Vet shares the five breeds of dogs he would have as pets and explains why

A veterinary surgeon has taken to social media to share the five breeds of dogs he would consider owning – but added that it was just his ‘opinion’ and acknowledged others might disagree

He shared the five breeds of dogs he would never own – and has now revealed those he would welcome into his home with open arms. A veterinary surgeon, known as Ben the Vet on TikTok, has posted another video where he shares his opinion on popular dog breeds and whether they could make good pets.

His latest video, captioned: “Here are 5 dog breeds I would personally consider as a vet getting a dog”, has gained more than 607,000 views in just a matter of days. It comes after another one, called “5 dog breeds I would/could never own as a veterinary surgeon”, went viral after racking in more than 8.3 million views.

Before starting his list, Ben put out an disclaimer saying: “I’m definitely not telling everyone to go out and get these five dog breeds.

“I’m also not saying these are the five healthiest dog breeds because every dog breed has some issues that they’re prone to.

“These are also not the only five I would consider. Remember this is just my opinion. You are fully entitled to disagree.”

Revealing them in reverse order, he placed greyhounds in fifth place because they are “really gentle dogs and so many of them need homes when their racing careers end”.

He said: “They’re unfortunately renowned for having very bad teeth so I’d put in the effort from the beginning to get them used to having their teeth brushed.

“They’ll happily plod along on a walk but they love the opportunity to sprint around. I’d make sure they get that time and opportunity.”

Fourth on Ben’s list is the border terrier as they’re “affectionate little dogs”.

“For me, if I were going to get a small dog they’d probably be my top choice,” he added. “Compared to some other terriers I find they have formed slightly stronger attachments with people.

“Their physical appearance isn’t exactly exaggerated in any way and on the whole, they tend to be quite robust health wise.

“Although like all breeds there are some issues they’re prone to such as luxating patella, which is like a cramping syndrome.”

The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla came in third on his list. He said there isn’t a lot of them around but they tend to have a “really lovely temperament”.

He said: “They’re moderate and unexaggerated in their appearance. They can be prone to some joint issues, such as hip dysplasia, so I would definitely ask if the parents have been hip scored.

“They do need lots and lots of exercise and simulation. I would only get one if I had time to take them out for two long walks every day.”

As expected, labradors claimed a spot on his list.

“Number two for me is the labrador. I just think they’re amazing family dogs – they’re gentle, affectionate, loyal and funny,” he added.

“They’re moderate in their appearance, they’re not exaggerated in any way and we know exaggeration can be bad for health so that’s good.”

But he admitted he is slightly conflicted about them because they are genetically prone to quite a few different problems including eye and joint issues.

Coming in at number one is the mongrel – otherwise known as mixed breeds or crossbreeds.

He said: “When I say mongrel, I mean the proper Liquorice Allsorts mixed breed where you can’t tell what they are.

“The down side is you don’t get the predictability in terms of adult size, temperament, activity levels that you get with a pedigree dog.

“But what you do get is diverse genetics and a dog by virtue of being less inbred is less prone to diseases that have an inherited component than a dog that comes from a narrow gene pool. For me as a vet, that’s really important.”

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