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Bloodhound
Only five Bloodhound puppies were registered in 2025, down from 54 two years earlier. The breed shares its medieval roots with the St Hubert hound and has been written about in England since the 14th century, prized for following one person's scent over long, old trails, the basis of modern man-trailing. A prospective owner needs high fencing, patience with a nose that overrules recall, and a breeder who speaks frankly about bloat, the breed's leading cause of death; life expectancy is around nine years.
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Harrier (dog breed)
The Harrier sits between the Beagle and the Foxhound in size and was bred to hunt hares by scent, followed by people on foot or horseback. Packs still exist, but the breed only gained Kennel Club recognition in 2020, and household Harriers remain extraordinarily scarce: none were registered in 2023 and seven in 2025. Anyone drawn to one should expect a sociable pack animal with serious stamina, and a long conversation with the breed club before a puppy is even possible.
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Otterhound
Otterhounds lost their purpose in 1978, when otter hunting ceased in Britain after the otter was protected, and the breed has relied on dedicated enthusiasts ever since. Its rough, slightly oily, waterproof coat and big, thick-padded feet were made for long days working riverbanks by scent. Registrations swing with single litters, from 42 in 2024 to just 10 in 2025, so every breeding decision counts. Bloat is a recorded risk, and a breed club can explain what to watch for.
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Sussex Spaniel
The Sussex Spaniel has been here before: it nearly vanished during the Second World War, and every Sussex alive today descends from the dogs one breeder, Joy Freer, kept going. Bred in late 18th-century Sussex to push through dense undergrowth, it gives tongue on scent, which most spaniels were bred not to do. Its golden liver coat is unique to the breed. Only 15 puppies were registered in 2025, so expect a slow, steady companion and a waiting list.
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Curly-coated Retriever
Among the first retriever breeds recognised in Britain, the Curly Coated was the gamekeeper's and wildfowler's dog, its tight crisp curls shedding water and burrs on cold marsh days. It is the tallest of the retrievers and keeps a soft mouth for game. While the Labrador dominates registrations, only 25 Curly puppies were registered in 2025, half the previous year's figure. Suited to an active owner who wants a gundog with a more independent, reserved character.
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Skye Terrier
Few breeds have fallen further from fame. The Skye Terrier, one of the old terriers of the Hebrides, was described as early as 1570, won a Victorian following after Queen Victoria acquired one in 1842, and gave Edinburgh its loyal Greyfriars Bobby. Bred to tackle fox and badger among the rocks, it is now a long, low dog with a flowing coat that needs grooming more than once a week. Registrations fell from 71 in 2024 to 45 in 2025.
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Field Spaniel
The Field Spaniel is a cautionary tale from the Victorian show ring, where breeders chased an ever longer, lower, all-black dog until sportsmen gave up on it. Mid-20th-century breeders rebuilt a sound working shape, and most of today's dogs trace back to four from the 1950s. The result is calmer and more independent than a Cocker, yet unhappy left alone for long. With 48 puppies registered in 2025, ask breeders about eye and hip screening.
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English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
This is the pocket-sized cousin of the Manchester Terrier, scaled down from the Victorian black and tan ratters that were wagered on in city rat pits. It took its present name in 1960 and is now a sleek, glossy companion that still has a terrier's alertness in a toy dog's frame. Registrations have topped 100 only three times since 2016 and stood at 52 in 2025, so its small breeding base makes careful, health-tested pairings especially important.
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Smooth Collie
Picture Lassie with a short, easy coat and you have the Smooth Collie, a Scottish herding dog that Britain treats as a breed in its own right. It has the Rough's intelligence and gentle nature without hours of brushing, and it is quick to learn but sensitive to harsh handling. Registrations dropped to 29 in 2024 before recovering to 56 in 2025. Good breeders test for Collie eye anomaly and the MDR1 drug sensitivity carried in collie lines.
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King Charles Spaniel
Not to be confused with the far more numerous Cavalier, the King Charles Spaniel is the smaller, domed-headed toy spaniel that took its name from Charles II's devotion to such dogs at Whitehall. It comes in four colours once shown as separate varieties, from black and tan to ruby. As a short-muzzled breed it can struggle with heat, breathing and anaesthesia, so meet a breeder's dogs and ask about heart and eye testing. Just 56 puppies were registered in 2025.
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Manchester Terrier
The Victorians called it the Gentleman's Terrier. John Hulme is credited with crossing a black and tan terrier with a Whippet in 19th-century Manchester, producing a fast, clean-lined dog for ratting and rabbiting. It needs no trimming and has a dignified, affectionate manner, which makes its slide to 74 registrations in 2025 hard to explain. DNA tests exist for von Willebrand's disease, an inherited clotting disorder, so ask to see results.
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Cardigan Welsh Corgi
While the Pembroke enjoys royal fame, its Welsh neighbour quietly dwindles: 80 Cardigan puppies were registered in 2025, against 201 in 2022. Counted among the oldest breeds in the British Isles, the Cardigan drove cattle in Ceredigion, nipping at heels and ducking the kicks. Tell it apart by its long, brush-like tail and slightly larger frame, and blue merle is a Cardigan colour. Its long back means sensible weight and careful exercise.
