Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - the Royal Kennel Club (formerly the UK Kennel Club) recognises 221 different pedigree dogs, from Affenpinscher to Yorkshire Terrier (there are sadly no dog breeds starting with the letter ‘z’!).
Then there are all manner of crossbreeds, from so-called ‘designer dogs’ to lovable mongrels.
Each has its own list of positive and negative attributes, and it’s important to take plenty of time to think about what breed will fit into your lifestyle the best - for instance a smaller dog if you live in a flat, or a hypoallergenic dog if the mere mention of dog hair makes you think about sneezing.
There is even scientific research to guide you, in particular psychologist Stanley Coren’s groundbreaking book The Intelligence of Dogs.
The Kennel Club separates breeds into seven different groups, each of which have a particular set of attributes.
If you are looking for a dog that is affectionate and enjoys building a bond with its owner - but is small enough that you don’t need to own a mansion to own one - then it’s worth looking at a pup from the toy dog group.
The Kennel Club recently released their breed registration statistics for 2025, revealing how many of each breed of dog were registered with them over the year.
According to those figures, here are the 12 most popular toy dogs in the UK.
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1. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
As it was the year before, the gorgeous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel takes the top spot when it comes to the most popular toy dog - with 3,224 Royal Kennel Club registrations in 2025. It's name comes from it being bred to recreate Charles II's spaniel of the English Civil War period, when supporters of the king were known as Cavaliers. | AFP via Getty Images
2. Pomeranian
Second spot goes to the fluffy Pomeranian, with 1,541 registrations last year. Named after the Pomerania region, covering parts of Poland and Germany where it was first bred, they were a favourite of Queen Victoria. | Getty Images
3. Long Coat Chihuahua
Hailing originally from Mexico and famed for being the world's smallest breed of dog, the long coat variety of the Chihuahua had 885 registrations in 2025, seeing it rise one place compared to the year before. | Getty Images
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4. Pug
The wrinkly Pug was the most popular breed of toy dog just a handful of years ago but has now dropped down to fourth place, with 834 registrations in 2025. It's an ancient breed, with roots that can remarkably be dated back to 400 B.C. | Canva/Getty Images | Getty Images for Westminster Ken