The Native Dog Breeds Trust Folds Up

Fantasy people with their fantasy dogs.

The "Native Dog Breeds Trust" in the U.K. is going out of business, and it is trying to blame the Kennel Club and breed clubs for their lack of support.

This is, of course, complete nonsense.

The problem with the Native Dog Breeds Trust was that it was never needed.

The true and desired native breeds of the UK are alive and doing very well in forest, field and fen -- working collies, working terriers, working long dogs, and working gun dogs.

Is anyone saying they cannot find a true working dog in the U.K.?

No!

Which is not to say that anyone is looking for a working dog in the show ring!

They never have, and they never will.

And that was a core problem for the Native Dog Breed Trusts, which was trying to push a series of "failed" breeds which did not serve a purpose, were not very attractive or practical to start with, and which were (too often) notably unhealthy.

It is a simple, if sad, truth that an attractive but generally easy-to-care for dog that has serious health problems can still find a home -- look at the Dalmatian, or any one of the dozens of other Kennel Club breeds beset with heart problems, bone and joint problems, cancer, epilepsy, and routine liver failure.

And, of course, true working dogs like working collies, working terriers, lurchers and gun dogs will always have their place in the world. They are out there right now doing what they have always done.

But a very plain or ugly dog that is also maintenance-intensive and which also has no purpose? That is always going to be an up-hill battle.

When those twin burdens are paired with health problems, the market has a way of working things out. Kick it to the curb. Darwin has a way.

The good news here is that nothing has been lost. All that has happened with the demise of the "Native Dog Breeds Trust" is that the bubble of fantasy has been burst.

So what if the Skye Terrier or the Dandie Dinmont Terrier goes the way of dinosaurs and dodos?

Do we really need to keep every cocked up breed tossed into the air by some Victorian-era show-ring pretender, dog-dealer and fantasy-peddler?

No!

Let market forces rule. At some point, even in the world of dogs, it's time to take out the trash.

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