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 Royal Kennel Club (formerly the UK 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 intelligent, strong, watchful and alert, it’s worth looking at breeds in the Working Group - those that were originally bred to carry out specific tasks, from collecting fishing nets that have drifted out to sea to aiding mountain rescues.
Be warned though, many of them are pretty large so you’ll need a home with a bit of space.
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 working dog breeds in the UK.
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5. Great Dane
The Great Dane is one of the biggest dogs in the world (along with the Irish Wolfhound), so you'll need a bit of space to keep them happy (and avoid breakages). There were 519 of them registered in 2025 which means they drop a spot from the year before but still remain in the top five. It's a German breed descended from dogs used to hunt bears and wild boar. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Dogue de Bordeaux
There were 421 of the muscular Dogue de Bordeaux registered with the Kennel Club in 2025. As the name would suggest, this is a French breed, also known as the Bordeaux Mastiff, that has been around in some form since as early as the 14th century. | AFP via Getty Images
7. Newfoundland
Known as gentle giants, the glorious Newfoundland comes seventh on our list, with 301 2025 registrations. is a large breed of working dog. They are great at rescuing people from icy cold water due to their webbed feet and thick double coat. | Getty Images
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8. Saint Bernard
Originally bred for mountain rescue operations (with the famous barrel of brandy attached to their collar), the Saint Bernard originally comes from the Western Alps in Italy and Switzerland. There were 220 registered with the Royal Kennel Club last year. | AFP via Getty Images