So you’ve decided you would like a new pet companion? It is not always easy to choose which will the best dog breed for you so it is always best to research characteristics of dogs and think about your home environment to ensure you make the best decision about the perfect dog breed for you.
There are many different dog breeds to choose from and finding the perfect dog breed for you could be an overwhelming experience. That’s why you need to know all you can about the most popular breeds so you can make an informed decision. We have put together some details about the Top 10 Dog breeds so you can try and figure out the perfect dog breed that would be ideal to welcome into your home – whether you choose between a large or small breed dog, a pedigree or a mixed breed dog.
1. Labrador Retriever
If you are looking to choose a dog that will fit perfectly into your family, you should take a look at Labrador Retrievers. These family friendly dogs are intelligent and extremely easy to train. They will easily make friends with all the family members and become a true companion.
Labrador Retriever dogs or Labradors are solid and sturdy. They have a square shaped body appearance. You can easily identify a Labrador because of the broad head that they have. When you welcome a Labrador Retriever to your family, in order to make the best of the experience, you will need to provide training and a lot of exercise. They like companionship and trying to make you happy.
Even if you have another dog breed at home, you could consider welcoming a Labrador because they are really good with other dogs and pets. They are also generally very good around children.
Labrador dogs tend to be strong, and you will need to provide obedience training to them from a young age. It is well known that Labradors who are not provided with proper exercise or companionship can become destructive. They may dig and chew your possessions, which you would need to nip in the bud from an early stage.
These loving pooches have lots of energy. Like a lot of dogs, they will love going for long walks. The short and weather resistant coat of these dogs allow them to engage in a variety of outdoor activities, so if you love the great outdoors, these dogs are the perfect choice.
The average lifespan of a Labrador Retriever is 10 – 14 Years.
2. Cocker Spaniel
The big and dark eyes, paired along with sweet expressions have contributed a lot towards the popularity of Cocker Spaniel dogs. This breed can also easily be spotted because of their droopy ears.
The Cocker Spaniel is known as the smallest sporting animal. In fact, these animals are only around 15 inches in height. These dogs can have a wide variety of coat colours and have a solid and a sturdy body which enables them to move quickly.
Families with small children often make good homes for Cocker Spaniels because these dogs are excellent playmates for the little ones. You can easily train this breed of dog as well, and make it a family activity to train them. These smart dogs are small enough to fit right in to any family home and love to please their owners.
Cocker spaniels dogs have a beautiful full coat which means that there may well be extra grooming time required when compared to other dog breeds, so you need to be aware of this.
Even though Cockers are relatively small, they have plenty of energy enough to be playful. You would need to think about provide a moderate amount of exercise for them, so a couple of brisk walks a day should do the trick.
Average life span of a cocker spaniel is 12 – 14 Years.
3. Springer Spaniel (English)
The English Springer Spaniel was developed as a gun dog and was capable of spending long days in the field as they were excellent hunting companions. These dogs are muscular and tough and grow up to a weight of around 50 pounds.
All Springer Spaniel Dogs have a double coat which can be a variety of colours and their ears are long.
The Springer Spaniel has historically worked closely along with humans, and for this reason you will be able to train them easily. It will also be obvious that Springers craving company. They don’t do well with being left for long periods of time and like companionship.
Generally, Springer Spaniel are an easy dog breed to keep. They get along well with other pets in the home. They also behave well and are playful with children. English Springer Spaniels have high levels of energy so will need lots of daily exercise. Your Springer will always love to be involved in any family activities – and will enjoy games of chase and fetch, swimming and long walks.
Average life span of an English Springer Spaniel is 12 – 14 years.
4. German Shepherd
The German Shepherd or Alsatian is one of the most intelligent dog breeds out there. This is why you will often be able to see how police and military seek the assistance of German Shepherd dogs to help them. This is a large sized dog breed.
The German Shepherd dog breed was initially developed within Germany. Their main objective was to guard the flocks of a shepherd. These dogs love to enjoy an active lifestyle. Therefore, they are excellent protectors and excellent companions.
When you take a look at the physical characteristics of German Shepherd dogs, you will notice that they come with a double coat. It has a dense undercoat and a straight outer coat. The hair of German Shepherd dogs are usually black or red in color. These dogs have a lengthier body. An average German Shepherd grows to around 22 to 26 inches. They are agile, strong and loyal.
One of the most outstanding traits in a German Shepherd dog is that they are protective. A German Shepherd dog would be the ultimate protector of your family. These dogs tend to dominate over other dogs, but if they notice that there is no risk from the other pets, they tend to get along pretty well.
German Shepherd dogs have the ability to live in a variety of climate conditions. They can also spend their time indoors. However, you will need to provide regular exercise to keep them fit, and training to keep them obedient.
Average Life span of a German Shepherd is 9 – 13 Years.
5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Most of the people believe that Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the same dog breed as Pit Bull, but it is not. In fact, Pit Bull is the cousin breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
You can easily spot Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs because of the powerful and agile body appearance. They have a very short coat as well. The body of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is relatively lengthier when compared to the height. The heavy muscular body and the small size provides them with utmost strength and power.
These dogs are a good family dog but need to be trained. These dogs are usually well-behaved and gentle. However, a handful of Staffordshire Bull Terrier can get boisterous at times.
If the environmental conditions are mild, Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs don’t have any issues when living outdoors. They will be able to survive the temperatures. However, most of the people tend to have these dogs as indoor pets. That’s mainly because Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs prefer human companionship.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier dogs are tenacious and brave. However, they are strong willed as well, so unless provoked by another dog, they will not tend to be the challenger.
