It's been a while since we last blogged, we are in full swing it's our busy season of summer shows, fairs and fetes. Having recently returned from the Royal Cornwall Show we are now preparing ourselves and replenishing stock (making like crazy) for the New Forest Show which is only a few days away.
As well as prepping for shows, making stock, meeting new people and forward planning for the winter season we are always looking for new product lines to explore. When we launched our business many many years ago we used to have some fantastic dog and pet products for all of our beloved extended family members, I mean who doesn't treat their pet as a member of the family. Through various iterations of our web store and re-branding we appear to have lost sight of the majority of our pet products. We've not stopped making them by request but they're not presently visible.
We have always had Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Border Collies in our household, we love the fluffy big dogs over here. However, we know that most families have a favourite breed and it isn't always the same as ours, we see lots and lots of requests for Dalmatian products as well as Cockapoos and Spaniels.
We decided recently to run a poll on our Facebook page, you can see that here, more votes always welcome! we proposed to our 5,000+ subscribers what the best dog breeds are this year, 2023! we combined these results with our order book and conversations from the past 12 months to compile a list for 2023. We've also learnt that the results are split between both the UK and the US, so because of that we have compiled a best dog breeds top 10 from both sides of the pond. Our curated list (for transparency) is based from our orders over the last 12 months, the data from our poll(s) and some additional research we carried out online. Here is our list of the top 10 dog breeds for 2023. The UK's top 10! as detailed by our Facebook research, order history and general customer interactions.
#1 Golden Retriever Key facts about Golden Retrievers
Amazing family pets, great with children and pets.
100% loyal, they never leave your side following you everywhere you go, even to the toilet. They will eat anything and everything including the post.
Best past time - rolling in mud and sleeping on anything but their own bed.
#2 Labrador Retriever
Key facts about Labrador Retrievers
Amazing family dogs, great with children and other pets.
Very easy to train especially on a treat reward basis, they want nothing more than to please their owners and in return expect every piece of food to be shared with them.
Best past time - Being happy chasing squirrels and wagging their tails constantly.
#3 Cocker Spaniel
Key facts about Cocker Spaniels
Another great family orientated breed who love and thrive on their human companionship.
A very, very busy breed that will always be on the go, owners will look for that off switch but soon learn there just isn't one.
Best past time - Sniffing out scents in the park and bringing you your slipper, sock, shoe and so on.
#4 Greyhound
Key facts about Greyhounds
The Thoroughbred of the dog world though they are fast they are extremely chilled out 90% of the time.
A very gentle breed who are often perceived as very lazy.
Best past time - sprawling out on the comfiest chair in the house whilst presumably unable to hear any of your commands, unless of course food or walkies are mentioned when they miraculously come back to life.
#5 French Bulldog
Key facts about French Bulldogs
Frenchies are compact little family dogs that are great with children and other pets. Most can't swim so need to be carefully watched around lakes and rivers.
Smart intelligent dogs who only need to be told once, tell them off or laugh at them and you may find them sulking or ignoring you.
Best past time - Snoring contentedly whilst ensuring they are snuggled up close to their favourite companion.
#6 Cockapoo
Key facts about Cockapoos
Due to high demand this mixed breed of Poodle x Cocker Spaniel is now more popular than many pedigree pooches and they are proving to be the friendliest family pets.
Cockapoos come in a choice of colours and don't shed much hair although this does mean they need a good haircut regularly.
Best past time - Being extremely smart they are capable of learning multiple tricks but have also been known to bust a dance move or two.
#7 Boxer
Key facts about Boxers
A fearless and happy breed that act like a puppy throughout their lives making them great pets for the energetic family.
Like all children they become bored easily so need a busy home for them to be able to entertain you all often.
Best past time - Being at the centre of the attention however, beware leaving them to their own devises may result in them destroying your home.
#8 German Shepherd
Key facts about German Shepherds
Known as the 'one man dog' they are renowned for building an amazing 1-2-1 bond and if brought up and socialised well they are the most loyal of breeds and protective of their family.
Extremely intelligent and easy to train GSD owners often think their dogs can read their minds they are that smart.
Best past time - Waking you up with the sunrise their is no such thing as a lie in with this breed.
#9 Dacshund
Key facts about Dachshunds
Though they may be but a small dog they are not one to go unheard. Dachshunds are big on communication they are happy to let you know when they want something and if you don't do it straight away they are certain to ask again.
Bold and courageous little dogs that are always alert and on the watch out. You will never miss a delivery with Dachshund on duty.
Best past time - Rolling over and demanding a good tummy rub.
#10 Siberian Husky
Key facts about Siberian Husky's
Not only do they look like their ancestral wolf they are very much a pack dog. Every Husky owner will quickly tell you they are owned by their Husky not the other way round.
One of the most loyal yet independent breed of dogs there is. Husky's are often deemed as a dog without recall who will run for days if they choose to. They are extremely agile and great escape artists from digging to climbing.
Best past time - The most vocal of all the breeds and we aren't talking barking here but howling, be prepared for a sing a long. Husky's are well known to try to talk and sing check out one of our favourites Mishka on Youtube.
There are some honorary mentions for some of the breeds that fell outside of the top 10, such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier also known as 'the staffy' the Poodle and the Great Dane! but there are far too many to choose from.
Here are the USA's top 10! as described by our friends over at DogPackApp
#5 British Bulldog
#6 Poodle
#7 Beagle
#8 Rottweiler
#9 Siberian Husky
#10 Dachshund
As you can see there are some differences between the UK and the USA when it comes to our favourite dog breeds but nothing too significant, in fact we have one thing in common! there lots of similarities and there are some clear favourites that make the top 5 in both popularity contests! the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever being a favourite from both nations!
Now on to the real work, we will soon be re-introducing and creating some new personalised dog products in-line with this research such as Dog blankets with an embroidered image of the breed and their name! There are more products coming so watch this space as we expand our product lines. Head over to our store and use the search function to look for your pet/breed, if it isn't there drop us a message and we will create one specifically for you. As always thanks for reading.
Sarah (the head squirrel)