Beloved British dog breed facing extinction - but Royal favourite terrier sees spike in popularity
25 February 2024, 20:03
Scottish terriers face an uncertain future as the once-popular breed is added to the Kennel Club's watch-list for at-risk breeds.
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The distinctive breed known as Scotties has registered its lowest numbers since records began - despite being the mascot of Walker's shortbread and a playing piece in the traditional set of Monopoly.
Only 406 puppy births were logged by breeders with The Kennel Club in 2023.
The figures are an alarming drop from its 'ast-century peak of 5,800 registrations in a single year.
The breed was known to be a favourite of Queen Victoria and was once bred to hunt foxes, badgers and other pests in the Scottish Highlands.
Miniature long-haired daschunds and Bernese Mountain dogs are surging in popularity at the Scottie's expense - seeing a 24% and 20% hike in registrations year-on-year.
English setter, Yorkshire terriers and Jack Russell terriers, the favoured breed of the King and Queen Camilla, have all seen big jumps in registration numbers.
The Kennel Club has been monitoring breeds of British and Irish origin with fewer than 450 annual puppy registrations since 2004.
