The Nation’s Favourite Dog Breeds, Revealed
With recent studies showing that more than a third of UK households own a dog in 2022, it’s fair to say that many Brits would happily categorise themselves as proud dog lovers.
And whether it’s small, groomed puppies, or giant, shaggy-haired dogs – we all have our favourite breeds.
But what about the nation’s favourite?
When we think of national dog breeds, there are likely a few usual suspects that spring to mind. Pugs, for example, have come to become synonymous with British culture – a favourite with celebrities, influencers and the British public alike. Likewise, the old English Bulldog, with its rustic, Victorian charm, could be another equally apt contender. Or maybe it’s the Queen’s favoured Corgi which would come out top?
To try to settle the debate, pet wellness specialists at Miracle Leaf have collaborated with UK Pets, to find out how often Brits are searching to buy different breeds of dog, and how these trends have changed since 2020.
Key Findings
- The American Bully has been the most viewed dog, with almost 1,000 monthly views in it, of 2022 so far. This breed has experienced a fast and dramatic surge in popularity since Spring 2020 – where it did not make the top 20 favourite dog breeds.
- The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the only breed to have made the top 5 positions consistently since 2020 to present. Over the last three Springs, it came in 1st, 4th and 2nd place, respectively.
- Over the course of the last three years, there has been a shift in interest for smaller, breeds, or ‘show dogs’. 2020-2021 both saw Sproodles and Miniature Dachshunds in the top 5, but this year’s ranking is dominated by bigger, security-focussed breeds: American Bullies, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bedlington Whippets, English Bulldogs and Siberian Huskies.
- Firm national favourites, making the top 20 most viewed pages on the Pets UK website for two years or more, include the Labrador Retriever, the Cocker Spaniel, the Siberian Husky and the Yorkshire Terrier.
The Nation’s Favourite Dog Breeds – 2022
Position | Breed | Monthly Views |
1 | American Bully | 4121 |
2 | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 3779 |
3 | Bedlington Whippet | 1461 |
4 | English Bulldog | 1341 |
5 | Siberian Husky | 1304 |
6 | French Bulldog | 1126 |
7 | Pomeranian | 1107 |
8 | Cocker Spaniel | 1056 |
9 | Miniature Dachshund | 945 |
10 | Yorkshire Terrier | 930 |
11 | Bernedoodle | 929 |
12 | Belgian Malinois | 899 |
13 | Teacup Pomeranian | 869 |
14 | Sproodle | 829 |
15 | Jack Russell | 769 |
16 | Yorkie Poo | 719 |
17 | Shiba Inu | 656 |
18 | Chihuahua | 647 |
19 | Cockapoo | 621 |
20 | Pug | 604 |
In top position was the American Bully – with 4121 views on the UK Pets selling website. This breed has gained dramatic and quick popularity in the UK, not appearing in the top 20 list for 2020.
Favoured for their size and fierce loyalty, the breed pipped several British bred breeds, like the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (coming in at 2nd) and the English Bulldog (4th), to the punch.
Interestingly, other long-time favourite breeds were significantly lower down in the rankings than researchers expected. The Miniature Dachshund (or ‘sausage dog’) came in 9th place with 950 views, while the Pug only just scraped into the top 20 – with 604 views.
Next up, researchers wanted to see how this list compared to the last two years.
The Nation’s Favourite Dog Breeds – 2021
Position | Breed | Monthly Views |
1 | Sproodle | 4702 |
2 | Basenji | 1801 |
3 | American Bully | 1773 |
4 | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 1253 |
5 | Shiba Inu | 1210 |
6 | Cocker Spaniel | 1206 |
7 | Bernedoodle | 861 |
8 | Alaskan Klee Kai | 849 |
9 | French Bulldog | 695 |
10 | Siberian Husky | 654 |
11 | Sprocker | 495 |
12 | Yorkshire Terrier | 488 |
13 | Springador | 475 |
14 | Chihuahua | 449 |
15 | Labrador Retriever | 433 |
16 | Pomeranian | 419 |
17 | Toy Poodle | 418 |
18 | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 404 |
19 | German Shepherd | 403 |
20 | Jack Russell | 400 |
The Nation’s Favourite Dog Breeds – 2020
Position | Breed | Monthly Views |
1 | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 1720 |
2 | Sprocker | 1087 |
3 | Yorkshire Terrier | 986 |
4 | Miniature Dachshund | 929 |
5 | Jack Russell | 781 |
6 | Toy Poodle | 656 |
7 | Cocker Spaniel | 646 |
8 | Labrador Retriever | 601 |
9 | Sproodle | 597 |
10 | Siberian Husky | 517 |
11 | Springador | 514 |
12 | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 483 |
13 | Japanese Shiba Inu | 464 |
14 | Border Collie | 448 |
15 | Welsh Collie | 401 |
16 | Sprollie | 395 |
17 | Pomeranian | 365 |
18 | Shih Tzu | 354 |
19 | English Bulldog | 350 |
20 | Basenji | 332 |
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The Nation’s Favourite Dog Breeds - 2020-2022
Methodology
Researchers gathered their results by analysing the most-viewed pages on the Pets UK website in March 2020, March 2021 and March 2022.
The top 1,000 most-viewed pages on the site were analysed, and the top 20 dog breeds for each year were filtered out, and ranked according to monthly traffic for each year.
Miracle Leaf specialises in a variety of pet wellness products, including cbd for dogs.
