Great Scott! Monopoly mutt is back in favour
THE Scottie dog – familiar to all Monopoly players – is back from the brink.
Last year in Britain the historic native Scottish Terrier appeared at risk of disappearing altogether, after numbers fell to dangerously low levels.
However, the Kennel Club said puppy registrations for the breed – which also appears on the badge for bag maker Radley – have boomed by 92 per cent in the first months of 2020.
It now heads the club’s top five registration “risers” for 2020.
Til Tovey, chairman of the Scottish Terrier Club of England, said: “Scottish Terriers are affectionate, loyal and intelligent, so we are delighted this heritage breed seems to be bouncing back from historically low numbers.
“Scottish Terriers may be small but they certainly have big personalities and are simply iconic in this country – so they would be sorely missed if they were to dwindle as a breed.
“We hope this revival means the future is bright for Scotties.”
The Kennel Club released details of its top five “fastest risers” in new puppy registrations for the first three months compared to the same period in 2019.
In second place behind the terrier, Japanese hunting dog Shiba Inu saw a 77 per cent rise.
Third place had a suspected Downing
Street boost after the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds acquired a Jack Russell Terrier. Other native terrier breeds also on the up include the Weimaraner (71 per cent) and Parson Russell Terrier (64 per cent)
The Kennel Club’s Bill Lambert said: “Fashion and profile have the most influential impact on dog choice.We are pleased to see there is still a place in people’s hearts for some of our British vulnerable breeds, like the Scottish Terrier, which appears to be experiencing something of a revival.”
Topping the list of “fallers”, dog breeds falling out of favour, included the Bearded Collie, with a 61 per cent drop, Havanese with a 60 per cent drop and Shar-Pei which is 52 per cent down.