This is Just about the top 20 dog breeds in Britain (as of 2006 Kennel club registrations). I decided to get pictures of the dogs as puppies mainly for the extra cute factor

Here is the list:

1. Retriever (Labrador) 45,700
2. Spaniel (Cocker) 20,459
3. Spaniel (English Springer) 15,133
4. German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian) 12,857
5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier 12,729
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 11,411
7. Retriever (Golden) 9,373
8. West Highland White Terrier 9,300
9. Boxer 9,066
10. Border Terrier 8,916
11. Rottweiler 6,575
12. Shih Tzu 4,436
13. Miniature Schnauzer 4,396
14. Lhasa Apso 4,154
15. Yorkshire Terrier 4,042
16. Bulldog 3,522
17. Dobermann 3,388
18. Bull Terrier 3,361
19. Weimaraner 2,744
20. Pug 2,681

The labrador got twice as much as the runner up, English Cocker Spaniel! Wow.
*Of course these are only based on dogs actually registered*

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http://www.amon-sul.at – Thai Ridgeback website they own the one in the video

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The above dog breeds are commonly believed to be extinct. Very little has been written about them and the dates of their extinction are largely unknown. As with all creatures who become extinct, there can be a variety of reasons that a particular dog breed suddenly ceases to exist. Sometimes it’s physical- the result of a disease that a particular breed is susceptible to, or a weakness in their constitution that makes caring for them difficult, causing people to lose interest and instead focus on other breeds. Extinction can also be caused by drastic cultural change, such as when the Cuban Revolution almost rendered the adorable Havanese extinct. In Japan, the Akita almost became extinct due to excessive dogfighting during the Meiji period (the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century). This noble breed was threatened again during World War II when starving Japanese citizens relied on his meat to sustain them. But extinction isn’t always the result of calamity. The particular traits inherent in one dog breed may no longer be valued by society. Without active breeding programs, these domesticated animals no longer have viable populations. While certain breeds such as the New Guinea Singing Dog and the Manchester Terrier have been brought back from near extinction, many others are lost to history.

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* Albanian: Qen i Sharrit or Qeni Ilir

Appearance:

The illyrian sheepdog is a large, muscular, strongly-built dog. The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, and the front legs account for approximately 55% of the height. The head is large but proportional to the body, with dark eyes.

Size:

The illyrian sheepdog is a robust, well proportioned dog with plenty of bone, of a size that is well above the average and with a thick, long, rather coarse coat that emphasizes the short coupled appearance.

* Height in Male Dogs: 56-62cm (24 inch above)
* Height in Female Dogs: 54-60cm (22.5 inch above)
* Weight in Male Dogs: 35-45kg (77-99 lbs)
* Weight in Female Dogs: 30-40kg (66-88 lbs)

Although much larger and heavy dogs exist, the preferred size for illyrian sheepdog for male dogs is 75cm and female dogs 70cm.

Coat:

The coat is dense and medium in length; it can be rough or smooth. The coat is also about four inches (10 cm) long. The coat will benefit from occasional brushing. All illyrian sheepdog types are solid in colour: tan, iron grey, white or almost black. The colour need not be completely uniform, and most Sars have several different shades of the same colour fading into one another. There are no bicolours and no uniformly black-coated dogs among purebreds, but odd-coloured specimens do exist.

Colour:

Usually sable or gray with darker “overalls” on the head and back, the undercoat being paler. Almost all other colours are accepted, but the dogs must not have large white patches in their coat. There are several varieties of colors, by frequency of occurrence: Tiger Color with 30%, grey color with all the varieties 20%, Yellow color with black muzzle 20%, white color 20% and counter mask (muzzle).

Temperament:

The temperament of the breed is described as independent, reliable, protective but not snappy; incorruptible and devoted to its master. The breed is aloof with outsiders, and calm until a threat to the flock presents itself. The breed has a highly protective nature. In the absence of a flock of sheep, the Sharr will often treat its humans as sheep – herding them away from danger or undesirable areas. They are serene and majestic, gentle with children and smaller dogs. They are also highly intelligent and bred to work without human supervision while guarding the flocks in the high pastures. Young pups can kill small animals until trained not to hunt.

Working life:

The Sharr is a reserved and intuitive breed, stubborn and undemonstrative, but properly trained and handled with authority, it excels at a variety of tasks. Dog-aggression and wariness of strangers are common traits of the Šarplaninac, which is why early socialization is of utmost importance. Heavily-boned and muscular, the dog has a full top-coat, with an abundant dense undercoat, making it weatherproof and suited for an outside life.

The illyrian sheepdog or sharr dog has been known to fight or chase off a wolf, lynx and even Balkan bears.

The illyrian sheepdog is spreading through North American ranches as a sheep herding dog and a livestock guardian. Since 1975, successful exports have been carried out to the United States and Canada to control coyotes, and this is where its future security rests. It is now gaining recognition as a hard-working, able flock guard in those countries.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrian_SheepDog

P.S. Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/RrahimStruja for this video!

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