Many households in the UK have a pet dog and there is a wide variety of breeds.
A dog’s breed can have a big influence on its behaviour, trainability, energy levels and health conditions. Canine owners will know that some dogs require more exercise than others so do well with active families.
There are also variations in personality between breeds as some are friendly and outgoing, while others are more reserved and less social. Prospective dog parents have a range of factors to consider when thinking about bringing a pooch into their home and one expert has named his top breed.
Will Atherton is a clinical canine behaviourist and the founder of WA Academy and Will Atherton Canine Centre. He has gained a large following on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube where he shares his dog expertise and advice.
In a recent TikTok video, Atherton shared why he thinks labradors are the top dog breed. He said: “Labradors are the best dog breed on the planet, and it’s not really a discussion that I’m open to having a debate on because in my opinion, it’s simply facts.”
The canine expert then explained the reasoning behind his strong opinion. He noted that labradors were “bred to be amazing with people, hyper intelligent, amazing with other dogs” and taught to be “calm, relaxed and stable and to not have any form of aggression in them whatsoever “.
Atherton added that labradors “have a huge desire to please their owners”, as well as an “incredible food and toy drive” which makes them very easy to train. He declared: “They really are the complete package to build the perfect family pet.”
In the caption of his TikTok post, the canine behaviourist highlighted that he works with rescue dogs and dogs at risk of euthanasia every day so he “hand on heart” believes that if all owners chose a labrador for their first breed there would be “50%+ less dogs in shelters.” Atherton has observed that the reason for so many issues people have with their dogs comes from choosing a breed they’re “woefully underprepared for.”
He continued: “All dogs need leadership and solid training, but Labradors make leading them and training them easy, and when things go wrong it’s very rarely seriously wrong, and are usually the easiest breeds to rectify issues with.So more labs would mean less dogs in shelters.
“And when you’ve proven you’re capable of being a high level canine leader then explore the idea of other breeds.” PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity, agrees with Atherton as on its website, it describes labradors as “devoted, affectionate, loving dogs that will happily get along with everyone.”
It further shares that this breed is “obedient, quick to learn and eager to please, so training should be fairly easy.” Atherton’s TikTok video has racked up 441,100 views, 29,000 likes and close to 900 comments, at the time of writing.
One user said: “Black girl labs will forever be my all time favourite, I couldn’t live without mine.” Another commented: “I completely agree with the idea that Labradors are a great choice for first-time dog owners.
“Their temperament and ease of training make them ideal for building leadership and confidence as a pet owner. Starting with a Labrador can definitely help prevent many of the issues that arise with less suited breeds.
“It’s refreshing to see someone so dedicated to both rescue dogs and helping owners understand the importance of choosing the right breed for their lifestyle. Keep up the amazing work!”