The Staffy is an athletic dog breed, so you will need to pay extra attention towards their overall care and well-being. Therefore, people who have these dogs should think about taking them for a walk at least once per day.
Average Life span of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier is 12 – 14 years.
6. Border Terrier
Border Terrier dogs are extremely popular because of the scruffy face that they have. In addition to that, the persistent nature of these dogs have also contributed a lot towards their popularity. In general, you can consider Border Terrier dogs as agile, active and alert dogs. People initially used them as a fox hunting dog. However, many people in the UK now tend to get them as family companions at home.
One of the most unique physical features that you will spot in a Border Terrier dog is the otter head. It can reflect the temperament and alert expression of these dogs. The skin of these dogs are very thick and loose fitting. Hence, they will be able to keep themselves protected from the bite of an external attacker as well.
The Border Terrier dogs are busy, amicable, obedient and inquisitive. You should also keep in mind that these dogs have the ability to act as independent dogs. They are a perfect companion for people who have all sorts of preferences. They are gentle when behaving with kids and you can keep them as a companion to your little one.
Border Terrier dogs are capable of surviving colder temperatures. However, these dogs feel better when they are spending time within the house. The coat of Border Terrier dogs is quite harsh and you will have to brush it at least on a weekly basis. You should also provide adequate exercise to Border Terrier dogs to keep them happy.
Average life span of a Border Terrier is 12 – 14 Years.
7. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
You can call Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as both country dogs as well as city dogs. They are an extremely gentle dog breed. Therefore, any person who is looking forward to get therapy dogs will be able to settle down with the breed. The demand for these dogs heavily increased along with the appearance of them in the TV show “Sex and the City”.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs have a silky coat. They are moderately long in physical appearance. The feet of these dogs have lengthier tuffs of hair. They have a gentle and a sweet disposition. You will love to enjoy the companionship of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at the comfort of your own home. You can even think about getting Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs while having other dog breeds at home. They are a rarely aggressive dog breed.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is gentle, sweet, playful, affectionate and quiet. Therefore, you will love all the time that you are spending with them. All these factors have contributed towards making them an excellent house pet as well.
It is also important to keep in mind that Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs are not in a position to live outdoors. Therefore, you will need to keep them in. In addition to that, you will need to provide a good amount of daily exercises to these dogs as well. Moderate on-leash walks would be enough to keep them healthy and happy.
Average life span of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 9 – 14 Years.
8. Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever is a popular dog breed within the UK. These dogs belong to the sporting group of dogs. The Golden Retriever dogs were initially bred as a hunting companion. The unique qualities and characteristics of these dogs contributed heavily towards their popularity.
The Golden Retriever dogs are quite long in the body. They have an athletic build body and are quite strong. They have well-developed forequarters and hindquarters. This provides a smooth and a powerful gait to the Golden Retriever dogs. On the other hand, it is quite easy to characterize the Golden Retriever dogs because of the broad head and strong neck that they have. You will also be able to spot these dogs in many different shades of gold.
By nature, the Golden Retriever dogs are extremely playful. As the name suggests, these dogs are excellent retrievers as well. Therefore, you can play games such as fetch with ease. These dogs prefer the time that they are enjoying outdoors and love long walks. They also prefer to stay calm indoors. Therefore, the Golden Retriever would be an excellent household pet for any kind of a family.
The Golden Retriever dogs are well-known for the love that they show towards humans. They are both obedient and playful. You will not have to go through a difficult time to train them. You can easily provide effective training to your Golden Retriever dog – they will quickly learn how to pick up new commands.
Average Life span of a Golden Retriever is 10 – 12 years.
9. Pug
The Pug is another popular dog breed. The wrinkled face and small body makes it easy to spot Pugs with ease. They have a barrel chest and short legs as well. They are one of the most physically distinctive dog breeds.
Pugs tend to show soft and attentive expressions. This is one of the most distinguishing features that you will be able to see in them. In addition to that, they have a variety of coat colours, which is smooth, fine and short. You will be able to discover a strong gait in these dogs as well.
Characteristically, pugs are friendly, confident and playful. They make the perfect companion for people of all ages. These dogs are usually very friendly and like to please others.
The Pugs have a minimal coat. Therefore, you will only have to give them occasional grooming. However, it is also important to keep in mind that you will need to clean their faces regularly due to their wrinkles, to ensure they don’t get skin infections.
Due to their size, Pug Dogs don’t need very much exercise, and in fact you should be careful of over-exercising due to them overheating as they are sensitive to heat and humidity.
Average life span of a Pug is 12 – 15 years.
10. Boxer
The Boxer Dog is a medium sized and short haired dog breed. They have a short and a square shaped muzzle. The Boxers originated in Germany in the 1800s. They are a relative of bull dogs. They have historically been kept as hunting companions due to their great agility and strength.
Boxers are known as a working group of dogs. In addition to that, these dogs have worked along with military as messengers as well.
The Boxers tend to have a muscular body. They grow up to a height of around 21 to 25 inches. The average weight of a Boxer ranges in between 55 pounds to 75 pounds. Their strong head could be considered as the most distinctive feature that you will be able to see in a Boxer dog.
Boxers make excellent family companions as they are high spirited, dedicated, outgoing and curious.
The Boxers tend to have a maximum lifespan of around 10 years. They require a moderate amount of daily exercise and game playing activity.