Photo Credit: EveningStandard
Did you vote for Britain’s Top 100 Dogs Live: 2019 last Tuesday? For those who have missed it, there is no need to worry as we will conduct a review this programme featuring canines in diverse shapes and sizes.
The nation of dog lovers speaks again as to who will be crowned as Britain’s top 10 dog breed in 2019. Hosted by Sara Cox and Ben Fogle, the programme gives a chance for viewers to vote for the final top ten breeds. Winners are decided through a live countdown of public votes for two and a half hour rundown.
The audience was left stunned when the Labrador, last year’s winning breed, came third behind the cockapoo and the Staffordshire bull terrier. Check out if your pooch made it to the list.
10th Place – Mixed Breed
This is not considered as a breed but the mixed breed category gained its popularity on the show. Mixed breeds are often referred to as ‘mutts’, ‘mongrels,’ or ‘cross-breeds’ with canines from a breeding of two different dogs. One of its character strengths is their points of having fewer health issues in comparison to pedigree dog breeds. This is due to the diversified genetic pool.
9th Place – Golden Retriever
Golden retrievers made its way as top 9 with their gorgeous coats and a medium built athletic appearance. This is one of the most popular breeds that made its presence known in a lot of dog competitions including performance competitions, dog shows, obedience, agility, tracking, and others. They are often described as ‘eager, alert, and self-confident.’
8th Place – German Shepherd
The German shepherds kept their rank at number 8th same as last year. With their firm good looks, their features seem to always appear as canine stars. Not only are they praised for their good looks but for their high intelligence and remarkable trainability as well. In fact, they are often seen as the face of the police and military canines.
7th Place – Border Collie
Popularly known as herding dogs are the border collies. This is amongst the smartest dog breeds in the world that’s capable to comprehend more than a thousand words. That being said, rearing one requires a lot of activities to provide mental and physical stimulation and prevent any behavioural issues.
6th Place – Boxer
Boxers gave an impressive jump of 12 places from being ranked as 18th last year.
Initially bred as a guard dog, boxers were the offspring of the breeding between the English Bulldogs and the now extinct Bullenbeisser. They may have a laid-back nature but they still excel as military and police dogs as well as in search and rescue missions.
5th Place – Cocker Spaniel
The face of a cocker spaniel is hard to forget and was made popular as a cartoon character, Lady. As the original bird dogs, cocker spaniels relish every opportunity to chase and enjoy being free in the open air.
This ball of fluff is full of personality that can either be raised as a family dog or working dog. Just be sure to introduce proper socialisation during its puppy stages.
4th Place – Springer Spaniel
Coming from the spaniel family is the fourth placer, the springer spaniel. They are such a sight to see with their long, distinct ears.
Further, they are hailed as loyal hunting companions with a strong sense of smell. In fact, this breed makes an excellent competitor in dog-related events or activities including tracking, obedience trials, agility, and hunt tests.
3rd Place – Labrador Retriever
Still immensely popular on its third place is the Labrador retriever. This is a popular dog breed worldwide that can be deployed in any field of canine employment but most often as guide dogs. These dogs are easy to recognise with Labrador puppies plastered as the face of Andrex toilet roll in the UK.
Runner Up – Cockapoo
From fifth place last year to second on this year’s list is Britain’s favourite cross-breed, the cockapoo, a mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle. Cockapoos are relatively small that does not grow any larger than a cocker spaniel.
This pooch has a lot of potential with the same level of intelligence as the poodle and its geniality like that of a cocker spaniel. The only thing you have to worry is how to stop these bundles of energy from greeting and jumping up on people.
Top of the Pup – Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Staffordshire bull terrier is hailed as UK’s most popular dog, beating the other popular breeds such as the Labrador and the springer spaniel.
Unfortunately, the Staffie, which is from the pit bull family, is one of the most misunderstood dogs, and a lot of them end up as abandoned dogs in rehoming centres. However, as they say, ‘Any dog can be trained to be a bad dog, just as they can be trained to be a good dog.’
Visit the dog breeds section to learn more about all the other wonderful breeds.
