Scottish Terriers were celebrated as an iconic Monopoly game piece and a symbol adorning Radley designer bags since 2000 in Great Britain. However, the Scottish Terrier dog breed is now experiencing a decline in popularity among Brits. They remained on the “at-watch” list for the fifth consecutive year.
Scottish Terrier popularity declines while Bernese Mountain Dogs and English Setters become dogs of choice for more Britons
Once extremely beloved in Britain, Scottish Terriers are now not as popular as they used to be. The breed has maintained its spot on the “at-watch” list for the last five years, as Daily Mail reports.
The Scottish Terrier breed enjoyed its peak in popularity in the 1930s. Their likeness was used on a plethora of items, from greeting cards to jewelry, ceramics, and memorabilia.
Among the top ten breeds in the UK are French Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels, and Labrador Retrievers. This collectively contributes to over 60% of annual puppy registrations across all breeds.
Former US President Franklin Roosevelt owned a Scottie called Farla. In addition, many other celebrities, including Dorothy Parker, Charles Lindbergh, and Bette Davies, had Scotties as their companions.
However, the data from The Kennel Club indicates their numbers are dwindling. In fact, they are classified as vulnerable on the “at-watch” list for native breeds since only 406 Scotties were born in 2023. This is a record low for the breed, as the lowest number before this was 453 in 2017.
Scottie dogs are famous for their loyalty and faithfulness, displaying boldness without aggression. They are independent, reserved, and dignified and showcase high intelligence.
Additionally, the “at watch” list includes Rough Collies, Sussex Spaniels, English Pointers, Wire Fox Terriers, Otterhounds, Curly-coated Retrievers, Norwich and Manchester Terriers, and Irish Setters.
Vulnerable breeds face the risk of disappearing from the UK’s public spaces due to their declining popularity.
The list doesn’t directly correlate with births but with registrations. Nevertheless, it offers insight into changing popularity trends for dog breeds.
