Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - the UK Kennel Club recognises 221 different pedigree dogs, from Affenpinscher to Yorkshire Terrier (there are sadly no dog breeds starting with the letter ‘z’!).
Then there are all manner of crossbreeds, from so-called ‘designer dogs’ to lovable mongrels.
Together they make up the population on over 13 million pups in the UK - that’s around one for every three households.
Each has its own list of positive and negative attributes, and it’s important to take plenty of time to think about what breed will fit into your lifestyle the best - for instance a smaller dog if you live in a flat, or a hypoallergenic dog if the mere mention of dog hair makes you think about sneezing.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book The Intelligence of Dogs ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
His fascinating research definitively ranked breeds of dog by IQ.
Here are - officially - the 22 most and least brainy breeds of pooch.
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17. Bloodhound
Scenthounds like the droopy Bloodhound all appear lower down the list of intelligent breeds - largely because once they pick up a scenet they find it very hard to concentrate on anything else. | Canva/Getty Images
18. Pekingese
The Pekingese was bred as a lap dog for the Chinese Imperial Court - and has exactly the right amount of brains to carry out that task. | Canva/Getty Image
19. Beagle
Another dog that has been bred to follow its nose - often in packs - the Beagle could more accurately be called single-minded than stupid. | Canva/Getty Images
20. Basset Hound
Yet another dog bred to ignore everything else to follow a scent, it's not the Basset Hound's fault that this skill comes at an intellectual cost. They can also be incredibly difficult to house train. | Canva/Getty Images