Dulux dog faces brush with extinction as numbers plummet to historic lows

DULUX dogs could soon become a thing of the past, The Kennel Club warned yesterday.

Dog

Old English Sheepdogs are facing a brush with extinction (Image: GETTY)Old English sheepdog puppy registrations have hit historic lows, with just 98 recorded in the first three months of this year - a 16 percent drop over the same time in 2018. The total number of registrations have plunged 67 percent in the past 20 years, figures have revealed. The Old English sheepdog has been known as the "Dulux dog" since the breed started appearing in advertisements for the paint in the 1960s. But The Kennel Club said: "The Old English sheepdog will enter our list of breeds that could face extinction for the first time if the low rate of puppy registrations continues." Breeds made popular by TV shows and celebrities are on the rise, however. They include the Alaskan malamute - the wolf in TV's Game of Thrones - which saw the number of puppy registrations rise threefold in the first three months of the year to 90.

This is despite the dogs being hard to train and unsuitable for life in towns.

French bulldogs, like the ones owned by celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio and Lady Gaga, are also becoming more popular, even though they are renowned for suffering from various health problems.Caroline Kisko, secretary at The Kennel Club, said: "The Old English Sheepdog is one of our most iconic dog breeds but you rarely see one now, so the historic lows we're seeing are particularly worrying.

"It is a breed with a good temperament that can make a lovely family pet, but it also needs a lot of grooming and exercise so is not suitable for the fast-paced urban lifestyles of many people.

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French bulldog

Breeds like French Bulldogs are being made more fashionable by celebrities (Image: GETTY)

"There are 221 pedigree dog breeds - each with their own unique characteristics and care needs - so everybody can find a suitable breed for them if they take the time to do their research and match their dog choice to their lifestyle."

Other breeds in trouble include the Scottish terrier, the Manchester terrier and the field spaniel, which has had no puppies registered in the first quarter of this year.The Sussex spaniel has seen registrations rise from zero to 26 in the same period, however, while the Sealyham terrier increased by 280 per cent.