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 affectionate and enjoys building a bond with its owner - but is small enough that you don’t need to own a mansion to own one - then it’s worth looking at a pup from the toy dog group.
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 toy dogs in the UK.
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9. Bichon Frise
Completing the top 10 most popular toy dog breeds is the Bichon Frise, with 217 registrations last year. The name is French and literally means 'curly haired small dog'. | AFP via Getty Images
10. Havanese
Gentle, responsive and playful, a Havanese is another great companion dog, hence 294 of them being registered in 2025. They are named after the capital city of Cuba. where they are the national dog. | AFP via Getty Images
11. Papillon
Also known as the Continental Toy Spaniel, the Papillon is named after its huge butterfly-like ears and can be seen in paintings dating back to the 16th century. There were 191 registered last year. | AFP via Getty Images
12. Pekingese
Completing out list is the Pekingese (also known as the Pekinese), which originated in China where it was a favourite lap-warmer of the Chinese Imperial Court. A total of 151 new Pekinese pups were registered with the Kennel Club in 2025. | AFP via Getty Images