Page 3 Profile: Old English sheepdog, Endangered breed

You don't see many of those any more

You certainly don't. In fact, only 316 Old English sheepdog puppies have been registered with the Kennel Club this year and the breed has been put on the organisation's list of endangered dogs.

They do look high maintenance

"It needs a lot of grooming and exercise and so is not suitable for the fast paced urban lifestyles of many people," said the Kennel Club's Assured Breeder Scheme manager, Bill Lambert. "But it is also a lot to do with fashion. Despite the fact that Old English sheepdogs have good temperaments and can make fantastic family pets their popularity is being eclipsed by more fashionable foreign breeds that can be much harder to train and care for." The Siberian husky has become increasingly popular, but Mr Lambert warned they are "notoriously wilful and generally unsuitable for urban life".

Are any other dogs in danger?

The Pembroke Welsh corgi, which is favoured by the Queen, is also on the Kennel Club's At Watch list, with only 301 puppies confirmed. The cumber spaniel has seen a 37 per cent dip in registrations to 114, while the cesky terrier has seen just 25 registrations. However, the most at risk this year is the foxhound, with no puppies whatsoever. The Labrador retriever remains the most popular (28,787 registrations).