Here at The Pets Larder, we like to keep up to date with all the doggy news and can often be found scouring the web and newspapers for our favourite subject!
Last week we came across a fascinating article printed in The Scotsman, Scotland's national Newspaper, reporting on statistics from the Kennel Club in 2021 about the most popular dog breeds in the UK.
Some of these stats will not come as a surprise at all, for example, Labrador Retrievers being the most popular breed across Britain, however, some of the breeds that appeared in the top ten and some that didn't appear at all gave us, at The Pets Larder headquarters, a bit of a surprise!
So in today’s post, we have collated the information and brought to you the top ten dog breeds in the UK, based on the registrations of dogs between 2021 and 2022, alongside some fascinating facts about each breed.
These results obviously only include registered breeds of dog and we think that mixed breeds are probably by far and away the most popular and widely owned type of our four-legged friends!
Do let us know if you were surprised about the results or if your dogs appear on the list and why you think they might be so popular.
This British breed has been top of the list or thereabouts for decades now and was originally developed from fishing dogs originating in the Labrador region of Newfoundland in Canada. Labs are highly intelligent and are often used trained to become guide dogs, with some instances of them being trained to activate emergency phones and put humans in recovery positions!
As its name suggests, the French Bulldog originated in France and is the result of crossbreeding toy bulldogs. This breed is frequently in the top registered breeds in Australia, the US and here in the UK. The breed is thought to have gained additional favour in the late 19th century by appearing in works by popular painters Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas.
Cocker Spaniels have been bred in the United Kingdom for over 500 years and are a breed of hunting dog, the word cocker is thought to have derived from their use in hunting woodcocks. Cocker Spaniels are well known for being fiercely loyal, intelligent and athletic.
Another English breed of dog, the Bulldog is a medium-sized muscular dog that was bred from the Old English Bulldog. The Bulldog gets its name from the blood sport bull-baiting, where bulls were cruelly pitted against dogs, which was outlawed in 1835.
Originating in Germany this small dog breed was originally used and is still used in some cases, to track game animals such as deer, badgers and rabbits. The breed is known as Teckel in Germany which translates as Badger Dog.
Traditionally used as a retrieving gun dog, the Springer Spaniel is an affectionate, excitable breed of dog that is descended from the Norfolk Spaniel of the mid-19th century. English Springer Spaniels are often used as sniffer dogs in the police force due to their easily trained olfactory senses.
In the 1860s Baron Tweedmouth, in the Guisachan Estate in Scotland, set out to breed the ultimate retriever by crossing the Flat-coated Retriever with Tweed Water Spaniels, he eventually created the Golden Retriever. Guisachan is now revered by breeders and is often used for Golden Retriever Shows.
The German Shepard or Alsatian was originally bred as a sheep herding dog, however, it is more common to see them in the police force, search and rescue crews, and in the military today. The German Shepard is a common occurrence in the top most registered dog breeds in the UK.
Initially bred as a fighting dog the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a mix of the Bulldog and the Black and Tan terrier. Despite its origins as a fighting dog the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is well known as a great pet for families and is very loyal.
Originally from China, the pug is a small dog that is best known for its charm and bundles of personality. The pug has been well known in the UK since the sixteenth century when it was popularised by joint regents William III and Mary II.
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