Dogs. For hundreds of years now, dogs have been considered mankind’s best friend, and that’s for a very solid reason. Hundreds of years ago, dogs were used to fulfil certain responsibilities, making activities such as hunting, tracking, shepherding, and guarding, much easier. Nowadays, the tasks a dog can perform can even go further beyond, and now we can find search-and-rescue dogs, and they can even fulfil the role of therapists and companions!
But there’s a definite truth about this specific animal: Certain breeds are more capable than others when they need to perform particular activities. Boxers, Dobermans, Bull Terriers, and Great Danes are incredibly exceptional in the matter of guarding and protection of an individual or group, whereas the Australian and German shepherds are, non surprisingly, incredibly good at shepherding cattle.
This plays an incredible role in how future dog owners will decide the most suitable dog for them based on their own unique circumstances. And this can also influence the choice of a dog as a family pet.
The physical features such as the size and the coat, as well as the behaviour, and personality of a dog can also be heavily influenced by its breed, and the amount of maintenance, social interaction, exercise, grooming, food, and caring they might need, is also decided by this factor.
This, of course, influences the perception most people have when it comes to dogs, making some breeds more popular than others. That being said, not a lot of people know what are the most popular dog breeds, thus, in this article, we will talk about what factors influence a breed’s popularity.
Showcasing Some of the Most Popular Breeds
Something that we need to mention is that the actual popularity of a breed of dog is influenced by the country we are talking about. For example, in Mexico, the most popular breed is the Chihuahua, and in Japan, is the Shiba Inu. For that reason, we will use information shared by organizations that are trustable, thus, we will rely on the Kennel Club.
The Kennel Club is the oldest recognized kennel club in the world. And according to it, the Labrador Retriever is possibly the most popular breed in locations like the United Kingdom, America, and Canada.
However, if we go to the second most popular breed, we can notice that there are differences in each location. For example, inside of the United Kingdom, the English Cocker Spaniel is in second place. Inside of America, the Yorkshire Terrier, and in Canada, the Golden Retriever.
If you are interested in more information about the most popular breeds, you can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_popular_dog_breeds for more details.
Interestingly enough, there seems to be no discrimination between small, medium, and large-sized breeds of dogs, thus, the size of the dog is not really an important factor deciding its actual popularity.
Then, what makes people decide some breeds over the others?
Let’s Talk About Facts
There are many factors that can influence the decision of whether someone would like to adopt a dog or not. First of all, when we talk about breeds, we mainly talk about physical features. Things like:
- Size
- The shape of the face and body
- Coat
- Color
Physical features can also englobe things like life span, general health issues, common complications, and maintenance requirements. A particular breed might have skin issues, while others might need more grooming, thus, the physical features of a dog are something that a lot of people pay attention to before adopting.
Considering that, there are specific types of dogs that are more convenient than others. If you live in a small house, for example, small-sized dogs are much more viable, but if you want a guard dog, medium to large-sized dogs are much more recommended. We can all agree to say that, choosing a dog is more related to the particular circumstances of the person wanting to adopt than anything else.
However, as mentioned over here, trends play an important role regarding the popularity of a dog. There’s a very famous story related to how Corgis became very popular because of Queen Elizabeth, and this rule still applies today. Trends and popularity can fluctuate over the years, and this can also influence how popular a breed gets.
Considerations to Keep in Mind
Still, it is true that the most popular breed of dogs tends to have certain correlations with one another. For example, silly, cute, and very familiar, and sociable dogs, such as the Golden Retriever, are very popular all around the world because of their loyalty, lovely nature, and social behaviours. Some breeds grant a certain level of status because of how rare, unique, and exotic they are.
Generally speaking, people look up to dogs because they provide a certain level of companionship or status that would otherwise be unattainable, especially for people that are single and living on their own.
In fact, it has been scientifically proven that dogs can be great companions for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and even today, certain breeds are trained to be functional as therapy dogs for specific cases.
Considering that each breed has its own unique features to keep in mind, we can say that, most of the time, large dog breeds are great for those wanting to have companions that they can physically interact with without too many concerns, while smaller breeds are great for those wanting a companion that is capable of being comfortable in smaller environments.
But is that all there is to it? Some breeds are more social than others, while others can be much more independent and reliable. You can find dogs that require a lot of exercise, and other ones are ok with short, simple walks.
That is why, in the end, we can say that, although trends can definitely influence the popularity of a dog breed, it all comes to what people actually look for when they own a dog! Whether they want status, companionship, security, or a working dog, they will look for a breed that can fulfil their needs, thus, we can say that the most popular breeds of dogs are at the top for a very specific reason: What they provide to their owners.
