Old English Sheepdogs are facing a brush with extinction (Image: GETTY)
Old English sheepdog puppy registrations have hit historic lows, with just 98 recorded in the first three months of this year - a 16 percent drop over the same time in 2018. The total number of registrations have plunged 67 percent in the past 20 years, figures have revealed. The Old English sheepdog has been known as the "Dulux dog" since the breed started appearing in advertisements for the paint in the 1960s. But The Kennel Club said: "The Old English sheepdog will enter our list of breeds that could face extinction for the first time if the low rate of puppy registrations continues." Breeds made popular by TV shows and celebrities are on the rise, however. They include the Alaskan malamute - the wolf in TV's Game of Thrones - which saw the number of puppy registrations rise threefold in the first three months of the year to 90.