Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - 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.
Read more:
Most Popular Dog Breeds Latest: These are the 11 top dogs in the UK - as the Labrador leads the way again
There is also scientific research to guide you, in particular psychologist Stanley Coren’s groundbreaking book The Intelligence of Dogs.
But there’s one dog that constantly tops the popularity chart worldwide - the Labrador Retriever.
Here are 11 facts to let you get to know these furry charmers a little better.
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5. The first Lab
The first Labrador Retriever was born in the UK at some point in the 1830s when St John's Water Dogs arrived in Britain on trading ships sailing between Canada and the port of Poole. Several members of the nobility, including the Earl of Malmesbury, the Duke of Buccleuch, and the Earl of Home bred them with hunting dogs to create the new breed. | Canva/Getty Images
6. War heroes
A total of five Labrador Retrievers have received the PDSA's Dickin Medal - the highest award any animal can receive whilst serving in military conflict, equivalent to the Victoria Cross. Most recently a Labrador called Sasha was posthumously awarded the medal in May 2014 for "outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty while assigned to 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, in Afghanistan 2008. | Canva/Getty Images
7. Favourites of the famous
Celebrity Labrador owners include Drew Barrymore (Flossie), Bill Clinton (Buddy), Minnie Driver (Bubba), Mary Kate Olsen (Luca), Gwyneth Paltrow (Holden), Steve Martin (Roger), Anne Hathaway (Esmerelda) and Hulk Hogan (Rosello). | Canva/Getty Images
8. A real lifesaver
Labradors have such a sensitive sense of smell they can detect when a person's blood sugar levels are crashing so can give early warning of a diabetic episode. The first dog to do so was called Armstrong, and he was trained to smell the chemical changes that happen when hypoglycemia occurs in 2003. | Canva/Getty Image