-known choices and simply forget to dig a little deeper, with the worrying knock-on effect that not only are some of our most iconic breeds in decline but also that people might not be getting the perfect match for them.”
