Top 10 Popular English Breed Dogs Who Will Surely Steal Your Heart!

Ah, England – the land of beautiful rolling hills, picturesque countryside, quaint cottages, grand country houses, castles… and adorable dog breeds! For centuries, the inhabitants of this island nation have bred and nurtured a diverse range of canine companions, each with its own unique personality, charm, and purpose.  

In this blog article, we will introduce you to some of the most popular English breed dogs, which include everything from cute lapdogs and playful pups to majestic giants and everything in between. We’ll explore their histories, discover their quirks, and learn what makes them so darn lovable. Let’s get started. 

Check Out 10 Popular English Breed Dogs 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned dog enthusiast or a first-time parent; there’s an English breed waiting to steal your heart. So, grab your leash, and let’s go on a journey through the world of popular English dog breeds!

Here are some well-known dog breeds that originated in England:  

The English Bulldog

Category	Breed Facts
Breed Group	Non-Sporting Group
Height	14-15 inches
Weight	50 pounds (male)     40 pounds (female)
Lifespan	8-10 years
Temperament	Gentle, Affectionate, and Friendly
Coat Type and Coat length	Smooth and Short Coat
Shedding Level	Medium
Energy Level	Medium
Training Difficulty Level	Easy To Train

The English Bulldog is a medium-sized, muscular dog of mastiff type, developed in England for blood sports like bullbaiting. The breed appeared in the British Isles sometime before the 13th century.  

This practice of bullbaiting required the Old English Bulldog or ‘Olde English Bulldogge’ to have a stocky body, massive head and jaws, and a ferocious temperament. But after blood sports like bull baiting were banned in England, breeders began to focus on developing the breed as a companion dog.  

They carried out selective breeding aimed to curb aggressive tendencies and enhance gentler traits.  This shift resulted in the friendly and affectionate English Bulldog we know today. It is also loyal, intelligent, and playful but also stubborn, independent, and vocal.  

In terms of physical features, the English bulldog that we know today also differs greatly from the old English bulldog. While the basic body structure is similar, the English Bulldog of our time is more stretched out. It has a larger head, a short face, a stockier body, an underbite, and wrinkles on the face and shoulders. It has a short, smooth coat that comes in various colors.  

Beagles

Category	Breed Facts
Breed Group	Hound
Height	13 inches & under and  13-15 inches
Weight	Under 20 pounds (13 inches and under)   20-30 pounds (13-15 inches)
Lifespan	10-15 years
Temperament	Gentle, Outgoing, and Playful
Coat Type and Coat length	Smooth and Short
Shedding Level	Medium
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Difficult

The Beagle is a small, tri-colored scent hound that originated in England around the 1830s. The most distinctive feature of this breed is their large, expressive brown or hazel eyes with long, drooping ears that frame their face. 

This is one of the most popular English Breed Dogs. Initially, they helped their owners hunt rabbits and hares. This style of hunting came to be known as beagling. The breed has a highly developed sense of smell and first-rate tracking instincts. 

Even now, in airports, seaports, and other places, authorities use Beagles to detect banned agricultural goods and food items. It is also a popular choice as a family pet due to its size, temperament, and low-maintenance short coat. They are also great with children because of their playful and affectionate nature. However, they can be vocal and bark a lot if left alone for a long time. 

Manchester Terrier

Category	Breed Facts
Breed Group	Terrier Group
Height	15-16 inches
Weight	12-22 pounds
Lifespan	15-17 years
Temperament	Affectionate, loyal, Playful, Curious and Independent
Coat Type and Coat length	Smooth and Short
Shedding Level	Low
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Easy to train

The Manchester Terrier is a small, black and tan dog that originated from England as a rat hunter and a sport dog. It has two sizes: toy and standard. It is a sleek, agile, and intelligent breed that combines the traits of a terrier and a hound.  

