Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been named the country’s favourite dog breed in a result that left viewers either delighted and outraged.
Staffies beat off competition from popular breeds such as the Labrador and the Springer Spaniel to claim the top spot in a nation of dog lovers.
A mammoth two-and-a-half hour rundown last night saw the country’s 217 recognised dog breeds whittled down to a top 100.
Based on a poll of 10,000 people for ITV’s Britain’s Favourite Dogs show, popular breeds such as the German Shepherd and Cocker Spaniel managed to nab spots in the top 10.
However a shock was on the cards when last year’s winning breed, the Labrador, came in at third, behind the Cockapoo, a mix of a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.
Staffordshire Bull Terriers have been named the country’s favourite dog breed in a result that left viewers either delighted and outraged
Staffies beat off competition from popular breeds such as the Labrador and the Springer Spaniel to claim the top spot in a nation of dog lovers
However a select few were disappointed with the outcome, claiming the breed was ‘more aggressive than other dogs’ (left)
Hosts Ben Fogle and Sara Cox then announced the often-maligned breed of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as the winner, causing jubilation online from many.
But some viewers were left disappointed by the result, describing staffies as ‘aggressive’ and ‘dangerous’.
User @mjk1m said: ‘Staffies are dangerous dogs. Who is even questioning this? Potentially dangerous to people and certainly to other animals, cats and dogs included.’
However many staffie fans fired back, stating that had a bad reputation due to poor owners who forced it to be aggressive, exploiting its high trainability.
Based on a poll of 10,000 people, the nation’s 217 recognised breeds were whittled down to the top 100… but did yours make the top 20?
Despite their mixed reputation, Staffies are officially Britain’s favourite dog this year
1. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Despite their mixed reputation, Staffies are officially Britain’s favourite dog this year.
They are part of the Pit bull family and can be very friendly to human and other dogs but they will fight if challenged.
Their aggressive side only comes out if encouraged by their owners.
2. Cockapoo
A mix of the Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, Cockapoos are small and very friendly.
They generally live long lives and were rated Britain’s favourite cross breed in the latest poll.
These particular pooches are up five places from number seven last year.
They were the UK’s favourite dog last year, but Labradors are still hugely popular at number three on the 2019 list
3. Labrador
They were the UK’s favourite dog last year, but still hugely popular at number three on the 2019 list.
Often used as guide dogs they can be taught how to do anything – even answering the phone.
Their adorable puppies are well-known in the UK for being the face of Andrex toilet roll.
4. Springer Spaniel
Also a member of the Spaniel family, Springers are famed for their strong sense of smell.
They are used in the military to sniff out explosives, but can suffer from health problems in later life.
There are English and Welsh Spaniels and they are up five places from number nine on last year’s list.
Cocker Spaniels are the original bird dogs. Out in the open air they will chase them at any opportunity and are known for being loyal to anyone who gives them food
5. Cocker Spaniel
Cocker Spaniels are the original bird dogs. Out in the open air they will chase them at any opportunity.
There are English and American Cocker Spaniels, which get their names from the Eurasian Woodcock.
They have climbed one place up the list from number six last year.
6. Boxer
Boxers were originally bred from English Bull dogs and the now extinct Bullenbeisser.
They are fantastic at jumping and are good at catching prey because of their strong jaw.
They were at number 18 last year, rising an impressive 12 places.
Border Collies are highly reliable and are often used as herding dogs. Originally from the Scottish borders they are picked as sheepdogs and used in dog trials
7. Border Collies
Border Collies are highly reliable and are often used as herding dogs. Originally from the Scottish borders they are picked as sheepdogs and used in dog trials.
They are known for their intelligence and are believed to understand more than 1,000 words.
They are down two places from number five last year.
8. German Shepherd
Their full name is German Shepherd Dog and they are relatively new as a breed, with their history only dating back to 1899.
They are known for their reliability and trainability and are often the breed of choice to use as police and military dogs.
They have stayed at number eight from last year’s list.
Known for their gorgeous coats and their love of water, Golden Retrievers were originally bred as gun dogs to hunt waterfowl
9. Golden Retriever
Known for their gorgeous coats and their love of water, Golden Retrievers were originally bred as gun dogs to hunt waterfowl.
They were named Retrievers because of their useful ability to ‘retrieve’ shot game from the fields without damaging their mouths.
These pooches are also used as disability dogs for the blind of the disabled. They are up from number 16 last year.
10. Mixed Breed
While not strictly a breed, the mixed breed category scored highly on last night’s list, with more than 400,000 across the UK alone.
Also known as ‘mongrels’, ‘mutts’ or ‘cross breeds’, mixed breed dogs are the result of breeding between two different types of dog.
They are generally considered healthier than pedigree dogs, which can often carry health problems.
