Dogs Trust census reveals Labrador as top dog
Dogs Trust estimates that there are over a million Labrador retrievers in the UK.
Dogs Trust’s National Dog Survey 2024 has officially revealed the Labrador retriever as the most popular breed in the UK, with over a million estimated to live in the country.
This year’s survey, which Dogs Trust says is the UK’s largest dog census, saw over 400,000 respondents offering insights on their dogs.
Following the Labrador retriever were the cocker spaniel, border collie, and the Jack Russell terrier.
For the first time in the survey’s history, French bulldogs have entered the top ten most popular breeds in the UK. The brachycephalic breed placed ninth in UK rankings, with an estimated 216,000 in the country.
However, crossbreeds have remained popular with dog owners, with over 40 per cent of the UK’s dogs believed to be crossbreeds. ‘Supermutts’ proved to be the most popular crossbreed – almost ten per cent of all dogs in the survey were an unknown mix of breeds.
The most popular known mixes included the cockapoo, Labradoodle and the Cavapoo.
The National Dog Survey also tracks changes in the popularity of different dog names in the UK.
Female dog names did not see much change in this year’s survey. ‘Poppy’ topped the list for a successive year, followed by ‘Luna’ and ‘Bella’.
Meanwhile, the survey of male dog names saw ‘Teddy’ reach the top of the list for the first time, pushing ‘Alfie’ to second place. ‘Milo’ placed third.
‘Oscar’, previously a popular name for male dogs, has now dropped out of the UK’s top ten, replaced by ‘Monty’.
The survey also revealed the importance of dogs to their owners, as 99 per cent of respondents say that their dog is a part of their family. Eighty-nine per cent said their dog provided emotional support, 89 per cent said owning a dog made them more active, and 58 per cent said their dog helped reduce their social isolation.
Owen Sharp, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: “While the National Dog Survey provides us lots of fun insights into the UK’s four legged friends, it also serves a more serious purpose. With more than 45,000 owners contacting us last year to relinquish their dog, it’s vital that, as the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, we continue to do all we can to support owners so their dogs can remain with them as part of the family.
“The results of this survey will help us shape our services, both for now and in the future, so dogs and their owners can enjoy long and happy lives together.”
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Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
