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 hypoallergenic dog if you suffer from allergies.
Size too can be important, with it being best to think about a small dog if you don’t have much room at home, or a large dog if you have a nice big garden and want to keep fit by walking them miles.
Somewhere in the middle are the medium-sized dogs, which can offer the best of both worlds.
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 medium-sized dogs in the UK.
1. Cocker Spaniel
Currently the most popular medium-sized dog in the UK, the Cocker Spaniel is second only to the Labrador Retriever overall. 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
2. Springer Spaniel
There were 6,527 new Springer Spaniels registered with the Kennel Club in 2024, making them the second most popular medium-sized - and the fourth most popular breed in the gundog group. They get their name from the fact that hunters used them to 'spring' birds out of their hiding places. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Bulldog
The Bulldog is one of the breed of dog most closely associated with the UK and remains popular - although not as popular as its smaller French cousin. There were 3,865 Bulldog registrations in 2024, giving it the bronze medal for medium breeds. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Whippet
Closely resembling the Greyhound, the Whippet is slightly smaller - although not as small as the Italian Greyhound. They were first bred in Britain and are thought to have the highest acceleration of any dog breed. There were 3,643 Whippets registered by the Kennel Club in 2024. | Canva/Getty Images