The most popular dog breeds in Europe have been officially announced

Feast your eyes on these excellent doggos...

Words by Victoria Fell

Since the beginning of time, dogs have truly been man’s best friend. In fact, a 2015 study showed that when humans and dogs stare at each other, a hormone called oxytocin is released, which is the same hormone released when two people who connect emotionally look at each other. Basically, the bond is real.

Thanks to the internet, our love for them has only increased: from booping their noses to following our favourite canines on Insta, we cannot get enough of them.

Now, new research from Protectivity Insurance has revealed each European country’s most popular dog breeds, through measuring the volume of Google searches on each breed by country. Believe us: the results are pretty surprising.

In the UK, the Queen’s favourite Corgis and the perennially #wholesome Labradors are nowhere to be seen: it’s the French Bulldog that is the most popular. In the Republic of Ireland, it's the similarly tiny Pug that takes the top prize.

So far, so understandable: everyone from Lady Gaga to David and Victoria Beckham loves those scrunch-faced pups. But have you ever heard of a Cane Corso? Us neither, but this huge (they can reach over 7 stone in weight) Italian mastiff, whose name roughly translates from Latin as ‘bodyguard dog’, is officially the most searched for breed throughout Europe, and in countries including France and Romania.

Others featured in the most popular dog breeds include Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers and Australian Shepherds. Special prizes for the countries with the most individual search results have to go to Lithuania and Poland, who are crazy about the Akitas and Shiba Inus respectively.

So whether you want a highly intelligent border collie as your partner-in-crime, or a fluffball companion in the shape of a Pomeranian, someone in Europe probably shares your taste.

If you'll excuse us, we're off to watch dog videos on YouTube.