Britain’s top dogs

100 favourite breeds

We are a nation of dog lovers, with one in four of us sharing our home with a pooch. Man’s best friend has even overtaken cats as the most popular pet.

But of the 217 recognised breeds, not to mention thousands of cross-breeds, which is our favourite? A poll of 10,000 people reveals the top 100 dog breeds in Britain, and we’ve listed them, here.

But if you want to know which mutt is top dog, tune in to Britain’s Favourite Dogs: Top 100 tonight on ITV at 7.30pm. 100 Dandie dinmont One of Britain’s oldest terrier breeds, one of the rarest dogs in the world. 99 Bedlington terrier Once a vicious hunter of rats and rabbits. 98 Welsh terrier Likes to chase badgers, foxes and otters. 97 Wheaten terrier Named after the colour of ripening wheat. 96 Airedale terrier The biggest terrier of the lot. 95 Gordon setter Its thick coat was designed to protect it from the harsh Scottish weather. 94 Saluki A sleek Persian greyhound. 93 Lakeland terrier Now an endangered breed. 92 Chorkie A Chihuahua and Yorkie cross. 91 Jorkie A Jack Russell and Yorkie cross. 90 Staffie Jack This one is a cross between a Jack Russell and a Staffordshire bull terrier. 89 Goldador A golden retriever and Labrador cross. 88 Poochon A poodle and bichon frise cross. 87 Bullmastiff Packs up to 130lbs of muscle and drools. 86 Dogue de Bordeaux One co-starred with Tom Hanks in the 1989 movie Turner and Hooch. 85 Leonberger Almost 3ft tall, with lion-like features. 84 St Bernard The largest dogs, they can weigh 25 stone. 83 Fox terrier The inspiration for Tintin’s dog, Snowy. 82 Corgi The Queen’s best pal. She’s had over 30. 81 Chinese crested Chinese sailors used them to catch rats. 80 Shih-poo A poodle and shih-tzu cross. 79 Boston terrier Its coat has a tuxedo-like pattern. 78 Sheprador A German shepherd and Canadian Labrador mix. 77 Rhodesian ridgeback This breed was developed in Africa as a hunting dog. 76 Staffrador A Staffie and Labrador mix. 75 Japanese akita Japan’s most popular breed. 74 Basenji Can’t bark due to narrow voice box. 73 Schnoodle A schnauzer and poodle cross. 72 Italian spinone This gun dog dates back to the Roman Empire. 71 English pointer They point their bodies in the direction of prey. 70 Rough collie Bred as a sheep herder. 69 English bull terrier Bred to fight, they have triangleshaped eyes. 68 A 67 Jack Sproodle Border Russell Jack and border terrier cross. A springer spaniel and poodle cross. 66 Chow Chow Chinese breed, known puffy-lion dog. 65 Flat-coated retriever Bred to fetch game from land or water. 64 Jug Jack Russell and Chinese pug cross. 63 Afghan hound Bred in Afghanistan’s mountains. 62 Shar Pei Bred as guard dogs in China.

61 Shollie Border collie/German shepherd. 60 Hungarian vizsla Famous for their loyalty. 59 Bearded collie Bred to withstand Scottish weather and troublesome sheep. 58 Puggle A cross between a pug and a beagle. 57 German short-haired pointer Bred to be the ultimate hunting dog. 56 Great Dane They can grow up to one metre tall. 55 Old English sheepdog Its hair can cover its face and eyes. 54 Scottish terrier They were bred to hunt vermin. 53 Shetland sheepdog This breed was popular in 1960s and 1970s. 52 Doberman pinscher Developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in 1890. 51 Tibetan terrier Bred by monks and said to bring good luck. 50 Alaskan malamute Bred to pull sleds across the Arctic tundra. 49 Sprollie A springer spaniel and Collie cross. 48 Maltese Their white coats are a symbol of divinity. 47 Parson Russell terrier These are Jack Russells with longer legs. 46 Patterdale Developed to hunt red fox. 45 Newfoundland Bred in Canada to haul in fishing nets. 44 Borador A border collie and Labrador cross. 43 Cairn terrier Small breed from the Highlands. 42 Weimaraner These noble-looking dogs are born with stripes for camouflage. 41 Irish setter Glossy dogs that date back to the 1500s. 40 Jackahuahua A Jack Russell and Chihuahua mix. 39 Dalmatian Features in the 1961 film, 101 Dalmatians. 38 Springador A Labrador and English springer spaniel. 37 Whippet Can hit speeds of up to 35mph. 36 Sprocker This springer and cocker spaniel mix is loyal, energetic and good at sports. 35 Pomeranian Two of them were saved from the Titanic. 34 Cavapoo Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle. 33 Basset hound They’ve the best sense of smell of all 100. 32 Rottweiler A German breed with a powerful bite. 31 French bulldog They have surged in popularity. 30 Cavachon Cavalier King Charles spaniel and bichon frise mix. 29 Miniature schnauzer With their distinctive snout and beard, their name is the German word for muzzle. 28 Siberian husky Used as a sled-racing dog. 27 Lhasa apso Bred for Tibetan monasteries. 26 British bulldog Represent Brits’ tenacity and courage. 25 Bichon frise Has black eyes and a fluffy white coat. 24 Lurcher First known as the poachers’ dog, they are distant cousins of greyhounds, and they love a good sprint. 23 Beagle Famous as cartoon character Snoopy. 22 Poodle The most popular dog in the 1960s. 21 Border terrier Bred as a fox and vermin hunter. 20 Greyhound Takes just three strides to reach 30mph and has a top speed of around 45mph. 19 Chihuahua This is the world’s smallest breed, named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. 18 Boxer One of the best jumpers in canine world. 17 Dachshund These hunting dogs can have back issues. 16 Golden retriever Bred as gun dogs to retrieve water fowl. 15 Yorkshire terrier Their hair keeps growing, like humans’. 14 Labradoodle A Labrador and poodle mix. Bred to be a low-shedding dog, they are ideal for people with allergies and have started to be used as guide dogs. 13 West Highland terrier Originally bred for hunting, they were specialist rodent catchers and they have a very sturdy tail. 12 Shih-tzu Developed in China, the breed is known as little lion dog in Mandarin. 11 Pug Their characteristically squashed faces can hamper their breathing. A group of pugs is known as a grumble. TOP 10 (In no particular order – find out the winner on ITV tonight) German shepherd These reliable dogs are highly prized by police forces. Cavalier King Charles spaniel Named after King Charles II, who adored them. Their favourite place is on your lap. Springer spaniel With one of the best senses of smell of all breeds of dog, the military use them to sniff out explosives. Cockapoo This cocker spaniel and poodle cross is the most popular mixed breed in Britain, and dates back to the 1960s. Staffordshire bull terrier Bred for fighting in the 1800s, their owners say they can be real softies. The breed most likely to be found in rescue centres. Cocker spaniel A gun dog at heart, the cocker spaniel loves food and will bond closely with the person who feeds it. That’s handy if your owner is a chef – James Martin has one called Cooper. Mixed breeds Not really a breed at all, this means mutts and mongrels. Experts estimate there are more than 400,000 mixed breeds. Labrador The most popular assistance dogs in the world. If trained, they can help with everything from doing the washing to answering the phone. TV presenter Ben Fogle has a Labrador called Storm. Border collie A herding dog and the brightest of all dog breeds, a border collie can understand up to 1,000 words. Jack Russell Bred in England around 200 years ago to hunt foxes. Corrie star Simon Gregson’s Jack Russell, Cookie, plays his dog Rover in the soap.