The Irish love their dogs, but aren't a big fans of cats, according to several studies about pet ownership in Ireland. Several countries were in the studies and Ireland was unequivocally a nation of dog lovers, typically showing a preference for larger dogs.
One may ask, why? Researchers believe the Irish bias toward dogs may be linked to the significance and prevalence of farming and rural life in Ireland, and the fact that many more Irish citizens live in spacious houses, rather than small apartments. The study also states that in Ireland, dogs are viewed as useful in the rural area where there are farms and the dogs were considered part of the working household.
Allen McKibbin, keeping step with his homeland, loves big dogs.
Allen is a supervisor in the construction industry, working all over the place managing up to 40 crew members. One day on the way to a site, Allen spotted a large animal wandering in the street. When he reached it he said, "Oh, my god, it's a dog!" Fearing the dog might have gotten hit he pushed it into the back of the truck and off to his work site they went.