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.
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 is even scientific research to guide you, in particular psychologist Stanley Coren’s groundbreaking book The Intelligence of Dogs.
In the book Coren ranked 130 breeds of dog in order of intelligence using three categories of canine cleverness, namely: the instinctive intelligence of the ability to perform the tasks it was bred for, the adaptive intelligence of solving problems on its own, and the obedience intelligence of learning from humans.
Here are the 12 that came top of the brains league - and the dozen who came bottom. They’re still adorable though.
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21. Mastiff
Many Mastiff owners will know that, while their pet will eventually do what's asked of them, they'll take their time over it. It's this ponderous nature that perhaps explains their reputation for a lack of smarts. | AFP via Getty Images
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22. 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. | AFP via Getty Images
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23. Shih Tzu
If you've ever looked at your adorable Shih Tzu and wondered what they were thinking, the answer is probably 'not very much'. When you are this cute though, brains aren't really required. | Getty Images
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24. Lhasa Apso
An ancient breed that has been around for over a thousand years, the Lhasa Apso comes from Tibet and were used as sentinels at palaces and monasteries located high in the Himalayan mountains. Remakably they are exactly as smart as they were ten centuries ago (not very). | AFP via Getty Images