HERE ARE THE 10 MOST POPULAR BREEDS OF DOG IN THE UK
Source: The Scotsman (Extract)
Posted: July 8, 2021
Many of us welcomed new four-legged family members over lockdown last year, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership rise by nearly eight per cent to around 250,000.
While there are a huge range of diverse breeds across the country, some are a rarer sight in parks than others according to the research by outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Millets.
Just a single Azawakh was registered with the Kennel Club in 2020, while less than 300 new Deerhounds, King Charles Spaniels or Cardigan Welsh Corgis were registered, meaning they are now considered ‘vulnerable’.
But others have seen their popularity soar – here are the top 10 most popular breeds.
1. Labrador Retriever
The new top dog is the Labrador Retriever, which has seen its popularity increase by 13 per cent over lockdown. Labradors were originally imported into the UK from Canada.
2. French Bulldog
After taking the title of most popular dog in 2019, the French Bulldog drops to second place after a slight decrease in registrations.
3. Cocker Spaniel
The third most popular dog in Britain is the Cocker Spaniel – which can actually be one of two distinct breeds, the American Cocker Spaniel or the English Cocker Spaniel.
4. Bulldog
The fourth most popular dog is the Bulldog, with over 11,000 registered last year, an increase of 17 per cent on 2019.
5. Dachshund
Breaking into the top five is the Miniature Smooth Haired Dachshund, which has enjoyed a 24 per cent rise in registration numbers in just a single year. There are now five times as many of the cute sausage dogs as there were a decade ago.
6. Springer Spaniel
Springer Spaniels are still a common choice for dog owners, coming in at sixth, but registrations are down by 30 per cent compared to a decade ago.
7. Golden Retrievers
Coming in at seventh is the always-popular Golden Retriever – a dog that was bred to retrieve shot wildfowl for hunters.
8. German Shepherd
German Shepherd registrations have also slowly been declining – there were 7,000 registrations in 2020 putting them in at eighth place, compared to nearly 10,000 registrations in 2011.
9. Pug
It would seem that Pugs aren’t as fashionable as they once were. They now rank ninth after a steep decline in registrations – with just 6,000 this year compared to over 11,000 as recently as 2017.
10. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The tenth most popular dog is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier – the descendant of a cross-breed between an Old English Bulldog and an Old English Terrier.
