We know that everyone loves their own dogs - from their scruffy coats to their wagging tails - but what would the nation’s perfect pooch look like?
We’ve surveyed the nation asking them what their favourite aspects of popular dog breeds are, and have combined the most popular answers to make a composite 3D design of the ultimate British hound.
Are you interested to learn the nation’s answers? All will be revealed below…
The top findings
Breed with the best legs: Labrador
Labradors have long been hailed as the ideal family dog because of their loyal and friendly nature – and now they can add the best legs in Britain to their long line of accolades!
Favourite fur type: Short coat
It’s no surprise that short-coated dogs rank most popular in our survey – they are much easier to groom than medium- and long-coated dogs, and don’t moult as much either.
Breed with the best ears: Border collie
Did you hear that border collie ears are the nation’s favourite? The floppy, fluffy ears of this ever-popular breed were sure to win this round.
Breed with the best nose: Golden retriever
One of the most popular breeds, golden retrievers and their happy faces have captured the hearts of the nation. It’s no wonder this snoot is voted the nation’s favourite.
Favourite dog size: Medium
Medium-sized dogs take the crown as the nation’s favourite - not too small, not too big… they’re just right!
Favourite doggy trait: Affectionate
It’s no surprise that the nation favours an affectionate pup over any other! Many of us may see jumping up and licking as an unwanted behaviour in our dogs, but it’s one of the main ways they show us love and affection.
Breed with the best tail: Labrador
Labradors win again with their tails! Tail wagging is actually a learned behaviour that puppies pick up when they are around 4-6 weeks old – it’s how they learn to talk!
Favourite fur colour: Brown
When it comes to fur colour, brown is the overall favourite colour for our survey takers.
Demographics
There were some interesting findings from the research conducted across the UK; every region voted for medium-sized dogs, and all of them preferred short-coated dogs too. Belfast was the only city that chose playful as their favourite dog trait – every other city overwhelmingly chose affection.
Newcastle’s dog-lovers voted in the majority for black as their favourite fur colour (29%), while Manchester’s voted yellow (19%), and Glasgow’s voted red (15%). People also commented that they liked more than just one block of colour on their dog’s coat – most commented that they like black and white markings on their pet’s fur coat.
And while we all know that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, we might not have guessed that they have different tastes in their desired traits for a pup too, with 59% of men wanting a playful dog, while 71% of women preferred an affectionate one.
The grand reveal
If you’ve been trying to visualise a short-coated, medium-sized, brown-haired dog, with the nose of a Golden Retriever and big, floppy Border Collie ears, then you don’t need to wait much longer! We’ve asked our best artists to create a 3D model of Britain’s perfect pooch, with all the best bits of the UK’s favourite breeds. Check it out!
Ta-da! What do you think - would you be keen to make the perfect pooch part of your family? Let us know on our social media pages if you think our 3D dog could be the one for you – you can find us on Twitter at @CanineCottages and Instagram at @caninecottages
In the meantime, let’s cuddle up with our own perfect pups and appreciate all their best bits! For those who would like to gift their own perfect pooch with an experience they will love this Christmas, why not purchase a dog-tastic holiday with us for the family to stay at? Choose from our collection of over 4,000 immaculate pet-friendly places across England, Scotland and Wales.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.