French Bulldogs and Cockapoos UK’s most popular puppies

French Bulldogs and Cockapoos have overtaken Labrador Retrievers and Jack Russell Terriers as the UK’s favourite puppy, new research reveals.

The study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) reveals that while mixed breeds remain the most common type of dog living in the UK (24% of all dogs), when considering dogs under the age of one, the French Bulldog (7%) and Cockapoo (6.2%) have now become the most popular specific breeds in the UK.

The RVC says this demonstrates the evolution of public demand for dogs in two divergent directions, with some owners desiring more exaggerated body shapes in their dogs while other owners are moving away from the traditional breeds that have been offered for over a hundred years.

In addition, the study identified that there are now 800 distinct breeds of dogs in the UK. Of these, general crossbreeds were the most common type recorded across all ages. The most common specific dog breeds across all ages were the Labrador Retriever (6.9%), Jack Russell Terrier (4.5%), English Cocker Spaniel (4.3%), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (4.2%), and Chihuahua (3.6%).

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “With 800 dog breeds available in the UK, this VetCompass study shows there are still plenty of healthy breeds to choose from that do not suffer from extreme body shapes such as flat faces, skin folds or absent tails.

“Despite this, many UK owners are still persuaded by social influences and trends into acquiring dogs with extreme body shapes that are likely to result in serious health issues during much of their dogs’ lives.”