11. Flat Coated Retriever
14. Dandie Dinmont terrier
Find the full list of the top 100 dog breeds at the bottom of the page
Coco, a two-year-old cockapoo from Bromley in south east London, reacts to the sad news that her breed only came second in the list
Readers reacted to the poll by sending in photographs of their pets. Elana Valensi’s young Jack Russell and pug cross (left), and Harj Kang’s Samoyed (right) were among those sent in
Claire Kyte shared this photo of her four staffies as they eagerly awaited the result of last night’s poll
Dogs and their owners up and down the country were transfixed by the show.
Hundreds of people took to social media to post adorable pictures of their pets glued to the TV screen to see if they featured on the list.
Hosts Sara and Ben visited dogs from across the nation telling incredible – and bizarre stories – two of which were about the winning breed as the top 100 were counted down.
The final announcement came after a star-studded show featuring celebrities including Nicola Adams, Harry Redknapp and Gemma Atkinson and their best four-legged friends.
Staffie Diesel and owner Jordan featured on the programme, telling viewers how Diesel became a lifesaver.
In May 2016, the dog woke his family in the middle of the night by barking.
Nigel Statham sent in this photo of his six-year-old soft coated wheaten terrier named Florence
Pheobe Walczak’s staffie, named Marley, who she has nicknamed the Bear. She says she has had her since she was eight weeks old
A shock was on the cards for the viewers when last year’s winning breed, the Labrador, came in at third
A shock was on the cards for the viewers when last year’s winning breed, the Labrador, came in at third
Staffies beat off competition from popular breeds such as the Labrador and the Springer Spaniel to claim the top spot in a nation of dog lovers
When Jordan went to check out the noise he found the house was on fire. The entire family made it out alive and rescue dog Diesel won the PDSA award for bravery.
Jordan said: ‘I rescued him, gave him a home and he ended up rescuing us from the fire. It’s the wonderful way things work out in life.’
The show also featured a doggy DNA test for actress Sue Cleaver’s dog George. The mixed breed turned out to be 100 per cent Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The show also revealed how dogs are regular blood donors.
Ben Fogle and Sara Cox counted down the top 100 breeds of dog on Tuesday evening
Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver appeared on the show with her dog George who had a DNA test
King of the Jungle Harry Redknapp is pictured with his two Bulldogs Lulu and Barney. He featured on the show to talk about his precious pooches
The owner of Gordon Setters, Sue, explained how she regularly takes her pets to help save lives.
She said: ‘All have my dogs have saved up to 140 dogs lives by giving blood on a regular basis.’
Sharwood the Gordon Setter saved the life of Sizzle the Daschund who is a hemophiliac.
The smaller dog went into cardiac arrest and received his first blood transfusion after he cut the inside of his mouth.
Sharwood came to the rescue after a blood transfusion.
Gemma Atkinson and her dogs were featured on the show as she explained how she spends as much time with her two pets as she can
Diesel the staffy saved his family’s lives when a fire ripped through the bottom of their home in 2016
The show also featured a dog named Dally who learned to ride a pony
Ben Fogle even tried out Doga – doggie yoga – with a class fulled of Golden Retrievers.
The class is designed for owners to relax with their four legged friends – although one dog was seen mounting its female owner.
Nine-year-old Jack Russell Dally also showed ITV how she can ride a horse.
Spanky, a miniature horse, patiently rides around their US ranch home with Dally on her back – much to the amazement of their owner who said the dog did it without instruction.
Dog owners tweeted images of their pets watching the show in their living rooms across Britain
Dogglebox! Delighted owners share snaps of their prized pooches glued to the TV to find out which breed would be voted Britain’s top dog of 2019
Pet owners shared snaps of their pooches glued to their TV screens as the winners of Britain’s Top 100 Dogs was announced.
Last night’s ITV announced that the Staffordshire bull terrier was the nation’s top dog after the nation picked their favorite breeds in a vote from a choice of 200.
And dogs and their owners had their eyes firmly fixed on TV screens during the two-and-a-half hour show – which saw Labradors drop to third place after claiming top spot last year.
And delighted dog owners shared these hilarious snaps of their pets as they anxiously awaited hearing the results of the vote from hosts Ben Fogle and Sara Cox.
Pet owners shared snaps of their pooches glued to their TV screens as the winner of Britain’s top 100 dog breed was announced. Kate Blanchard shared this picture of her pooch glued to the TV screen
Dogs and their owners had their eyes firmly fixed on the TV screens during the two-and-a-half hour show. Richard Grant shared a picture of his dog enjoying the show
Their owners shared these hilarious snaps of their dogs by their TVs as they anxiously awaited the results of the vote
This pooch was keen to know just how well his breed did in ITV’s competition
Pet owners shared snaps of their pooches glued to their TV screens as the winner of Britain’s top 100 dog breed was announced