The world’s cutest dog breed according to science has been revealed and it might just surprise you.
As a nation of pet lovers, the question of which dog breed is the cutest has likely crossed many people’s minds. Many people will also be keeping up with the UK's most popular pet names or wishing some weird dog behaviours would be explained.
We may all like to think of our own pets as the best, but it seems science might have found a more specific answer. To get to the bottom of this age-old question, 100 of the most popular breeds were ranked using the ‘golden ratio’. Looking at the ratio between key points such as a dog’s ears, eyes, and nostrils, the ratio is calculated - along with a percentage of how close the measurements were to the ‘golden ratio’. The higher that percentage - the cuter the dog breed.
Analysing the results, pet insurance comparison site MoneyBeach.co.uk has now found the most aesthetically pleasing dog breed. And it seems we just love seeing spots!
Dalmations with their iconic black-and-white spotted fur came out on top. They may be best known for their inclusion in the popular 101 Dalmations film and the book it’s based on - The Hundred and One Dalmations, but it seems that scientifically they are also the cutest dogs around. They were closely followed by Irish Water Spaniels, Wire Fox Terriers, trusty Labradors and Basset Hounds.
But whilst dog lovers may be reluctant to agree, the research also found that the cutest pet in the world overall is actually a cat! This is followed by a much rarer choice - ferrets, then rabbits and hamsters.
What is perhaps more of a surprise is the fact that despite being one of the most popular pet choices, dogs only came in fifth place. They may be man’s best friend, but it seems that cats have got the ultimate cute factor.
Commenting on the results, Mike Rees, CEO of MoneyBeach.co.uk remarked: "There's often a lot of discussion about which pet is the cutest, so we were keen to leave it up to science to settle the debate once and for all.
"The 'golden ratio' is an equation that has been used for hundreds of years, so it's hard to argue with the results and it was fascinating to see breeds such as Rottweilers or the Basset Hound being favoured by the laws of science.
"While Dalmatian owners might be feeling a little smug with the news, I'm sure cat people will be the most thrilled, as they now have the evidence to back themselves up, when telling dog lovers that their pet is in fact the cutest".
Science may have now settled this longstanding debate, but we have a feeling that Dalmation and cat-owners everywhere may have known this already.
After all, they are very cute pets indeed!
