British dog owners prefer mating and importing to domestic pedigree species, research found

According to a study published in Companion Animal Genetics and Health, British pedigree dog populations shrunk by an annual decline of 0.9% between 1990 and 2021. The study highlights an increase in populations of mating and imported pedigree dogs since 1990, but finds that only 13.7% of domestic pedigree dogs registered for breeding between 2005 and 2015 are 13.7%.

There are over 400 different dogs around the world, characterized by a wide range of appearances and behaviors. While the overall population of pet dogs in the UK increased from 7.6 million in 2012 to 12 million in 2021, genetic diversity in pedigree (or purebred) dog populations increased the risk of hereditary diseases, supported by accumulating evidence of breed-specific diseases.

Joanna Ilska and colleagues analyzed demographic data for 222 dog breeds from the Kennel Club electronic database, including breeds, parent-child relationships and country of origin. The 10 most popular breeds of pedigree dogs account for 44% of the entire pedigree population, with Labrador retrievers, French bulldogs and cocker spaniels being the most common.

Researchers found that the pedigree population has declined significantly since 2010. Yorkshire Terriers saw the biggest decline in the population of 10.6% between 1990 and 2021, while French Bulldogs saw the biggest increase of 22.1%.

Meanwhile, the trend for imported pedigree dogs has risen sharply since 2010, with over 3,000 dogs imported each year between 2011 and 2019. Ireland exported 11,577 dogs to the UK between 1990 and 2021, Russia exported 4,396 dogs, and Poland exported 3,905 dogs.

The authors suggest that pedigree depopulation may be related to negative attitudes towards breeding in dogs, exacerbated by routine castration. It is estimated that 44% of UK dogs are castrated. They note that the decline in the number of pedigree dogs may reflect a change in attitude towards mixed and mating dogs such as cuckapoos.

Ilska and coauthors suggest that pedigree dog management strategies explain population size decreases and need to be tailored to the individual breed situation.