The Old English Sheepdog faces extinction

The Old English Sheepdog has been put on a watch list of endangered dogs amid fears it could face extinction.  It is being hit by the growing popularity of so-called "handbag dogs" such as Chihuahuas.
The breed,  used in advertisements for Dulux paint for more than 50 years, has just 316 of its puppies registered this year, the Kennel Club said.  By contrast, there were 28,787 Labrador Retriever puppies registered last year, making it the UK's most popular dog. There were 2,669 Chihuahuas and 5,496 Pugs registered - both breeds are growing rapidly in popularity.
So alarm bells are ringing as a breed is deemed "vulnerable" if registrations drop below 300. 
The decline in the Old English sheepdog could be partly explained by lifestyle changes.  It needs a lot of grooming and exercise and so is not suitable for the fast paced urban lifestyles. It is also a lot to do with fashion. Their popularity is being eclipsed by more fashionable and smaller breeds such as Chihuahuas and Pugs that, although small, can be much harder to train and care for.  The Siberian Husky is also growing in popularity.  It is a beautiful dog but notoriously wilful and definitely unsuitable for urban life.