Ahead of International Dog Day, which falls on August 26, online card company thortful.com looked to crown the nation’s ‘cutest’ canine.
In total, they went through more than 2,150 entries. Ten dogs were then shortlisted for the finals and people were asked to vote for the pet that stole their hearts the most.
An adorable two-year-old pug named Cuddly Dudley scooped top place in the competition. Not only did Dudley’s face win over fans, but his impeccable dress sense did, too.
In second place was 12-week-old Mable, who is a Bernese mountain dog. Her fluffy fur and giant paws went down a treat with voters.
Taking the third spot was five-month-old Cockerpoo Dave, who is described by his owner as being ‘part teddy bear, part sock hunter.’ A winning combination in our opinion.
Just missing out on the top three was Conchita who placed fourth, followed by Kevin and Ripley in sixth and seventh place, respectively.
Other four-legged friends who made it into the top 10 were Bertie, Dotty, Dottie and Rocky.
Dr. Heather Venkat from VIP Puppies explains there are a few important things that makes a dog ‘cute’ to a human.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Researchers have pinpointed five elements that contribute to making a dog appear cute which draws us to them:
- Large, forward-facing eyes
- Big, round ears
- Floppy limbs and a teetering gait
- A large head relative to their body size, or simply a particularly rounded head
- A rounded body shape
‘We find dogs cute because they make us feel happy and foster a strong bond, similar to the feeling between a mother and baby. Studies show that pets lower our blood pressure, reduce stress, and boost our mood. When we see cute animals, we feel better.’