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Dandie Dinmont Terrier
The only breed named after a fictional character, the Dandie Dinmont takes its name from a Border farmer in Walter Scott's 1815 novel Guy Mannering. Before the novel, these were the working terriers of the Anglo-Scottish Borders, used against badger and otter. Today's Dandie, in pepper or mustard, is one of the gentlest terriers, with a silky topknot and a long back that needs protecting from jumping. Registrations have stayed below 150 every year since 2016.
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Smooth Fox Terrier
The Smooth Fox Terrier ran with foxhound packs to bolt foxes from cover, and its mostly white coat was prized so riders would not mistake it for the quarry. It was among the first breeds in the Victorian show ring, recognised by the Kennel Club in the 1870s. Today it is far rarer than its wire-coated cousin, with 45 registrations in 2024 and 92 in 2025. Energetic, vocal and driven by prey, it rewards an experienced terrier owner.
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Lancashire Heeler
A small black and tan farm dog from around Ormskirk that drove cattle to market and kept the yard free of rats, the Lancashire Heeler was only recognised by the Kennel Club in 1981. Standing about 25 to 30 cm, it suits a smaller home while keeping a working dog's brain, and happy Heelers are known for a lip-parting 'smile'. Primary lens luxation and Collie eye anomaly are the breed's main inherited eye concerns, so check a litter's test results; 92 puppies were registered in 2025.
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Lakeland Terrier
On the rocky fells of the Lake District, foxes were hunted on foot, and the Lakeland Terrier was bred to follow them into their lairs and finish the job. It has won Best in Show at Crufts twice, yet registrations have more than halved since 2016, to 93 in 2025. Bold, friendly and rarely shy, it also has a famously selective hearing when something interesting is underground. Recent UK research credits it with one of the longer life expectancies among pedigree breeds.
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Gordon Setter
Scotland's only native setter was developed at Gordon Castle by the 4th Duke of Gordon to find grouse and partridge on the moors and hold a point until the guns arrived. The coal-black and mahogany coat is unmistakable. Gordons mature slowly, often not settling until three or later, and need well over an hour of vigorous exercise daily. Registrations fell from 165 in 2024 to 93 in 2025; a DNA test for late-onset PRA has existed since 2011, so insist on results.
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English Mastiff
The Mastiff has already survived one collapse in Britain. Wartime meat rationing halted breeding, distemper killed most puppies born afterwards, and the breed was rebuilt with North American imports. It was bred to guard estates, and it remains the heaviest of dogs, often around 80 kg. That size brings a short life, about nine years on UK data, and real risks of hip dysplasia and bloat. A gentle, docile giant, with 105 puppies registered in 2025, but only for a home with space and a car to match.
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Sealyham Terrier
Captain John Edwardes spent four decades at Sealyham House in Pembrokeshire breeding a small white terrier tough enough for badger. Between the wars the Sealyham became a Hollywood fashion, owned by Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor, and Alfred Hitchcock put his in The Birds. It is now a sturdy, affectionate and rather vocal companion with 111 registrations in 2025. A DNA test identifies lens luxation carriers, so ask for results.
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Norwich Terrier
The Norwich traces back to the ratting terriers kept by Cambridge students in the late 19th century before the dogs found favour in Norwich. It is among the smallest terriers, about 25 cm high, and is told apart from the Norfolk by its upright ears; the drop-eared dogs became a separate breed in 1964. Long-lived and compact, it suits a smaller home, but ask breeders about the breed's upper airway syndrome and how often their bitches need caesareans. There were 116 registrations in 2025.
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Scottish Deerhound
The Deerhound was bred to run down red deer in the Highlands, released close to the quarry and relying on raw speed. Rifles and the break-up of the great Scottish estates ended that work in the 19th century, and enthusiasts carried the breed on as a companion and show dog. Males stand at least 76 cm, so a home needs room inside and safe open space for galloping. Heart disease is its leading cause of death and life expectancy is about ten and a half years; 128 were registered in 2025.
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Miniature Bull Terrier
Smaller dogs have appeared among Bull Terriers since Victorian times, and since the 1970s the Miniature has been defined by a height limit of about 35.5 cm rather than weight. It keeps the egg-shaped head and clownish courage of its larger relative in a more manageable size, though it can be stubborn and quick to square up to other dogs. Registrations have fallen from 364 in 2021 to 143 in 2025. Responsible breeders BAER-test for deafness and DNA-test for primary lens luxation.
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Bearded Collie
Scottish shepherds and drovers relied on this shaggy, bouncing herder long before it reached the show ring. The modern breed largely rests on two dogs, Jeannie and Bailie of Bothkennar, with which Olive Willison began rebuilding it in 1944. A Beardie is long-lived, at nearly 14 years on recent UK data, but it is busy and clever, and its double coat needs weekly brushing to stay free of mats. Registrations have slipped every year since 2021, to 158 in 2025.
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Clumber Spaniel
Named after Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, seat of the Dukes of Newcastle, the Clumber is the largest spaniel and was bred to work slowly and quietly through heavy cover for pheasant and partridge. Prince Albert, Edward VII and George V all kept them. Expect a dignified, sedate dog that rarely barks but drools freely. Hip dysplasia and eyelid problems are well recorded, so check the parents' hip scores; 160 puppies were registered in 2025.
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