We’re officially a nations of dog owners, with the UK’s most popular pet living in around one-in-three households (and rising).
That means that there are around three million pooches living here, with more people choosing to join the army of dog lovers every week.
If you are looking to welcome a dog into your family, there are 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
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.
Choosing the right breed is absolutely essential – for example opting for a small dog if you don’t have much room at home.
But if you have the space and don’t mind regular long walks then there’s no reason why you can’t ‘go large’ and get one of the bigger breeds of dog.
Each year the UK Kennel Club releases figures showing how many dogs of each breed have been registered with them, and the stats for 2024 have now been released.
According to those figures, these are the 15 most popular large dog breeds.
1. Labrador Retriever
They are the world's most popular dog and the Labrador Retriever remains the most commonly registered breed of any size in the UK by quite some distance. There were a huge 34,141 new Labradors registered with the Kennel Club last year - meaning it easily tops the list of most common large dog breeds. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Golden Retriever
The second most popular large dog is the Golden Retriever, with 10,201 new registrations last year. The breed was created by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks at his Scottish estate in the late nineteenth century. | Canva/Getty Images
3. German Shepherd
One of the world's most useful dogs, the German Shepherd was originally bred as a herding dog but now is popular for everything from disability assistance and search-and-rescue work, to helping the police hunt criminals and serving in the army. They are also great companion pets, with 4,817 registrations in 2024 - making them the third most popular large dog breed. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Boxer
The top dog in the Kennel Club's working group is the adorable Boxer, with 2,427 registrations in 2024 - making it the fourth most popular large dog breed. The Boxer was bred from the Old English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser. | Canva/Getty Images