A study based on sales and adverts placed on the Pets4Homes website which is, by the way, the UK’s largest marketplace for pets, found that people with children born during the Covid-19 pandemic are searching for calm and sociable pets.
I think it would be fair to say that you could successfully argue that at any time, any person in the market to adopt a pet would like a companion animal that is calm and sociable because they make the best pets.
Information from that website which lists about 33% of all puppies advertised in the UK found that the goldendoodle is currently the nation’s favourite dog breed in 2023. Remarkably, there were almost 1,000 potential buyers each individual goldendoodle dog advertised on the website.
They sell for £1,600 which may sound expensive but during the pandemic there were French bulldogs selling for over £3,000, an inflated price because of consumer demand.
It is said that the goldendoodle’s coat is hypoallergenic. This makes them easy to care for plus they are known to have calm temperaments. Although like all dogs they need up to 2 hours of exercise daily. Note: take claims about hypoallergic pets with a pinch of salt. Do some research on it before accepting the information.
And you can’t leave them alone all day. Experts say that dogs should not be left alone for more than four hours at any one time.
Turning to cats!
Based on the same survey, the favourite cat breed last year was the Maine Coon. This does not surprise me because a lot has been spoken about the Maine Coon on the Internet recently. It has surged in popularity probably partly because there are many TikTokers and other social media users promoting their Maine Coons by providing us with a history of their relationship with their cats. Some of these cats are enormous and very impressive.
But are Maine Coon cats calm unsociable? Are they known to be calm and sociable? Well, of course, if they are bred properly by a good breeder and fully socialised. But there are other breeds which are equally calm and sociable. And we must not forget the rescue cat in a rescue center who is elderly. Elderly, rescue cats can be the calmest and most sociable domestic cat companions of all.
Note: there is not enough focus on cat breed health. The Maine Coon is an unhealthy cat with several inherited health concerns the most severe of which is HCM. Click for some info on Maine Coon cat health.
Try this cat breed selector that I created many years ago:
RELATED: Cat Breed Selector
Child friendly dogs and cats
The chief executive of Pets4Homes, Axel Lagercrantz, said that families nowadays are seeking child-friendly dogs (and I would add cats) after the baby boom during the pandemic. We are told that the human fertility rate rose for the first time since 2012 in the UK.
He added that, “Goldendoodles are typically very good with children and other pets. It is no surprise cross-breeds are in highest demand, giving an owner the best of both worlds.”
The goldendoodle is a crossbreed meaning a hybrid, being a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle.
Other popular dog breeds
Axel said that other popular dog breeds include the Maltipoo, a cross between the Maltese and poodle; labradoodles, a cross between a labrador and a poodle and cavapoos, a cross between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle.
Clearly, the poodle is popular and appears to be an ideal dog breed with which to create a hybrid.
Adele
Adele, lives with a goldendoodle, I am told by The Times today, Monday, February 19, 2024, the source of this article.
