As a number of iconic British breeds fall to their lowest levels since World War Two
The Smooth Fox Terrier, a historic British breed, and known to many as the iconic HMV mascot is facing an uncertain future after recording their lowest annual puppy births since records began.
The small Terrier breed, which was in the top ten most popular breeds a century ago, and registering close to 3,000 puppies a year at its peak, has, in recent years, been classed as a vulnerable native breed by The Kennel Club, owing to their low numbers, with just 45 puppies born in 2024 -the lowest ever number recorded for the breed.
A number of additional iconic British breeds have also had a worrying start to the year, with the Airedale Terrier added to the ‘At Watch’ list for the first time – breeds with between 300 and 450 annual puppy births - while both the Yorkshire Terrier and Shetland Sheepdog have recorded their lowest numbers since 1944 and 1946, respectively. The Scottish Terrier, which was added to The Kennel Club’s ‘At Watch’ list last year, has fallen further, and last year saw the breed’s lowest ever annual puppy births, with 387 puppies born.
There was good news, however, for other British breeds which saw a surge in popularity last year, including the Rough Collie and Cairn Terrier, both of which left the ‘At Watch’ list, recording more than 450 puppies in 2024, while two vulnerable breeds saw their numbers double, compared to 2023 - the Skye Terrier, most recognisable as Dougal from the Magic Roundabout, increased from 36 puppies to 71 puppies, and the Otterhound, which saw their numbers soar from 18 puppies in 2023 to 42 in 2024.
Despite their dwindling numbers, there will be 52 Smooth Fox Terriers vying for the title of Best in Show at Crufts, which is taking place this week, from 6 – 9 March, while visitors to the show can also meet more than 200 breeds in the Discover Dogs area, from the vulnerable breeds, including the English Setter and Dandie Dinmont Terrier, to the nation’s most popular breed, the Labrador, and everything in between.
Crufts will also shine a spotlight on the plight of some of the UK and Ireland’s most iconic breeds with a Vulnerable Breed competition, taking place in the main arena Those dogs competing include Tozie, the Irish Wolfhound, the tallest of all the breeds and Benson, the Lancashire Heeler, which was originally bred to work as a cattle herder.
Bill Lambert, spokesperson for Crufts, said: “The Smooth Fox Terrier was once one of our most popular breeds, and recognisable the world over as Nipper, the HMV dog, so these latest figures are a real cause for concern.
“With 223 different breeds of dog, each with unique characteristics and personalities, we have such a rich diversity of dogs in this country but some are in real danger of disappearing forever, simply because many people don’t know about them, meaning many people might not be getting the perfect match for them.
“Opportunities to meet less popular breeds of dogs are limited, which is why we have a unique Discover Dogs area at Crufts, which starts this week, where visitors can talk to experts and meet more than 200 breeds. We really urge potential dog owners to take advantage of this chance to meet the huge variety of breeds, and use the information and resources available at Crufts, and online, to really understand which breed is right for them.”
Crufts 2025 is taking place from 6-9 March at the NEC in Birmingham, and will welcome over 20,000 dogs. More information and tickets for the event are available on Crufts website.
Tickets are free for under 9s, and advance tickets start at £15 for children (aged 9-15) and concessions, and £22 for adults (fees apply). Please note that tickets are only available through Crufts’ official ticketing partner, AXS.
More information about vulnerable breeds and The Kennel Club’s campaign to save them can be found on our website.