THE Queen’s favourite breed of dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, has experienced a surge in popularity.

The native British breed was once at risk of disappearing after numbers fell so low that it was put on the Kennel Club’s Vulnerable Native Breeds and At Watch lists.

In 2014, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi was considered vulnerable, for the first time in the breed’s history, with only 274 puppy registrations. The breed has since had a 34 per cent increase in registrations from 2014 to 2015 and has moved from the Vulnerable Native Breed list to the At Watch list.

The Old English Sheepdog, which was popularised by the television adverts for Dulux paint, has also seen a boost in numbers, up by 22 per cent from 405 puppy registrations in 2014 to 495 in 2015.

While these two breeds are experiencing a revival, things are not looking good for the Bedlington Terrier, as the breed is now on the At Watch list for the first time in the breed’s history after registrations dropped to 395 new pups in 2015.

In addition, the English Setter and Irish Terrier are now officially on the Kennel Club Vulnerable Native Breeds list, which includes those native dog breeds with fewer than 300 puppy registrations annually.

In total there are 29 breeds on the Vulnerable Native Breeds list, including the Skye Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Sussex Spaniel and Field Spaniel. The Otterhound has the lowest registrations with only 34 registrations in 2015.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Whilst it is good news for the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Old English Sheepdog, we are concerned that the English Setter and Irish Terrier are dropping in numbers and the Bedlington Terrier is now included on the At Watch list for the first time.

“Crufts is coming up in March and this is a great opportunity for people to discover the 216 breeds recognised in this country, as currently half of all dogs registered in the UK are from the top ten breeds, with the other lesser known breeds sadly trailing far behind.”