Meet Britain’s newest dog breed! Polish Hunting Dog is officially granted recognition by The Kennel Club – making it the 223rd breed in the UK

From friendly Golden Retrievers to fluffy Chow Chows, the UK is home to hundreds of different dog breeds. 

Now, we’ve officially welcomed a new breed to the pack. 

The Polish Hunting Dog has been granted recognition by The Kennel Club, and will be classified in the Hound Group on the Imported Breed Register. 

This makes the breed the 223rd to be recognised in Britain (scroll down for the full list).

The Polish Hunting Dog is a medium sized lighter type of hound, originally bred in the 13th century for hunting in the Polish countryside. 

The breed is known for its strong sense of smell and has been described as a highly intelligent, active breed.

‘For centuries, these hounds were used to hunt the deep forests and rugged mountains of Poland, where they were used on game such as deer, boar, and wisent,’ the Continental Kennel Club explains on its website. 

‘In the 1970s, a Polish breeder, hunter, and cynologist by the name of Jozef Pawuslewicz helped to refine the breed and gain acceptance for it into the Polish Cynological Association, as well as the Federation Cynologique Internationale. 

‘The breed remains popular throughout its home country, as well as surrounding areas in Europe, where they are still one of the ancient go-to hounds for hunting all sizes of game, from deer to hare.’

The Polish Hunting Dog is a medium sized lighter type of hound, originally bred in the 13th century for hunting in the Polish countryside

Speaking to MailOnline, a spokesperson for The Kennel Club confirmed the process for recognising a new breed. 

‘Recognising a breed involves an established breed club or group (made up of breed enthusiasts) making a request for recognition,’ they explained. 

‘Then a process follows which includes, amongst other requirements, evidence that there are sufficient numbers of dogs available with a significant proportion that meet an approved and agree description (a breed standard) which describes the look, health and temperament of that breed.’

Before now, the last breed to be recognised was the Smooth Faced Pyrenan Sheepdog, back in 2021. 

In total, the Kennel Club now recognises 223 breeds of pedigreee dog. 

The news about the latest recognition has been welcomed across social media by delighted dog fans, with one calling the Polish Hunting Dog a ‘magnificent’ breed.

‘Amazing work to their owners and club for getting the breed recognised,’ one user commented on Facebook. 

Another added: ‘Looking forward to seeing them. Very well done to the club for achieving the recognition.’