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.
Of course, 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, or a hypoallergenic dog if you suffer from allergies.
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 2024, revealing how many of each breed of dog were registered with them over the year.
According to those figures, here are the 10 most popular gundogs in the UK.
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. There were a huge 34,141 new Labrador arrivals last year. | Canva/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 23,177 registered with the Kennel Club in 2025. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Golden Retriever
The final podium spot goes to 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
4. Springer Spaniel
There were 6,527 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. | Canva/Getty Images