The Best Dog In the UK?

An enormously fat four-year old Clumber Spaniel, with eye ectropion and entropion, has been crowned best in show at Crufts 2026.

Setting aside the travesty of putting this dog up as “Best in Show,” there is the larger issue that this is a failed breed that is so rare its only possible salvation is by delisting and outcrossing.

The Royal Kennel Club itself notes that “below an effective population size of 100, the loss of genetic variation in a breed/population increases considerably. An effective population of below 50 indicates that the future of the breed may be at risk.” And what is the effective population size for the Clumber? Try 24.5.