Britain's rarest dog breed sees a revival
Skye terriers are said to be rarer than giant pandas.
Britain's rarest native dog breed, the skye terrier, has seen a ten-fold rise in puppy registrations this year, the Kennel Club reports.
The skye terrier is rarer than the giant panda, with just one registration last year. In the first quarter of 2014, however, 11 puppies were registered, meaning the breed has seen one of the largest increases so far this year.
Nonetheless, it is estimated that there are less than 400 skye terriers left in this country.
The Kennel Club considers native dog breeds to be "vulnerable" when there are fewer than 300 puppy registrations in a year, as this is thought to be sufficient to sustain the population.
As well as the Skye terrier a number of other native dog breeds have seen some recovery this year, such as the Irish red and white setter and Cardigan Welsh corgi.
While several vulnerable breeds have seen a revival, the Kennel Club says foreign toy breeds and "handbag" dogs are becoming increasingly popular. French bulldog puppy registrations, for example, have risen by 522 per cent since 2008.
Five of the top ten breeds in the UK are now from overseas.
Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko has warned that celebrity culture and changing fashions "play a greater role than ever before in people's choice of dog."
Ms Kisko said it would be "very sad" if we lost some of our oldest breeds simply because they have been forgotten and "lack the profile" of other breeds. She urges people to consider all 215 breeds of dog before choosing one that is right for their lifestyle.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
