Meet Britain's newest dog breeds! Miniature American Shepherd and Yakutian Laika are officially granted recognition by The Kennel Club - making them the 226th and 227th breeds in the UK
From cheeky Chow Chows to loveable Labradors, the UK is already home to hundreds of different dog breeds. Now, two new pooches have been added to the list. The Kennel Club has officially granted recognition to the Miniature American Shepherd and Yakutian Laika. This makes them the 226th and 227th breeds in the UK. The Miniature American Shepherd comes from the US, and is known for its intelligence, agility and loyalty. Meanwhile, the Yakutian Laika hails from northeastern Russia, and is celebrated for its resilience, instinct, and unwavering devotion. 'The Royal Kennel Club will recognise 227 breeds of pedigree dog from 1 July 2026 following the simultaneous recognition of the Miniature American Shepherd [and the Yakutian Laika],' The Kennel Club explained. 'The last breed to be recognised was the Hungarian Mudi in July 2025.' The Miniature American Shepherd comes from the US, and is known for its intelligence, agility and loyaltyThe Miniature American Shepherd originated in the US as a compact and highly versatile herding dog. It was first recognised by the American Kennel Club back in 2011 and by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 2019. Now, the breed is becoming increasingly established in the UK. The Yakutian Laika, meanwhile, is an ancient working breed, shaped over millennia by its vital role in transport, hunting and daily survival. 'Rooted in the vast and demanding landscape of northeastern Russia, the Yakutian Laika is an ancient working breed shaped over millennia by its vital role in transport, hunting and daily survival,' the Kennel Club explained.The breed was carefully revived in the 1990s and formally recognised by the Russian Kynological Federation in 2004. 'Today, the Yakutian Laika stands as a striking, versatile companion whose popularity is steadily rising worldwide,' the Kennel Club added. The term 'pedigree dog' is used to refer to a dog within a breed that is recognised by The Kennel Club, and that has traceable ancestry going back several generations on both sides. The Yakutian Laika hails from northeastern Russia, and is celebrated for its resilience, instinct, and unwavering devotionPedigree dogs are predictable in terms of their temperament and physical appearance and their exercise, grooming and general care needs.Because their ancestry is known, it is also possible to predict any health problems that might arise and to develop DNA tests for those conditions, which breeders can use before selecting their breeding dogs.The two new breeds will be officially recognised as breeds in the UK from 1 July. However, they aren't the only new breeds to be recognised in Britain in recent years. Last year, the Kennel Club granted recognition to the Hungarian Mudi and the Icelandic Sheepdog, while the Polish Hunting Dog was recognised in 2024, the Smooth Faced Pyrenean Sheepdog in 2021 and the Barbet in 2020. WHAT ARE THE TEN COMMONLY HELD MYTHS ABOUT DOGS?It is easy to believe that dogs like what we like, but this is not always strictly true. Here are ten things which people should remember when trying to understand their pets, according to animal behaviour experts Dr Melissa Starling and Dr Paul McGreevy, from the University of Sydney.1. Dogs don't like to share 2. Not all dogs like to be hugged or patted 3. A barking dog is not always an aggressive dog 4. Dogs do not like other dogs entering their territory/home5. Dogs like to be active and don't need as much relaxation time as humans 6. Not all dogs are overly friendly, some are shyer to begin with 7. A dog that appears friendly can soon become aggressive 8. Dogs need open space and new areas to explore. Playing in the garden won't always suffice 9. Sometimes a dog isn't misbehaving, it simply does not understand what to do or what you want 10. Subtle facial signals often preempt barking or snapping when a dog is unhappy
