Is the collie really top dog?

The border collie was named the top dog in the research. Photo / Thinkstock

The Border collie has been named man's best friend in a new study that rates the attributes of each breed.

At the other end of the scale, the bulldog was rated as the most overrated pooch, in the study by journalist David McCandless.

The research, which was done for his website, Information is beautiful, ranked each breed on cost, intelligence, health, lifespan, and ease of grooming.

Mr McCandless said he hoped people did not take the data, which he has displayed in an infographic called Best in Show, personally.

'I mean I love bulldogs - I love any dog,' he told The Times.

The Border collie ranked highly because of its intelligence, obedience, and average lifespan of 12 years.

Developed in the Scottish border region for herding livestock experts say they have unlimited energy and stamina.

It wasn't all good news for the collie. The same study also placed it 29th in a list of family friendly breeds.

Bulldogs, who only have an eight year lifespan, fell down in the data because of their lack of intelligence, price, and poor health.

Other dogs who were also reportedly labelled overrated, included the German shepherd, Great Dane and the Saint Bernard.

The Bulldog was said to be the most overrated breed. Photo / Thinkstock

The research apparently named the Border terrier as the most 'over-looked treasure.'

Mr McCandless, who is not a dog owner, uses visual representations to display the data on his website.

He has had his work displayed at Tate Britain and the Museum of Modern Art.

Mr McCandless latest book Knowledge is Beautiful is available now.

- Daily Mail