Dog breeds A to Z
Health tests to ask a breeder for, exercise needs, what UK vet records show and what to check in an insurance policy. Breed facts are checked against the Royal Kennel Club, VetCompass studies of UK vet records and McMillan et al. (2024), a study of UK dog lifespans.
The short answer
We have guides to 12 breeds and crosses. In a 2024 study of UK dogs, their median lifespans ranged from 9.8 years (French Bulldog) to 14.0 years (Dachshund (Miniature)), against 12.0 for crossbreeds. The Royal Kennel Club lists 230 breed entries in 7 groups (checked 21 October 2026).
Showing 12 of 12 breed guides
Size and exercise filters only match breeds whose guide gives a sourced value for them.
Bichon Frise
Toy group
- Size
- Small
- Exercise a day
- Up to 30 minutes
- Lifespan
- 12.5 years (median)
The Royal Kennel Club advises up to 30 minutes of exercise but grooming every day. 7.29% had an anal sac disorder in a year of UK vet records, against 4.40% of all dogs.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Bichon Frise guideBorder Collie
Pastoral group
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise a day
- More than 2 hours
- Lifespan
- 13.1 years (median); Over 12 years
Bred to herd sheep. The Royal Kennel Club advises more than 2 hours of exercise a day; median lifespan 13.1 years in a 2024 UK study. Ask about the MDR1 DNA test.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Border Collie guideCavapoo
Crossbreed
In a 2024 RVC study, Cavapoos did not differ from either parent breed for 50 of 57 common disorders. Ask for both parents' tests, including the Cavalier's heart screening.
Not a breed recognised by the Royal Kennel Club, so there are no RKC breed figures. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Cavapoo guideCockapoo
Crossbreed
In a 2024 RVC study, Cockapoos did not differ from Cocker Spaniels for 49 of 57 common disorders but had higher odds of ear infections and itching. Ask for both parents' tests.
Not a breed recognised by the Royal Kennel Club, so there are no RKC breed figures. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Cockapoo guideCocker Spaniel
Gundog group
- Size
- Small
- Exercise a day
- Up to 1 hour
- Lifespan
- 11.4 years (median); 13.3 years (median)
The Royal Kennel Club advises up to 1 hour of exercise and grooming every day. In UK vet records, ear discharge was recorded at 14.7 times the odds of other dogs.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; Engdahl et al. 2023, VetCompass; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Cocker Spaniel guideDachshund
Hound group
- Exercise a day
- Up to 1 hour
- Lifespan
- 13.2 years (median, Standard); 14.0 years (median, Miniature)
21.1% of Dachshunds over three had IVDD in a breed survey. The Royal Kennel Club's X-ray scheme screens breeding dogs' spines at 24 to 48 months.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; Royal Kennel Club (variety pages); McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Dachshund guideFrench Bulldog
Utility group
- Size
- Small
- Exercise a day
- Up to 1 hour
- Lifespan
- 9.8 years (median)
- Face shape
- Flat-faced
58.9% had clinically significant BOAS in a Cambridge study. Skin and ear problems are more common than in other dogs; median lifespan 9.8 years.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the French Bulldog guideGolden Retriever
Gundog group
- Size
- Large
- Exercise a day
- More than 2 hours
- Lifespan
- 13.2 years (median); Over 10 years
Bred to retrieve shot game. Median lifespan 13.2 years in a 2024 UK study; cancer is a leading cause of death in studies of the breed. Ask for hip, elbow, eye and PRA results.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Golden Retriever guideLabrador Retriever
Gundog group
- Size
- Large
- Exercise a day
- More than 2 hours
- Lifespan
- 12.0 years (median); 13.1 years (median)
About 23% carry the POMC gene variant linked to weight gain. Ear infections, being overweight and joint disease are the most commonly recorded problems.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McGreevy et al. 2018, VetCompass; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Labrador Retriever guideMiniature Schnauzer
Utility group
- Size
- Small
- Exercise a day
- Up to 1 hour
- Lifespan
- 11.6 years (median); 13.3 years (median)
Dental disease (17.4%) and being overweight (8.3%) were the most common problems in UK vet records. The RKC lists the breed as non-shedding, with grooming more than once a week.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; O'Neill et al. 2019, VetCompass; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Miniature Schnauzer guideSpringer Spaniel
Gundog group
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise a day
- More than 2 hours
- Lifespan
- 13.5 years (median); Over 10 years
Bred to flush game. Median lifespan 13.5 years in a 2024 UK study. The Royal Kennel Club advises more than 2 hours of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Springer Spaniel guideStaffordshire Bull Terrier
Terrier group
- Size
- Small
- Exercise a day
- Up to 1 hour
- Lifespan
- 12.0 years (median)
UK vet records showed higher odds of seizures, skin allergy and skin lumps, but no difference in recorded aggression compared with other dogs. Median lifespan 12.0 years.
Sources: Royal Kennel Club; McMillan et al. 2024. Checked 21 October 2026.
Read the Staffordshire Bull Terrier guide
How many dog breeds are there in the UK?
