Breeds under threat

OF THE 30 NATIVE breeds on the Kennel Club’s vulnerable list, nine are gundogs. There are three setters (Gordon, English and the Irish red and white), one retriever (curlycoat) and no fewer than five spaniels — Clumber, field, Sussex, Welsh springer and Irish water. To qualify for the list, registrations have to be fewer than 300 a year.

It’s the Kennel Club’s aim, by highlighting the perilous state of these breeds, to encourage more people to take on one of these rare dogs. It points out that there are more than 200