Dogs with their own social media accounts and the breeds chosen by world-famous celebs are making an impact on the dogs we choose as pets.
Breeds soaring in popularity in west London have London-based ambassadors in their breed rising to fame on Instagram, it has been revealed.
As more and more pooches rise to their own internet fame, via social media accounts and media deals, the rise of certain breeds is having an impact on our choice of pets closer to home.
New figures, released by the Kennel Club, show that a number of dog breeds have dramatically increased in popularity since acquiring a London-based canine celebrity ambassador on the social networking platform.
Instagram appears to be the latest craze that is influencing dog owners’ buying decisions, after recent years have shown the power of celebrity influence.
The figures have been released ahead of the Kennel Club’s Eukanuba Discover Dogs event, where people can meet more than 200 dog breeds, including the top dogs of Instagram, to find out more about what the different breeds are like to live with and what kind of person they most suit.
The London-based dogs that are taking Instagram by storm has, alongside celebrity dog choice, sparked a huge increase in the popularity of certain dog breeds throughout west London.
The French bulldog is the capital’s fastest growing dog breed in the last five years and is eighth most popular breed overall in west London.
The breed is popularised on Instagram by Mannie the French Bulldog, with 18,500 followers and, in the UK Elle, under the grrlgenius_ Instagram name, who has 5,000 followers.
The breed is the most rapidly trending breed in the country, after a string of celebrities including Leonardo Dicaprio, Jessie J and Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh have been seen out and about with the breed.
The miniature smooth-haired Dachshund is up by 17% amongst north Londoners in the last five years and is the area's 10th most popular dog breed.
This coincides with the rapidly rising popularity of Instagram sensations Bruno the Miniature Dachshund (who has 30,000 followers since early 2014) and Noodle the Dachshund who already has 10,000 followers, since April 2015.
Celebrity Dachshund owners include YouTube sensations Tanya Burr and Jim Chapman and the breed has also been popularised by Steph and Dom Parker on TV’s Gogglebox and the celebrity studded Vitality adverts.
The miniature smooth-coat Chihuahua, owned by the likes of Paris Hilton, is London’s fastest-growing dog breed, up 179% between 2010-2014, compared to the previous five years.
The Kennel Club has launched an interactive dog map to show the top dogs throughout London and the UK:
And the organisation has invited people to see the top dogs of Instagram, and find out more about all dog breeds at Eukanuba's Discover Dogs, at ExCeL London, this weekend (October 17-18).
People can take selfies with London-based Instagram sensations Bruno the Miniature Dachshund, Noodle the Dachshund, Winny the Corgi, Elle the French Bulldog and Mika the Husky - who has almost 70,000 followers - at Discover Dogs, where people can also learn about the breeds and their unique characteristics.
Speaking about the findings, Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: "We are seeing Londoners increasingly opting for small dog breeds, with those who are rising to fame on Instagram and through their celebrity owners increasing most rapidly in popularity.
"In west London the smooth-coat Chihuahua and miniature smooth-hair Dachshund have become particularly popular in recent years."
But the Kennel Club is reminding people that they need to research their breed before they buy, to ensure that they are getting the right dog for their lifestyle.
Ms Kisko added: "Some of the most popular dogs on Instragram from around the capital will be at the Discover Dogs event at ExCeL, on October 17-18, so that people can find out more about what these breeds are like to live with and who they would be suitable for.
"It is important to remember that every breed is different and one of the reasons dogs end up in rescue is because people make rash choices."
Londoner Lindsay Sanders, owner of Instagram sensation Bruno, said: "We are shocked by how quickly Bruno has acquired a mass following on Instagram, which seems to be growing every day.
"Whilst we are really pleased that people are loving his photos we also want to make sure that people understand what owning a Dachshund is all about before they make the decision to get a Bruno of their own, which is why we are we will be chatting to people about the breed at the Discover Dogs event in London."
Check out some of London's pet dogs in our National Dog Day gallery:
Also from London, Rachel Oates, owner of Instagram dog Winny the Corgi and founder of Instagram page‘UKDogsofInsta, said: "People cannot get enough of dog pictures on Instagram.
"People are hugely influenced by what they see online and it is no surprise that some of the dogs that are most popular on Instagram are impacting on the popularity of dog breeds in real life.
"It is great for dog breeds such as mine, as the Corgi is falling rapidly out of fashion, but it is also important that people buy the right breed for them, so that every dog has a loving home for life."
For more information about Discover Dogs, and to book tickets, go online.
