Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - the Royal Kennel Club (formerly 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.
The Kennel Club separates breeds into seven different groups, each of which have a particular set of attributes.
If you are looking for a dog that is active, adventurous, easy to train and extremely loving then it’s worth considering a gundog.
These dogs may have originally been bred for hunting but are now amongst the most popular companion and family dogs.
The Kennel Club recently released their breed registration statistics for 2025, revealing how many of each breed of dog were registered with them over the year.
According to those figures, here are the 12 most popular gundogs in the UK.
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1. Labrador Retriever
They are the world's most popular dog and the Labrador Retriever remains the most commonly registered breed in the UK by quite some distance - and the top gundog. There were a huge 29, 919 new Labrador arrivals last year, slightly down on 2024. | Getty Images
2. Cocker Spaniel
Second spot when it comes to the most popular gundogs goes to the Cocker Spaniel. Originally bred as a hunting dog they get their name from the fact they used to specialise in hunting woodcock. There were 21,618 registered with the Royal Kennel Club in 2025. | AFP via Getty Images
3. Golden Retriever
The final podium spot goes to the Golden Retriever, with 9,976 new registrations last year. The breed was created by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks at his Scottish estate in the late nineteenth century. | AFP via Getty Images
4. Springer Spaniel
There were 5,845 new Springer Spaniels registered with the Kennel Club in 2024, making them the fourth most popular gundog. They get their name from the fact that hunters used them to 'spring' birds out of their hiding places. | AFP via Getty Images