The nations favourite dog

• The Nation’s Favourite Dog would have Cocker Spaniel ears, the face and  body of a Golden Retriever and the legs of a Greyhound
• A quarter of people (26 per cent) don’t own their favourite breed as it doesn’t suit their lifestyle, and for one in six people (16 per cent), their preferred pooch is too expensive¹
• New research has revealed that only a third of Brits own their favourite dog breed

A new survey by Direct Line Pet Insurance has revealed what the Nation’s Favourite Dog would look like. By combining the best features from the UK’s most popular dog breeds, we have produced an image of the Nation’s Favourite Dog.

Golden Retrievers have the cutest tail, body, fur and face where as Cocker Spaniels have the cutest ears and Greyhounds take first place in the leg department.

Research has found that half of Brits have a favourite dog breed but only a third of people own their preferred pooch. A quarter of people don’t own their favourite breed as it does not suit their lifestyle and one in six Brits have found that their favourite breed is too expensive. 

The traditional Golden Retriever won in multiple categories as they received the most votes for the cutest face, tail, fur and body. Interestingly, more than half (55 per cent) of dog shelters² believe that celebrities and social media are driving sales of ‘fashionable’ breeds up, so it was surprising to discover votes dwindled for Pugs and French Bulldogs.

Ryan O'Meara, co-founder of dogsblog.com, said: "Over the years, our dog adoption website has noticed a distinct increase in dog lovers actively choosing to adopt cross-breed dogs. There has been a noticeable rise in people searching to adopt a Golden Retriever cross-breed, for their health and longevity. People are rightly searching for breeds with personalities and traits that will suit their lifestyle and we hope they continue to do so."

Prit Powar, Head of Pet Insurance at Direct Line, said: “As a nation of dog lovers, it’s no surprise that most of us have a favourite dog breed. This is why we felt it interesting to combine the most popular features from different dog breeds to find the UK’s perfect crossbreed. It’s refreshing to see that traditional dogs like the Golden Retriever are still appreciated by Brits, as social media trends² would have us believe otherwise.”
 

-- Ends --

For further details, please contact:

Olivia Thwaites

olivia.thwaites@directlinegroup.co.uk

01651 832145

Kim O’Meara

kim@totalpetpublishing.com

07903 410421

Notes to Editors

¹ Research conducted by Opinium among 2,002 nationally representative UK adults (aged 18+) between 19th and 20th October 2018

² Animal shelter study carried out by dogsblog.com among 514 animal rescues between April-May 2018
 

The Nation’s Favourite Dog image was produced by K9 Magazine.
 

About Direct Line:

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. UK Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
 

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.
 

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting 
 

About dogsblog.com:

dogsblog.com is the UK’s leading dog adoption site. Launched in 2007, the site was set up to help publicise the concept of dog adoption, support animal rescues and help more dogs to find loving new homes.
 

Working alongside over 600 animal rescues across the UK, the site has helped more than 50,000 dogs to find new homes.