After the Queen's beloved Welsh Corgi saw a resurgence in popularity following Netflix's hit television series, The Crown, another royal's favourite dog has seen a buying boom in recent months - Queen Victoria's pet of choice, the Scottish Terrier.
In 2018, puppy registrations of terriers almost halved from 837 in 2010 to 438. Yet during the first three months of this year, there were almost double the amount of puppies being registered than the same period in 2019, prompting the Kennel Club to take it off its 'at risk of disappearing' list.
As well as being Queen Victoria's preferred breed, the Scottie dog has also been owned by numerous US Presidents, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose dog Fala is included in a statue of him, and George W Bush's pair, Miss Beazley and Barney. First Lady Jackie Kennedy also owned a Scottish terrier, as did author Rudyard Kipling and actress Joan Crawford.
Til Tovey, of the Scottish Terrier Club of England, said: 'Scottish terriers are affectionate, loyal and intelligent, so we are delighted that this heritage breed seems to be bouncing back from historically low puppy numbers.'
Other smaller breeds have also seen a surge in popularity in 2020, including the French bulldog, which is the most popular dog in the UK. Meanwhile the Jack Russell is up 75 per cent, while the Parson Russell is up 64 per cent. The current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his fiancée Carrie Symonds, of course own a rescue Jack Russell - something that has been credited with its return to popularity.
Larger dogs have fallen out of favour it seems due to many living in smaller accommodation within cities, with the Old English sheepdog, dalmatians and bearded collies slipping in to the least popular list.
Bill Lambert of the Kennel Club said: 'People’s lifestyles have changed. Gone are the days when mum was at home, looking after children and perhaps had more time for a dog. Larger dogs tend to need more exercise and a bit more time and attention.'
