Every year, the AKC publishes its list of breed rankings by popularity, based on registration statistics. While some breeds stay towards the top of the rankings, like the reigning French Bulldog, there are some rare breeds that maintain their status towards the bottom of the list. But why are some breeds considered “rare” – and is it really all due to popularity?
Rare Breeds Are Based on Registration
Popularity is based on registration, not on which breed is the most entertaining, smartest, or best-looking. Breed popularity doesn’t mean that one breed is better than another, so don’t feel slighted if your favorite hovers near the bottom of the list. It’s not always easy to figure out why some breeds are so often among the bottom ten, but there are often many factors that contribute.
In some cases, breeds may be rare in the U.S., but not in other parts of the world. Other breeds might be perceived as dogs that aren’t great family pets — and not all breeds are right for everyone! Some breeds were also bred for jobs that don’t exist in the same way that they used to.
Different Reasons Breeds May be Rare
With some low-ranked breeds, it’s more difficult to explain their scarcity. For example, people in the United States are very familiar with Whippets, Greyhounds, and Salukis, so why has another slim, coursing breed, the Sloughi, not caught on in popularity?
In this case, the Sloughi is also rare in its native country. Even in the North African deserts of the Maghreb region, the breed is rare. This ancient breed originally hunted game, including wild boar, rabbits, jackals, and deer.
As far back as the 13th century, people prized the Sloughi for their stamina and speed. But some countries outlawed hunting with hounds in places like Morocco and Algeria in the early 20th century. For many reasons, including the hunting ban and a rabies epidemic, the Sloughi unfortunately disappeared almost entirely.
As for its rarity in the United States, it’s a relatively newer breed. The Sloughi didn’t arrive in the United States until 1973. They were recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2016, so they’ve only had full recognition for about a decade.
Even today, there are only a handful of breeders in this country, and the breed is extremely rare. The American Sloughi Association has worked hard to preserve the breed.
Some Working Dogs’ Jobs Aren’t Relevant Anymore
Some of these breeds were bred for purposes that don’t exist in the same way anymore. The The Norwegian Lundehund, for example, was bred to retrieve live puffins from the steep cliffs in Norway. They have unique characteristics specific to the job, including six toes on each foot, an extra joint in the neck that allows them to bend their head backward, and flexible shoulders so that their forelegs can extend to the side.
The breed’s numbers fell sharply when Norwegian farmers began using nets to catch puffins instead. The government also levied a tax on Lundehunds, making them too expensive for many Norwegians to keep. Despite efforts to protect the breed, there are currently under 2000 Lundehunds worldwide and less than 400 in the United States.
Rarer Breeds Aren’t Always Unknown
Rare or less-popular breeds aren’t necessarily unfamiliar to people. For example, the English Foxhound and American Foxhound, ranked No. 187 and No. 188 respectively, have long histories of specific jobs in America. The English Foxhound was recognized by the AKC in 1909. It was bred originally to hunt deer and later, red foxes.
In Britain, the wealthy and noble classes kept packs of foxhounds, prized for their tenacity and endurance. They used them to hunt foxes in packs. But today, fox hunting for sport isn’t as popular in the United States and Northern Ireland; in England, Scotland, and Wales, it has been banned entirely. Like the Lundehund, the popularity of the Foxhounds has diminished, despite them being more well-known.
It’s also important to note that these active foxhound breeds aren’t always suitable family pets. Both the English and American Foxhounds often lived in packs in kennels managed by hunt clubs. Though their primary purpose has largely disappeared, these hounds have extremely high prey drive. Even with the best training, their prey drive is innate, and can override their training.
They also need a lot of exercise to keep them from becoming destructive. And, as sweet as they are, that drive and energy may not be a match for inexperienced owners or trainers. Not to mention their infamous baying howl might keep you up, as it can be heard from over a mile away.
The Cause of Breed Numbers May Also Be a Mystery
It’s not always so clear why other breeds aren’t popular. For example, there are only about 600 Cesky Terriers in the United States, with only five active breeders in the whole country. The breed wasn’t developed until the mid-20th century, so the “newness” of the breed could account for its rareness.
In 1948, Czech breeder Frantisek Horak crossed a Sealyham Terrier with a Scottish Terrier to produce a dog that was a tenacious hunter, more trainable than some terriers, and small enough to burrow into fox dens. The breed was introduced in the United States in 1987 and was AKC-recognized in 2011, making it one of our newest breeds.
Even though they’re bred to hunt, the Cesky Terrier is also a sweet and happy dog – good with families and children. So why are they ranked No. 197? Sometimes its a matter of breeds getting more visibility over time.
The American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association describes the breed as charming, fun-loving, and endearing. All of this isn’t to say that they aren’t a bit of a handful. They’re spirited, energetic, and adventurous and require plenty of physical and mental exercise. With so many positive traits, we can only hope that with time and familiarity, the breed may catch on in popularity in America.
We’d love to have black-and-white, definitive reasons that some breeds just don’t become wildly popular in this country. Maybe they’re unfamiliar to the general public, outlived their “professions,” or don’t make the easiest of pets. Basically, a breed remains rare until more responsible breeders promote and preserve it. Sometimes, one could say a breed is rare because it is simply that.
