Barking Blondes: What breed of dog makes the best pet?
A question for all you dog owners out there.. “What made you choose one breed over another?
Everyone has a ‘preferred’ view on what’s the perfect or ‘Top Dog’. Some decisions might be based on ‘personality’ , looks and fashion rather than more fundamental points like intelligence, health and lifespan.
Often its based on history “My family has always kept Labradors”….or “ I grew up with a cocker spaniel and longed for another when I moved into my own home”
We both have bull breeds and are proud of their companionable , low maintenance ( they are naturally lazy), child friendly characters. However we appreciate that the retriever and Labradors are a favoured family pet.
Imagine our surprise, then, when we read that the latest research has heralded the border collie as Top Dog!
Based on five key attributes: intelligence, likely lifespan, health cost and ease of grooming this athletic dog has been named as the best dog to keep as a pet.
The study was commissioned by journalist, David McCandless, for his website ‘Information is Beautiful”.
Examining data on intelligence, longevity, genetic ailments and other markers to create a “data-score” the results plotted against public popularity of various breeds, according to theAmerican Kennel Club, created three categories: ‘Top Dog’, “Inexplicably Overrarted’ and “Hidden Treasures’.
Although not a dog owner himself, McCandless is a huge dog lover and would like ,eventually, to own – a Weimeraner, which interestingly doesn’t rank anywhere in ‘Best in Show’s categories.
Now for the painful bit! Both our bull breeds, a British Bulldog and a Bull Terrier appear in the ‘Inexplicably Overrated’ section. The British Bulldog is the clear leader, despite being considered by some, to be stupid and too expensive to merit this popularity.
Falling short in the ‘health and lifespan scores as well, clearly the Bulldog was voted in by the public. Frenchies, Boxers, Akitas, Pekinese and German Shepherds also feature in in the ‘Inexplicably overrated’ section.
Despite admitting the potential health problems, Bulldog enthusiasts maintain they make the best family pets that are brilliant with children, and criticize that the Border Collie ranked very highly in the Top Dog category.
Border Collies may well be deemed the most intelligent and may also live up to 17 years, but are they a good dog as a pet? Collies have been highly tuned to herd livestock and to be hard working. If they’re not kept ‘busy’ they can become unbalanced. They are not considered to be ‘great family pets” unless you’re prepared to regularly hurtle around an agility course to keep the collie stimulated.
In many respects every dog has their limitations, just like people. The Collie might score well in intelligence, but that’s only relative. A Bulldog, apparently lacking in brains, makes up in personality, looks, and belligerence.
In the ‘Overlooked Treasures’ category breeds like the Border Terrier, Pharaoh Hound, Tibetan Terrier and Welsh Springer Spaniel scored highly in McCandless’s research
As rescues centres nationwide are bursting at the seams, we know how important it is to choose the right dog for your lifestyle. Hundreds of dogs are made homeless through no fault of their own every year. Huskies are an example of being popularised by recent TV shows like ‘A Game of Thrones” and are often chosen simply for their looks.
McCandless’s research has certainly hit a nerve and highlights the fact that our choice of dog isn’t always pragmatic.
Barking Blondes by Jo Good & Anna Webb, published by Hamlyn, £12.99www.octopusbooks.co.uk
I really enjoyed reading this article! I have just launched a book on Border Terrier care, here is the link http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JKI0IAK
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