This trendy breed’s about to overtake Labradors as Britain’s most popular dog
Bye-bye Andrex puppy, hello bat-eared Frenchie.
The Labrador, long the country's favourite doggo, is about to be overtaken by a breed a little more on-trend and probably familiar to many a Londoner.
The French bulldog has increased in popularity in recent years which many put down to the numerous celebrity owners of the pups (others might say its down to a demeanour that's well suited to city living).
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The Kennel Club's new figures show the Frenchie's fast growing rise, with the number of registrations up 47 per cent in 2016 to 21,470 (and the number stood at just 670 a decade ago).
So the French bulldog is chasing the tail of the Lab and could overtake it by this time next year, the Kennel Club believes. It's already only 384 pups behind the second most popular Cocker Spaniel.
But the group, which keeps track of all the pedigree dog registrations, has warned potential owners to think about whether the breed really suits their lifestyle rather than choosing it just to follow fashion.
"While it's normal to want to show off your dog, when celebrities do it, it usually results in a surge in the popularity of certain breeds, which is not a good thing as it opens the doors to unscrupulous breeders who see it as an opportunity to breed lots of them without due care to health and welfare," said KC secretary Caroline Kisko.
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They say go to a responsible breeder or even consider a different breed such as a Miniature Schnauzer, Beagle, Border Terrier or Welsh Terrier.
And of course, it's always better to adopt than shop with plenty of rescue centres housing dogs just waiting for a new home.
The Labrador, incidentally, has been centre of the nation's hearts (or hogging the limelight) for 27 years.