Old English sheepdogs are facing extinction – have big dogs had their day?

The Old English Sheepdog has been the face of paint brand Dulux for more than 60 years. Famed for its shaggy white coat, bouncy demeanour and impressive size, the breed has starred in advertising campaigns for decades as the 'Dulux dog', not to mention a hit 1970s film, Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World.

But now, the breed could be at risk of extinction. This month, The Kennel Club has classed Old English Sheepdogs as 'vulnerable' after records revealed just 227 puppy registrations in 2020, the lowest figure for the breed since the 1960s. The news comes despite last year seeing The Kennel Club’s highest number of puppy registrations in ten years.

In 1961, the year of the Dulux dog's debut, interest in the breed soared (no doubt helped by Sir Paul McCartney's song Martha My Dear on the Beatles' 1968 White Album, which was written about his Old English Sheepdog). By 1979, the breed peaked in popularity. Puppy registrations that year reached nearly 6,000.

But it was not to last. Interest in the breed has been in steady decline for the past 20 years. In 2009, the Kennel Club added Old English Sheepdogs to the 'watch list' that monitors breeds with 300 to 400 registrations, while, in 2019, the dogs hit the headlines again when the club recorded just 98 registrations for the year.

"The Old English Sheepdog is such an historic and iconic breed, but they are rarely seen out and about over recent years, so the fact that they are now officially a vulnerable breed is very worrying," said Bill Lambert, a spokesperson for The Kennel Club.

"It’s likely the numbers have dwindled over the years due to a result of lifestyle changes, as they require a lot of grooming and exercise and aren’t suitable for smaller living spaces. However, it is a breed that is faithful and trustworthy with an even disposition that can make lovable family pets for the right owners."

The Old English Sheepdog is far from the only dog breed in decline. Other native breeds recorded low numbers of puppy registrations in 2020, including the Otterhound, Bloodhound and English Setter. And it's not only large breeds that are becoming less popular: the Norfolk Terrier, Skye Terrier and Cairn Terrier (a firm family favourite in previous decades) have also been added to the watch list.

The Kennel Club predicts that these breeds have been snubbed for fashionable non-British breeds. Records show that out of the ten most popular breeds in 2020, just three were British natives. Enquiries for Cocker Spaniels (beloved family pet of the Cambridges) and Bull Terriers have both increased by over 18 per cent. Likewise, larger breeds like Weimaraners and German Wirehaired Pointer have also enjoyed a moment in the sun.

For breeder Debra Palmer of Hazyland Old English Sheepdogs, the news is unsurprising but should be taken with a pinch of salt. "First of all, I don't think it's a problem that numbers are so low and I think, in the show world, most people would agree with me," she says. "That's purely because when numbers are low, less end up in rescue. What we don't want is people to start breeding their own pet sheepdogs."

Palmer has been an owner of Old English Sheepdogs since she was a child and has been breeding them, as a registered Kennel Club breeder, since 2007. "The problem is the puppy farmers. They're breeding the vast majority of these puppies every year. Last year with Covid-19, if you didn't own your own stud dog you couldn't travel to breed your bitch, so as a breed we expected numbers to be a lot lower this year. It will even itself out."

Though a great fan of the breed, Palmer advises caution when choosing an Old English Sheepdog as a pet. "If you want to maintain the full coat - which goes through three stages: puppy, junior and adult - it can quite quickly matt if you're not careful. You can tackle this with a teddy bear cut. But responsible breeders will show prospective owners how to trim the coats and ears properly. We'll always be there for a new puppy owner."

For Palmer, research is crucial before buying. "I have a waiting list as long as my arm," she admits. "I have to read between the lines. I can tell owners that have done their research and ones that haven't. The ones that haven't just want a lockdown puppy. How are going to socialise this puppy or take it to training classes? I'd recommend that people use online resources. Go to the Kennel Club website. Go to the breed club secretaries."

The worry of 'lockdown puppies' is understandable. In March 2021, new figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers Association estimated a total of 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic. The surge of interest has resulted in hundreds of puppies sadly been abandoned, handed into animal shelters or resold, due to owners struggling to care for them properly.

Lambert recognises this change: "The nation has gone through a huge collective lifestyle change in the past year, and of course many have either become first-time dog owners or are currently looking to buy one soon. With some people now deciding to move out of our cities towards more rural areas, there is hope for some of our larger and more vulnerable breeds yet.

“We have such a rich diversity of breeds in the United Kingdom, all with their own unique characteristics, so we really do urge the British public to find out more about the lesser-known breeds, especially those who are at risk of disappearing, in order to get a dog that is truly right for them.”

For more information on responsible breeders, see: thekennelclub.org.uk.

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