The Royal Kennel Club's Breeds A to Z listed 230 entries when we checked on 21 October 2026, split into 7 groups: Gundog, Hound, Pastoral, Terrier, Toy, Utility and Working. The count includes varieties listed separately, such as the six Dachshunds (Standard and Miniature, each in Smooth, Long and Wire Haired coats). Crosses such as the Cockapoo and Cavapoo are not recognised breeds, so they have no breed standard or official health-testing scheme; ask which tests each parent has had.
How long does each breed live?
Median lifespans from McMillan et al. (2024), a study of 584,734 UK dogs from 18 data sources (Scientific Reports, Supplementary Table S3). Crossbreeds as a group had a median of 12.0 years. The study gives no figure for Cockapoo or Cavapoo, because it covered recognised breeds only.
| Breed | Median lifespan |
|---|---|
| Dachshund (Miniature) | 14.0 years |
| Springer Spaniel | 13.5 years |
| Cocker Spaniel | 13.3 years |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 13.3 years |
| Golden Retriever | 13.2 years |
| Dachshund (Standard) | 13.2 years |
| Border Collie | 13.1 years |
| Labrador Retriever | 13.1 years |
| Bichon Frise | 12.5 years |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 12.0 years |
| French Bulldog | 9.8 years |
What were these breeds bred for?
A breed's original job explains a lot about its exercise needs. Summarised in our words from the Royal Kennel Club breed histories; each guide has the detail and the newer guides cover their own breed's history.
- Labrador Retriever
- Working alongside fishermen in Newfoundland, retrieving nets and lost lines; crosses with hunting dogs brought by English traders shaped the modern gundog, and the first UK breed club was founded in 1916.
- French Bulldog
- The Royal Kennel Club history names no working job. The breed descends partly from small 'Toy Bulldogs' that Nottingham lace workers took to northern France in the 19th century, became fashionable in Paris, and was recognised by The Kennel Club in 1906.
- Golden Retriever
- Retrieving shot game. The first Lord Tweedmouth bred the first yellow retrievers from black Wavy Coated Retrievers and a Tweed Water Spaniel, at his Guisachan estate; The Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1913.
- Springer Spaniel
- Flushing game: the name comes from the dogs 'springing' forward to drive game into nets, and later into the open for the guns. It was once called the Norfolk Spaniel.
- Border Collie
- Herding sheep in the hills of the border country between England, Scotland and Wales. The breed is still used as a working sheepdog.
- Cockapoo
- Companionship. It is a modern cross, not a breed the Royal Kennel Club recognises. Its parents were bred for work: the Cocker Spaniel to hunt woodcock, and the Poodle as a water retriever for duck hunters in Germany.
Which breeds suit a first-time owner?
We do not rank breeds. Match the Royal Kennel Club's exercise and grooming figures to your own time instead: the breed finder above filters by exercise band, and the guides range from up to 30 minutes a day (Bichon Frise) to more than two hours (Labrador, Golden Retriever, Springer Spaniel, Border Collie). Our first-time dog owner guide covers the legal duties and first-week checklist, and our cost of owning a dog guide gives a monthly budget. Puppies need a vaccination course; see our dog vaccination cost guide for UK practice prices.
Weighing two breeds? See Cockapoo vs Cavapoo and Springer vs Cocker Spaniel. Several breeds here live past 13, so read our older dog insurance guide before you choose a policy.
Choosing a breed
How many different dog breeds are there in the UK?
The Royal Kennel Club's Breeds A to Z listed 230 entries across 7 groups when we checked on 21 October 2026. Some breeds are listed once per variety, such as the six Dachshunds, and crosses such as the Cockapoo and Cavapoo are not on the list.
What health tests should I ask a breeder for?
Each breed guide lists the tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends for that breed, with a link to its Health Test Results Finder. The Cockapoo is not a breed recognised by the Royal Kennel Club, so there is no official scheme: ask which tests the Cocker Spaniel and Poodle parents have had.
Why can I hide flat-faced breeds?
Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds such as the French Bulldog are prone to breathing problems. In a University of Cambridge study of 214 French Bulldogs, 58.9% had clinically significant BOAS (Liu et al., 2017). BOAS can be treated as pre-existing once it is noted in the vet record, so insure a flat-faced puppy before any symptoms appear.
Where do the lifespan figures come from?
Median lifespans come from McMillan et al. (2024), a study of UK dog breeds, and VetCompass studies of UK vet records. Where we found no median for a breed, we give the Royal Kennel Club's own figure and say so, or leave the lifespan out.
Are crossbreeds such as the Cockapoo healthier?
Not automatically. In a 2024 study of UK dogs, crossbreeds had a median lifespan of 12.0 years against 12.7 years for purebreds (McMillan et al., 2024). A cross can inherit conditions from both parent breeds, so ask for both parents' health-test results.
What changed in this update
- 21 October 2026: Added a short answer, the number of breeds on the Royal Kennel Club list, a lifespan table from McMillan et al. (2024) Supplementary Table S3, what the six original breeds were bred for (RKC breed histories), a first-time owner section and links to the comparison, cost and insurance guides. Breed cards now show RKC size and grooming for the Labrador, French Bulldog and Border Collie.
Breed guides on Pawwala are researched from published veterinary and breed-club sources, not from examining dogs. Some pages carry links marked Ad, which earn us a commission; see our Affiliate Disclosure.