English Cocker Spaniel

Category	Breed Facts
Breed Group	Sporting
Height	15 -16 inches (Female)     16 -17 inches (male)
Weight	26 – 32 pounds (female)    28 – 34 pounds
Lifespan	12 – 14 years
Temperament	Affectionate, Sociable and Playful
Coat Type and Coat length	Silky, double coat and medium to long in length
Shedding Level	Medium
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Easy To Train

The English Cocker Spaniel is the oldest member of the sporting dog breed group. They can be easily recognized by their long, floppy ears and medium-length, silky, luxurious-looking coats. The dog also has a sturdy, well-balanced body. This English breed dog was originally developed for hunting game birds and waterfowl. But now, they mainly serve as companion pets and show dogs.

One of the interesting facts about this breed is that the English Cocker Spaniel is one of several varieties of spaniel and is the foundation of its American cousin, the American Cocker Spaniel. 

The English Cocker Spaniel is easy to train and loves to please their owner. This makes them one of the best dogs for first-time owners. It also has a gentle, affectionate, cheerful temperament. 

Yorkshire Terrier

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Terrier Group
Height	7-8 inches
Weight	7 pounds
Lifespan	11 – 15 years
Temperament	Affectionate, confident, playful and at times bold and feisty
Coat Type and Coat length	Silky and long
Shedding Level	Low
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Easy To Train

The Yorkshire Terrier, or Yorkie, is a toy dog breed from England with a long, silky coat of black and tan. It is one of the smallest English Breed dogs, weighing no more than 7 pounds. It was originally bred for hunting rats. Nowadays, it is a popular companion dog.  

English Foxhound

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Hound
Height	24 inches
Weight	60 – 75 pounds
Lifespan	10 – 13 years
Temperament	Gentle, Affectionate, playful, outgoing and independent
Coat Type and Coat length	Short, Dense, smooth Double coat
Shedding Level	Medium
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Easy to train

The English Foxhound is a medium-large hound dog from England with a short, thick coat that often comes in tricolor (black, white, and tan). The breed was developed sometime around the 1600s. Large staghounds were crossbred with faster sighthounds to create the breed. These dogs used to accompany and aid their human masters in stag hunting and, later, for fox hunting.  

These scent hounds hunted in packs. They use their keen sense of smell to track foxes over long distances. The English Foxhound’s long legs and lean, muscular body contribute to its athletic abilities, such as endurance running. 

They have a high energy level and a strong prey drive and are gentle and social at the same time. Hence, the English Foxhounds are best for an active owner who is able to manage both their energy and their prey drive. 

Bloodhound

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Hound
Height	25 – 27 inches
Weight	90 – 110 pounds (Male) | 80 – 100 pounds (female)
Lifespan	10-12 years
Temperament	Gentle, Even-Tempered, affectionate, and patient but can be stubborn at times
Coat Type and Coat length	Short, dense, smooth coat
Shedding Level	Moderate
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Difficult to train

The Bloodhound is a large, scent-hunting dog with a wrinkled face, droopy eyes, long ears, and a short coat. It has the strongest nose of any dog and can track people or animals for miles. These English breed dogs has gained a reputation for their blood-tracking abilities. They can follow the scent of human trails for long distances, even several days old. This makes them invaluable for search and rescue missions and law enforcement. 

Initially, Bloodhounds were used by their human masters to hunt deer, wild boar, and rabbits. Some pet experts are of the view that the breed is related to the hounds bred at the Abby of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, dating back to the Middle Ages. Following the Norman invasion, these dogs came to England. 

The breed’s distinctive feature is its long, floppy ears. These ears play an important role in improving the Bloodhound’s scent detection skills by channeling odor molecules toward their nose. Bloodhounds have an even temperament. They are gentle and docile and quite affectionate with family members. But they tend to wander off because of their strong tracking instinct. 

