A Vulnerable Breed

In 2003, a Kennel Club initiative identified 28 of our native breeds of dog as being "vulnerable". The criterion for being listed as vulnerable is breed registrations with an overall trend of fewer than 300 per year (in the UK) over a period of ten years. The Smooth Collie is one of the native British and Irish Breeds listed as vulnerable - in 2006 the number of registrations was 53, in 2007 63 and in 2008 just 43 registrations.

There are several issues arising from this vulnerability status. If you are looking to adopt a Smooth Collie to become a new member of your family, you will probably find that you have to wait many months before a puppy becomes available. If you are a breeder, you will find that there are a limited number of lines to access for your breeding programme.

On the plus side, our minority status makes us very desirable! Not being a commercial breed, the Smooth Collie has retained his wonderful temperament and healthy status. Click here to download the discussion paper Fit for the Future and click here to download the update report presented to the 2009 Annual General Meeting.



The Kennel Club has some information about vulnerable breeds on its site. You can also find information at the British & Irish Dog Breeds Preservation Trust.

To encourage more dog lovers to take on a Smooth Collie, the Club is present at the Kennel Club's Discover Dogs events at Crufts in March and at Earls Court in November of each year. At these events you can get 'close up and personal' with Smooth Collies and see for yourself what they actually look like, how big they are and how their wonderful personalities suit most families down to the ground.

The Smooth Collie is a very versatile breed - easy to live with and easy to train. There are so many different competitive dog events and dog activities you can enjoy, giving you great opportunities to meet fellow dog lovers and enjoy lots of fun with your dog.

The British Heritage Dog Breeds website was launched in 2009 to promote and support those native British dog breeds which are firmly part of our 'heritage' and which are in need of assistance if they are to remain a part of our culture.

A web site hs been constructed whose aim is to be a hub where enthusiasts who care about the future of our British Heritage Dog Breeds can come together. We are pleased to support the initiative.