Rare Dog Breeds in Australia and Finding One

How do you measure a rare dog breed in Australia?

By registrations, because that is the only national figure published. Dogs Australia's National Animal Registration Analysis lists, breed by breed, how many dogs were registered with Dogs Australia each year from 2018 to 2025. Dogs Australia is the national kennel council, and its breed listing (dated 18 March 2026) sets out the breeds it recognises across seven groups.

For scale: Dogs Australia registered 47,288 dogs in 2025. The most registered breeds were the Golden Retriever (3,776), Labrador Retriever (3,672) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (2,757). At the other end, more than 90 recognised breeds and varieties registered fewer than 20 dogs nationally, and 33 registered none. That is what this guide calls rare. Where a breed is not on the Dogs Australia list at all, such as a designer cross, there is no comparable figure.

Which dog breeds are rarest in Australia?

These recognised breeds registered 20 or fewer dogs in 2025. The last column adds up all eight years from 2018 to 2025, which smooths out a single good or bad year.

Source: Dogs Australia, National Animal Registration Analysis 2018 to 2025, read 10 November 2026. A selection, not the full list: other breeds and some dachshund and podengo varieties also registered fewer than 20. Counts are dogs registered with Dogs Australia, not all dogs of the breed in Australia.

A few patterns stand out. The Komondor, Kuvasz and Canaan Dog registered none in any of the eight years (a dozen breeds and varieties in the analysis did the same). The Bloodhound, a breed almost everyone can picture, registered none in 2024 or 2025. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever fell from 55 in 2018 to 8 in 2025. And some breeds are newly arrived: the Mudi first appears with registrations in 2023, and the Murray River Retriever in 2022.

Toy breeds have their own rare corner too, including the Bolognese, King Charles Spaniel and Russian Toy; our toy dog breeds guide lists every toy with its 2025 count.

Does a low count mean the breed is rare in real life?

Usually, but not always, and it is worth knowing why. The registration figures count dogs registered with Dogs Australia in a given year. They do not count crosses, dogs never registered, or dogs registered in an earlier year that are still alive.

The Australian Kelpie is the clearest example. Dogs Australia registered only 123 Kelpies in 2025, fewer than the Bichon Frise or the Shiba Inu, yet Kelpie types are a common sight on the rescue listings we aggregate. For a working breed or a breed often kept outside the pedigree system, the registration count understates the real population. For most of the breeds in the table above, which are kept almost entirely as registered pedigree dogs, a low count does mean very few litters and very few dogs.

How do you find a rare breed puppy?

Through the breed club, and with patience. Dogs Australia advises contacting the breed club, which “will help you in your search for a Dogs Australia registered breeder in your area”, and suggests asking a breeder with no litters available whether they can recommend another breeder. With a breed registering ten puppies a year across the whole country, there may be only a litter or two a year, possibly in another state.

• Meet the breed before the puppy. Breed club events and dog shows are where you can meet adult dogs and owners. A rare breed has fewer owners to learn from, so this step matters more.
• Ask about health testing. Dogs Australia suggests asking whether there are hereditary conditions in the breed, whether the breeder tests breeding stock, and whether you can see the results.
• Expect to wait. Being put on a list for a future litter is normal for an uncommon breed; a seller who always has puppies of a rare breed on hand is a reason to look harder.
• Check the breed standard. Each recognised breed's standard is on the Dogs Australia breed pages, including the colours the breed is allowed to be.

Our puppies for sale guide sets out the breeder rules in each state, such as breeder or source numbers, which apply to rare breeds as much as common ones.

Can you import a rare dog breed into Australia?

Yes, from an approved country, and some rare breeds only arrive this way. The federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) calls it “a complex process”. The main points from its step-by-step guides:

Sources: DAFF Group 3 and Group 2 dog import guides, quarantine page and FAQ, read 10 November 2026. Rules change; always check the current DAFF guide for your dog's country before you start.

Some dogs cannot be imported at all. DAFF lists five pure breeds banned from import (the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier, and Perro de Presa Canario) and several wolf hybrids, including the Czechoslovakian wolfdog, Saarloos wolfdog, Lupo Italiano and Kunming wolfdog and any crossbreed offspring from them. These bans come from environmental protection and customs laws, not biosecurity, and DAFF says the relevant agencies may investigate a dog suspected of being a banned breed after arrival. Our wolf dogs guide and dingo as a pet guide cover the state rules for those animals.

Think about heat. DAFF's quarantine page warns that summer temperatures can exceed 40°C and that dogs with long or thick hair, flat faces or excess weight are at higher risk of heat stress, so it advises talking to a vet and timing arrival for the cooler part of the day. A breed developed for a cold climate may find an Australian summer hard all year after quarantine, too.

How do scammers use rare dog breeds?

By offering what you cannot find elsewhere. Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and fake social media profiles “to deceive you to pay money for popular breeds, cute puppies, or other pets” that do not exist. Dogs Australia warns that puppy scammers are “out there in large numbers” and that as soon as one site is shut down, another opens.

Rarity makes the pitch easier, because you have little to compare against. Red flags to watch for:

• Puppies ready now of a breed that barely registers. If a breed registered eight puppies nationally last year, a stranger with several available this week needs checking.
• “Rare” used for a colour or a cross. A colour is not a breed, and some colours sold as rare are not accepted in the breed's standard. Our merle and brindle guide explains the health questions behind one of them. A designer cross is not a rare breed either; Dogs Australia says other registries are not affiliated with it and cannot issue certified pedigrees.
• No visit, no video, payment up front. Scamwatch advises viewing the pet in person or on a video call with the breeder, verifying the breeder is legitimate, and being wary of unusual payment methods.
• An overseas seller who handles everything. A real import needs a DAFF import permit and quarantine at Mickleham; ask for the permit details and check them with DAFF.

Check membership with the Dogs Australia body in your state, and if you suspect a scam, report it to Scamwatch. Our puppies for sale guide has more on spotting fakes.

Can you find a rare breed in rescue?

Occasionally, and it is worth looking. A breed that registers a few dozen dogs a year will rarely come into a shelter, so purebred rare dogs are uncommon on the listings we aggregate. Some breed clubs also help rehome dogs of their own breed, so ask the club whether it runs a rescue or rehoming list.

You are far more likely to find a cross with some of the look or nature you are after, such as a hound cross, a spitz-type cross or a shaggy herding mix. A shelter's breed label is a best guess made by eye, and our what breed is my rescue dog guide explains why behaviour matters more than the label. The RSPCA Knowledgebase notes RSPCA animals are vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed as appropriate before adoption, and most rescues do the same.

The practical approach: browse the mixed-breed dogs in your city, check the breed page for the breed you want (for example the Bloodhound or Norwegian Elkhound), and set an alert on the listing page so you hear early if one is listed.

Is a rare breed the right choice?

It can be, for the right reasons. A rare breed may suit you because its size, coat or working style fits your life better than any common breed, and the breed club can tell you a great deal about it. The trade-offs are real, though: fewer dogs to meet before you choose, fewer owners to ask, a longer wait, and possibly an interstate trip or an import.

If what attracts you is mainly being different, a well-matched common breed or an adult rescue may make you happier day to day. Start with what you need from a dog: our best dog breeds guide matches breeds to lifestyles, the healthiest dog breeds guide covers lifespan research, and the what dog breed am I quiz, dog cost calculator and adoption readiness check help you test the decision.