Old English Sheepdog

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Herding Group
Height	22 inches and above (Male)     21 inches and above (Female)
Weight	60-100 pounds
Lifespan	10-12 years
Temperament	Friendly, easy-going, strong-willed and fearless
Coat Type and Coat length	Double-layered, long, thick and shaggy coat
Shedding Level	Moderate to heavy
Energy Level	Moderate
Training Difficulty Level	Easy

The Old English Sheepdog is a large, shaggy dog that originated in England as a herding and droving dog. Various herding dog breeds were crossbred to create the Old English Sheepdog, likely around the 1800s. Their main job was to herd sheep and cattle in the fields, driving them to market and protecting them from predators.   

These large and shaggy dogs stand 21-22 inches tall and weigh around 60-80 pounds. It has a long, thick, double coat that covers its face and eyes and a docked or natural tail. The coat colors are typically blue or gray with white markings. The Old English Sheepdogs are sometimes called “Bobtail” because of the traditional practice of tail docking. 

By nature, the Old English Sheepdog is loyal, playful, affectionate, and intelligent, making them great family companions. They are gentle with children. However, they still require supervision because of their large size.  

Old English Sheepdogs also have an independent streak in them. Some dogs also may display herding instincts like nipping or heeling. Positive reinforcement training  from an early age can help curb this behavior 

Jack Russel Terrier

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Terrier
Height	10-15 inches
Weight	13-17 pounds
Lifespan	13-16 years
Temperament	Intelligent, stubborn, bold, lively, and      Confident
Coat Type and Coat length	Double-coated and short; either smooth or      Rough in texture.
Shedding Level	Moderate to heavy
Energy Level	High
Training Difficulty Level	Challenging

The Jack Russell Terrier is a small, energetic, confident, and fearless dog breed that originated in England in the 219th century. The breed is named after Reverend John Russell. He was an English Parson and served as the vicar of Swimbridge. Rev. John Russell was passionate about hunting foxes and breeding dogs for fox hunting. He created the Jack Russell dog breed because he wanted a hunting dog that could chase and hunt foxes above and below ground with ease. 

Because of its history as a fox-hunting dog, Jack Russell boasts of a fearless, bold, and independent temperament. Jack Russels is playful and loyal but also very stubborn and vocal. They are highly active dogs therefore, they need plenty of exercise. Jack Russell Terriers require training and socialization from an early age due to their stubborn nature.

They are generally friendly with people but can be territorial with other dogs. Furthermore, Jack Russels has a strong prey drive and may chase small animals around the house, like squirrels and cats. 

English Setter

Category	Beed Facts
Breed Group	Sporting Group
Height	25-27 inches (male)    23-25 inches (female)
Weight	65-80 pounds (male)  4  45-55 pounds (female)
Lifespan	12 years
Temperament	Mild-mannered, Friendly and easy-going
Coat Type and Coat length	Medium-length Double coat with a silky texture
Shedding Level	Moderate
Energy Level	High Energy
Training Difficulty Level	Easy to train

The English Setter is fondly called ‘the gentleman of the dog world.’ It is one of the four British setters recognized by AKC. The other three breeds belonging to the setter family are –  the Irish setter, the Irish red and white setter, and the Gordon setter. The four setter breeds were created to work on English, Irish, and Scottish terrains, which are very different from each other.  

According to experts, ancestors of the four modern setter breeds came from the setting spaniel, a medieval hunting dog. Out of all the four setter breeds, the English Setter is the oldest, with a rich history that dates back to the 14th century. Pointers and old spaniel breeds were crossbred with each other to develop this breed.  

The English Setter is a medium to large-sized dog with a sturdy and athletic build. It has a silky, medium-length coat with speckled markings called ‘Belton’ and feathered ears, chest, legs, and tail. Temperament-wise, it is loyal, playful, cheerful, and trainable but also independent, stubborn, and vocal. The English Setter is also a very energetic breed and needs plenty of exercise. 

Wrapping Up 

Remember, all the English breed dogs we have mentioned here come with their own unique charm, temperament, and needs. Hence, you should choose wisely based on your lifestyle and after thorough research.  

You’ll discover a furry friend who will enrich your life beyond measure. So, are you ready for unconditional love, playful antics, and a lifetime of tail-wagging adventures? Which English Dog Breed do you think is perfect for you? 

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