http://www.yourdog.co.uk 33“We may well
be turning our
backs on the
traditional UK
breeds...”
▼numbers the quickest, nine are of foreign
origin. Some of the breeds increasing
the fastest are possibly unexpected. The
popularity of the French Bulldog and the
Dachshund is fairly predictable, and is
probably the result of celebrity choices
and social media, along with an increased
need for small dogs who don’t take
much exercise, even if they do run up
eye-watering vet bills.
Agria Pet Insurance sees 56 per cent of
French Bulldog owners
making claims in
the fi rst two years of
ownership (compared
to 28 per cent of the
native and largely
healthy Border Terrier),
with 85 per cent of
those being for illness
rather than accidents
or injury, and the
average claim being 27 per cent higher
than in other breeds insured by them.
HEALTH ISSUES
Agria’s senior veterinary adviser Robin
Hargreaves BVSc MRCVS said: “Sadly, French
Bulldogs are all too frequent visitors to my
surgery. They are very cute as puppies but
as they get older, we often see breathing
diffi culties that can require major surgery
and specialist referral. We also see chronic
problems with eyes and skin that can need
treatment for life and frequent visits
to the vet.”
Some of the other breeds are more
surprising however. The Samoyed
has increased by 23 per cent and
the Chow Chow by 17 per cent, and
while this doesn’t compare to the 197
per cent increase in the Dachshund
(Smooth-Haired) or the 147 per cent
for the French Bulldog, it does show
that tastes are changing and there is
a desire for the more unusual.
The problem, however, is that all
dogs are not created equal. They
don’t all just look diff erent, they
behave diff erently too. There are
diff erences in personality, trainability,
exercise requirements, and what they are
like to live with. If you ever doubt it, think
about whether you could train a Bulldog
to herd sheep? If you had the skills, the
patience — and probably oxygen and an
excellent vet — you probably could (after
a fashion!) but it would be a hell of a lot
easier and faster with a collie.
There is a good reason why Labradors
and retrievers have traditionally been
hugely popular
family dogs. They
love everyone
(including children,
the cat, the postman,
and your annoying
relations!), are fairly
low maintenance in
terms of coat and
ease of training, are
thrilled to come along
everywhere you go, are happy/ecstatic
giving and receiving aff ection, and love
nothing more than to live in the home as
part of the family. Apart from their need
for exercise — and for many people this is
a bonus — they are low maintenance and
a lot of fun to own.
In contrast, some of the more unusual
breeds are unusual for a reason. It may
be that they have extreme exercise
requirements, intensive grooming needs,
health issues, are highly independent andaloof, have hard-wired needs that most
owners can’t provide an outlet for, or have
personalities that are problematic in
a family or urban environment.
Take the Samoyed, one of the breeds
on the rise, as an easy example. They are
stunningly beautiful, smiley, happy dogs
who turn heads everywhere they go. They
have a sunny personality, and love people,
and so for the right owners they are a joy to
live with. The puppies look like polar bear
cubs and they are utterly irresistible. But,
there’s a dark side... that profuse double
coat takes almost endless grooming and
maintenance that is way beyond what
most owners would want to do, especially
as much of the coat will be all over the
house as this is a breed that is comfortable
in Siberia, which tends not to be centrally
heated. They look on training with amused
incredulity, especially recall and walking on
a lead — hauling sledges anyone? — and
need a lot of exercise. They also have a lot
to say (shout) for themselves. For most
people, no matter how much they love
the look of them and are charmed by their
personalities, this isn’t an ideal
dog for them!
Alternatively, look at the
Belgian Malinois. Having recently
starred in fi lms, thanks to their
good looks, trainability, and
‘tough guy’ image, the breed,
which was pretty much the
choice of professionals or highly
experienced owners, is becoming
more popular, and often being
bought by the same kind of
fi rst-time owners who would buy
a high-spec performance sports
car after having just passed their
driving test.The Malinois is widely used in
diff erent countries for police
work, search and rescue,
personal protection, and
property guarding.DID YOU KNOW?The Belgian Malinois is an athletic,
smart, driven dog — and not for
the inexperienced.The Chow Chow is
increasing in popularity.Despite his health issues,
the French Bulldog
remains a favourite.