It’s a well-known fact that Americans have a soft spot for dogs. They are the most popular pets owned by around 49 million families. The APPA National Pet Owners Survey has observed pet ownership since 1988 and it has reported that 66% of those that have a pet chose a dog. For many, 51%, according to The Pew Research Center, furry friends are more like a human, a family member who needs tons of love, high-quality food, assistance, and toys. But have you ever wondered what the most popular dog breed is in the US?
Looking at the rankings published by US News, Americans don’t seem to prefer any particular size: in the top 10 list of the most beloved dog breeds in the US there are both extra-small and super-big canines.
The Chihuahua is the most popular, dominating the scene in 21 States, especially in the South–being the favorite in every Southern State except for Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. According to the rankings for each State, 4% of US dogs are Chihuahuas, but they are the most numerous in New Mexico, covering about 7% of all pets in the State.
The second is the French Bulldog, at the top in 3 States–California, Hawaii and Florida. The third is the Golden Retriever, favored in 14 States, such as Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. The list continues with the German Shepherd, who is best four-legged-friend in Alaska; the Shih Tzu, which is the New Yorkers’ pet; bringing up the rear is the Goldendoodle, the most popular in Idaho.
Color combinations don’t really matter either, except when it comes for the Labrador Retriever: the Black one takes the 10th position, the Yellow one covers the 14th, and the Chocolate one comes in at 22nd.
Alabama
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
Alaska
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- French Bulldog
- Yorkshire Terrier
Arizona
- Chihuahua
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Golden Retriever
Arkansas
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
California
- French Bulldog
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Yorkshire Terrier
Colorado
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
- French Bulldog
Connecticut
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Goldendoodle
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
Delaware
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
Florida
- French Bulldog
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
Georgia
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
Hawaii
- French Bulldog
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Pomeranian
Idaho
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
Illinois
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
- Shih Tzu
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
Indiana
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
Iowa
- Shih Tzu
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Goldendoodle
Kansas
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Goldendoodle
- Shih Tzu
- French Bulldog
Kentucky
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
Louisiana
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
Maine
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador Retriever (Black)
- German Shepherd
- Labrador Retriever (Yellow)
- Goldendoodle
Maryland
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- French Bulldog
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
Massachusetts
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
Michigan
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
Minnesota
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Chihuahua
Mississippi
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- German Shepherd
- Pit Bull
Missouri
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
Montana
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Labrador Retriever (Black)
Nebraska
- Golden Retriever
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- French Bulldog
Nevada
- Chihuahua
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
New Hampshire
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Labrador Retriever (Black)
- French Bulldog
- Labrador Retriever (Yellow)
New Jersey
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
New Mexico
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- French Bulldog
New York
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- French Bulldog
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
North Carolina
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
North Dakota
- Golden Retriever
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
- German Shepherd
- Chihuahua
Ohio
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Chihuahua
- Goldendoodle
- Yorkshire Terrier
Oklahoma
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- German Shepherd
- French Bulldog
- Yorkshire Terrier
Oregon
- Chihuahua
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
- Goldendoodle
Pennsylvania
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
- Shih Tzu
- Chihuahua
Rhode Island
- Shih Tzu
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
- Chihuahua
- Goldendoodle
South Carolina
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
South Dakota
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Goldendoodle
Tennessee
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- Shih Tzu
- German Shepherd
Texas
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Yorkshire Terrier
- French Bulldog
- German Shepherd
Utah
- Goldendoodle
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
Vermont
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Labrador Retriever (Yellow)
- Chihuahua
- Labrador Retriever (Black)
Virginia
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Chihuahua
- Shih Tzu
Washington
- Chihuahua
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- French Bulldog
- Goldendoodle
Washington, D.C.
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Goldendoodle
- Golden Retriever
West Virginia
- Chihuahua
- German Shepherd
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Shih Tzu
- Goldendoodle
Wisconsin
- Golden Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Goldendoodle
- Shih Tzu
- Chihuahua
Wyoming
- German Shepherd
- Chihuahua
- Golden Retriever
- French Bulldog
- Labrador Retriever (Black)