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- Breed Registrations for 2002
The French Official Stud Book has recorded a very good year for breed registrations in 2002, despite the fact that some figures were late coming in, and will now have to be added to the 2003 records. Had those figures been entered, 2002 would undoubtedly have been a historic year, with an estimated 164,000 registrations. In fact only 162,163 went into the official records, a slight decrease from the 163,245 recorded in 2001, which was itself a record year. It’s interesting to note that whilst the majority of countries which are deeply involved in the world of dog showing and the breeding of pure bred dogs have recorded decreases in the registration figures, the trend is reversed in France. The breakdown of these figures into the different breeds and groups make fascinating reading. Many dogs that would be considered on the rare side here in the Uk, are far more popular in France and vice versa. A good example of this is the popularity of the (B.S.D) Malinois, and the Berger de Beuce (or Beuceron as it is known in Britain). Both breeds can be found in the UK, but few British dog lovers would know where to find one, whereas in France they are far more widely known and admired. In the Uk the Malinois are vastly outnumbered by the Groenendael & Tervueren varieties of B.S.D, whereas the latter are not even recorded amongst the top 30 in France! At first sight the French figures seem to be little changed especially in the Top 30. A few remarkable performances are noteworthy, like that of the American Staffordshire Terrier, which has moved up to 10th in the popularity stakes, replacing the Beauceron. Quite amazing when one considers that this is a breed that has been shunned in many lands, because it has been mistaken for the pitbull, which has placed them at the very heart of all anti dog legislation. Powerful? - yes. In need of sensible ownership? - yes; but Pitbulls they are not! The French have perhaps had time to really get to know the breed for themselves, rather than it’s supposed reputation, as shrieked and often exaggerated in the media! They seem to consider the breed an excellent companion, so that it continues to make it’s way to the highest positions in the top 10. It’s critic’s might be surprised to learn that the breed hasn’t suffered any adverse criticism in the nation’s newspapers in recent years despite it’s growing popularity! Like it or not, if one appreciates the lines and build of a balanced, powerful and well muscled dog, they cannot help but admire the Am Staff’s. Decline There are some surprises when one looks at the registration details for some of the most popular breeds. Many whose popularity has held steady for decades are now facing a decline in registration figures, and it is easy to see that all the top seven breeds listed are suffering a decrease. Even the German Shepherd and the Labrador, who still occupy the two first places in the Top 10, are facing a regular and worrying decrease in registrations. With German Shepherds the decline has been continued over 5 years, although the trend does seem to be bottoming out at last. Fans of the Labrador’s had been expecting and planning for a healthy increase in numbers, but have been disappointed. The breed was expected to break the 10,000 births a year barrier last year, but it hasn’t happened. Some pundits speculate that one of the main reasons could be related to the number of non registered look alike dogs to be found throughout the country. It remains to be seen whether the decrease continues in future years. However, the labrador has not yielded much ground to its cousin, the Golden Retriever whose frantic growth rate over recent years, seems to have slowed or stopped. Many specialists had expected the Goldie to take the place of the Labrador, as has happened in other countries, but a glance at the figures for 2002, make this appear most unlikely. The Labrador still holds a healthy lead! Another breed that has perhaps reached it’s peak after 20 years of continuous growth is the Rottweiler. France is not the only country to have seen such a trend, so it doesn’t seem too surprising if it follows a similar decrease. Notable are the English Setter and the Brittany Spaniel. With a total of more than 10,000 registrations between them, they remain the most fashionable gun dogs in France. And no other similar breed could pretend to take their place so far, but even they have suffered a slight decrease in new births. The Yorkshire Terrier was the most sought after toy breed in 2001, and the trend continues. Although it had maintained it’s top ranking, the competition has got tougher in recent years. It’s nearest rival, the Cavalier King Charles is number one in Group 9 (don’t forget the Yorkie is in the Terrier gp 3 in FCI countries), and enjoying increasing popularity, making it look set to take over the top small breed slot within the next few years. Especially so when one considers that out of the 19 breeds in Group 9, the Cavalier King Charles represents almost 25% of the dogs registered with the French Kennel Club. It has long taken over the place of the Poodle, the former star of the 70’s, which has been facing a drastic decrease in numbers over the past 15 years. In 9th position, is the English Cocker, whose numbers have been growing steadily since 1995. In the 70’s, this breed had climbed way up to the second place, right behind the German Shepherd Dog. Perhaps it is now on the way to recovering its ancient glory, thanks to the devoted and careful work of some serious breeders, and to the wonderful variety of colours found in the breed. The
following is a comparison between the 2001 and 2002, TOP 30
breeds. 1-
German Shepherd Dog 11484 (11830) 2002/2001 Decrease The
Top 30, which only represent 10% of the total number of breeds
registered at the French Kennel Club (There are 273 breeds recognised
at present). The latter account for about 65% of the total registrations.
104355 out of a total of 162163 dogs. Group
1: 42 breeds representing 29657 registrations Group
2: 38 breeds representing 27719 registrations Group
3: 32 breeds representing 20026 registrations Group
4: 3 breeds representing 3793 registrations Group
5: 25 breeds representing 2909 registrations Group
6: 42 breeds representing 12002 registrations Group
7: 30 breeds representing 21918 registrations Group
8: 21 breeds representing 22827 registrations Group
9: 28 breeds representing 19556 registrations Group
10: 12 breeds representing 2180 registrations THE OUR DOGS NEWSLETTER To receive Breaking News dog stories direct to your Inbox,
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