Britons are falling back in love with the Dulux Old England Sheepdog after its brush with extinction

• Only 227 Old English Sheepdog puppies were registered in Britain in 2020
• This led to fears that the previously popular breed was in danger of dying out 
• New figures from the Kennel Club show a surge in newly registered puppies
• Such is the increase, the breed is no longer on the Kennel Club’s ‘vulnerable list’ 

After stealing the show with their adorable turns in Dulux paint adverts for decades, they became one of Britain’s most iconic breeds.

But the Old English Sheepdog has recently been in danger of dying out in Britain, with only 227 puppies registered in 2020.

Now new data from the Kennel Club shows the lockdown trend for Britons moving out of cities has helped boost the number of sheepdog puppy registrations, meaning the breed is no longer on its ‘vulnerable’ list.

Only 227 Old English Sheepdogs, pictured, were registered with the Kennel Club in 2020

The breed surged in popularity when it was first used as the Dulux dog in a 1961 advert

Gill Mills, an Old English Sheepdog breeder from Norfolk, said such is the demand, owners will pay up to £2,000 for a puppy and breeders have waiting lists up of up to a year.

Last year 377 puppies were registered, up 66 per cent from 2020 – which saw the lowest number since the Dulux dog’s TV debut in 1961.

Bill Lambert, of the Kennel Club, said Britons’ lifestyle shift could have reignited a trend for owning large dogs.

He said: ‘More people realise they can move out of cities and work from home in the countryside, giving them the time and space to groom and exercise these large breeds.’

Mills said owners used lockdown to spend more time researching which breed is the best fit for their lifestyle.

She said Old English Sheepdogs are good with children and great companion dogs, but their thick coats take up to four hours to groom each week and they can take years to train. ‘They are absolutely bonkers until they are two,’ she said.

The Old English Sheepdog was the ninth most popular breed in the UK in 1979, when 6,000 sheepdogs were registered. Sir Paul McCartney wrote Martha My Dear, on The Beatles’ 1968 White Album, about his female sheepdog.

There have been 14 different Dulux dogs since 1961 when the advert director’s pet, called Dash, was cast in the TV campaign after captivating the crew by playing with the child actors on the set (Pictured: Thomas the Dulux dog)

There have been 14 different Dulux dogs since 1961 when the advert director’s pet, called Dash, was cast in the TV campaign after captivating the crew by playing with the child actors on the set.

The most famous Dulux mascot, Fernville Lord Digby, had his own chauffeur-driven car and featured in his own movie with Spike Milligan.

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