Top 10 dog breeds in the UK – and which are statistically the most beautiful
In March 2021, it was reported that 3.2 million households in the UK had acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic. This brought the number of UK households with pets to £17million.
But that was a year ago, so the number may now be much higher, despite some people trying to give up their dogs when restrictions ended and they returned to work.
More than half of the new owners were between the ages of 16 and 34, and many got a new pet to reduce social isolation while stuck at home. So what are the most popular breeds to own?
READ MORE: Complete guide to Crufts 2022 on dates, schedule, tickets, discount codes and what’s new
According to Rover.com, the most popular dog breeds across the UK as a whole are:
1. Mixed Races
2. Labrador retriever
3. Cockapoos
4. French Bulldog
5. Cocker Spaniel
6. Dachshund
7. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
8. Jack Russell Terrier
9. Border Collies
10. Chihuahuas
11. German Shepherd
12. Golden retriever
13. Shih Tzu
14. Pug
15. Yorkshire Terrier
16. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
17. Labradoodle
18. Beagle
19. English Springer Spaniel
20. Pomeranian
Best dog breeds in Birmingham
And in Birmingham, the top breeds are:
1. Jack Russell Terrier
2. French Bulldog
3. Boxer
4. Cockapoos
5. Beagle
The most beautiful dogs in the world
And what about the most beautiful breeds of dogs? Money.co.uk analysts applied the golden ratio to some of the most popular dog breeds to see which breeds came closest to statistically perfect proportions.
The golden ratio is a mathematical formula found in nature, architecture and even music, which indicates a balanced and aesthetic composition. The closer the proportions of each breed of dog are to the proportions of the golden ratio, the more statistically beautiful the breed.
|
Rank |
Dog Breed |
Golden ratio score |
|
#1 |
Cairn terrier |
88.7% |
|
#2 |
West Highland White Terrier |
87.5% |
|
#3 |
border collie |
86.7% |
|
#4 |
Rhodesian Ridgeback |
86.0% |
|
#5 |
Welsh Terrier |
85.9% |
|
#6 |
Weimaraner |
85.6% |
|
#7 |
toll collector |
85.0% |
|
#8 |
italian greyhound |
84.9% |
|
#9 |
norfolk terrier |
84.3% |
|
#ten |
Pembroke Welsh Corgi |
83.9% |
And the least beautiful dog breeds in the world? Here is what the formula said:
|
Rank |
Dog Breed |
Golden ratio score |
|
#1 |
Shih Tzu |
41.0% |
|
#2 |
bullmastiff |
48.7% |
|
#3 |
french bulldog |
54.3% |
|
#4 |
Bulldog |
56.3% |
|
#5 |
Rottweiler |
60.0% |
Salman Haqqi, pet insurance expert at money.co.uk, said: “Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder and regardless of a dog’s breed ranking position, every dog, no matter what shape or size, should be enjoyed.”
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