THE Labrador is the South West’s favourite breed of dog.

Outdoor retailer Millets analysed statistics from The Kennel Club to find out what our favourite breeds are and how this has changed over the past 10 years.

The Labrador came out on top, with 2,091 registrations. The Cocker Spaniel came second with 1,185 registrations.

According to the research, French Bulldogs, owned by celebrities including Lady Gaga and the Beckhams, are close to overtaking Labradors as the UK’s most popular dog breed.

In 2008, just 1,025 French Bulldogs were registered, whereas in 2017 this figure rose to a staggering 30,887 pups.

Other breeds that have seen significant changes in popularity over recent years include Pugs, Bulldogs, German Shepherds and English Springer Spaniels.

The overall number of pedigree puppies registered has declined over the past decade.

The figure peaked in 2008 with 271,719 puppy registrations, falling sharply to 219,965 in 2015. The Kennel Club put this decline down to the rise in popularity of cross breeds.

Caroline Kisko from, The Kennel Club, said: “The French Bulldog has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years and became the top dog for the first time in the first quarter of 2018. Looking at this year’s dog breed statistics however, the Labrador looks set to regain top spot by the end of the year.”