AS we enjoy the Platinum Jubilee weekend I started to think about the Queen and her Corgis and the vast range of dog breeds we see in the practice.

Over the years I have seen an ebb and flow in breed popularity; the increase in popularity of poodle crosses such as Cockerpoos and Labradoodles has coincided with a decline in the more traditional breeds.

Breeds such as the English Setter, Smooth Collie and Welsh corgi are now on the Kennel Club’s vulnerable native breed list.

There is not always an obvious reason why breeds go in and out of style – is it media exposure or changes in owners’ lifestyles?

Whatever the reason we see popularity rise and fall.

There is a definite regional variation in dog ownership; living and working in what is still a rural area we see plenty of working dogs – Labradors and Spaniels are still the breeds we see most commonly.

Speaking to friends of mine that work in urban areas they are seeing more toy and small breeds – Chihuahuas and French Bull dogs making up a lot of their patients.

All breeds have their personality traits and their “health traits” and we vets are very aware of this.

What you can do as owners is be aware of, not only the character of the breed you are choosing, but also any disease predispositions they may have; many of which will have Kennel Club schemes to try and prevent breeding from dogs with heritable conditions.

By doing this we can continue to have as healthy and diverse a dog population as possible – and do not forget to have a think about those rarer breeds – it would be a shame to lose them.

n Alice Moore is a vet at Castle Veterinary Clinic, Dorchester and Weymouth. Tel 01305 267083