{"id":914,"date":"2014-03-19T11:55:31","date_gmt":"2014-03-19T11:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/digitalnext.me\/nccblog\/?p=914"},"modified":"2020-04-14T09:21:47","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T08:21:47","slug":"top-dogs-uks-5-popular-dog-breeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/top-dogs-uks-5-popular-dog-breeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Dogs: The UK\u2019s 5 Most Popular Dog Breeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The number of Dogs owned as pets is at an all-time high, with canines swiftly overtaking the previous favourite felines as the most popular pet of choice in the UK.\u00a0 According to the 2013 Pet Population Report<\/a><\/span> by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, dogs are now by far the most commonly owned household pets.\u00a0 There are approximately 8.5 million dogs currently kept as pets, which means that 25% of households within the UK are dog owners, compared to 19% of families who favour cats!<\/p>\n

Recent studies have shown that aside from the well-known companionship gained from man\u2019s best friend, there are many health and lifestyle benefits.\u00a0 Dog owners are often found to have lower blood pressure, lower stress levels and generally suffer less health issues, they also tend to live a more healthy and active lifestyle.<\/p>\n

With this in mind lets review the top 5 most popular dog breeds within the UK for 2013!<\/p>\n

1. Labrador \u2013 35,026<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Being playful, good tempered, well behaved and easy to train, the Labrador is a perfect choice for many families.\u00a0 Originally bred as a gundog, aside from being a great family pet, the Labrador is now more commonly found as an assistance dog, such as a guide dog or police dog, due to the breed\u2019s intelligence.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder the Labrador has been Britain\u2019s most popular dog breed for more than 20 years!<\/p>\n

2. Cocker Spaniel – 22,943<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Cocker Spaniel is playful yet obedient.\u00a0 As well as being a family favourite throughout homes in the UK, the Cocker Spaniel has been the most successful breed at Crufts.\u00a0 Originally bred as a gun dog, their name \u2018cocker\u2019 stems from their skill for hunting Eurasion Woodcock!<\/p>\n

3. Springer Spaniel – 11,316<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Springer spaniel is a lovable dog and the ideal companion for children due to its affectionate and excitable nature.\u00a0 Similar to the related cocker spaniel, its name originates from the breeds historic hunting role where the dogs would \u2018spring\u2019 (or flush) birds into the air.\u00a0 It\u2019s interesting to note our top 3 breeds all originated as gun dogs!<\/p>\n

4. Pug – 8,071<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Most well-known for its distinctive stocky shape and wrinkly, short muzzled face, the pug has been steadily growing in popularity in recent years and is creeping its way up the top 10. Originating in China these dogs have a Royal history and have been the chosen companion for many European Kings and Queens over the years.<\/p>\n

5. German Shepherd – 7,954<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The German Shepherd is prized for its courage, strength and intelligence and because of this is a preferred working dog breed for many job sectors including the police, military and search and rescue, just to name a few!\u00a0 This breed has also remained a family favourite, continuously featuring in the top 10 for a number of years.<\/p>\n

These figures are according to the Kennel Club Registrations for 2013<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

If you, like so many others, are a fan of our four legged friends, why not consider building a career around them and become a dog groomer<\/a><\/span>?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The number of Dogs owned as pets is at an all-time high, with canines swiftly overtaking the previous favourite felines as the most popular pet of choice in the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[105],"class_list":["post-914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misc","tag-top-countdowns"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/featured-image-test-1.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Nick Cooper","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/author\/nccnickcooper\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=914"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38202,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions\/38202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncchomelearning.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}