Most popular dog breeds – the quick version
- The Cane Corso is the most popular dog breed in America (based on Google search data)
- The French bulldog is in the second most popular breed in the US (based on Google search data)
- The Labrador Retriever and French Bull Dog are the two breeds most commonly registered with the American Kennel Club
How we determined the most popular dog breed
When talking about America’s most popular type of dog, breeds like the Labrador retriever, the Golden retriever, and German shepherd come to mind. These breeds usually hold the top spots on popularity lists. However popularity will depend on who you ask.
In order to find out which dog breeds are the most popular in the US, we conducted some keyword research to find out how many searches are made each month for over 200 dog breeds.
We used the tool Keyword Finder to get the data. This allowed us to see the average number of monthly searches for each breed over the past twelve months. The idea behind our research: people searching for specific dog breed are most likely interested in that breed. This list was updated as of March 2022.
Most popular dog breeds according to Google searches
Here is the data we found on the 10 most popular dog breeds based on Google search data.
| Dog Breed | Average Monthly Searches Over 12 months* |
|---|---|
| 1) Cane Corso | 1,310,000 |
| Shiba Inu** | 1,140,000 |
| 2) French Bulldog | 1,000,000 |
| 3) Australian Shepherd | 974,000 |
| 4) Golden Retriever | 815,000 |
| 5) German Shepherd | 787,000 |
| 6) Boxer | 765,000 |
| 7) Rottweiler | 748,000 |
| 8) Doberman | 723,000 |
| 9) Pomeranian | 601,000 |
| 10) Shih Tzu | 580,000 |
**Most searches related to crypto currency coin and not necessarily the dog breed
When researching the data for this article, we were surprised to find the Cane Corso on the top of the list of most popular breeds. We assumed Labs, French Bulldogs, or maybe German Shepherds would claim the number one spot.
These three breeds are usually at the of the top of the American Kennel’s club lists each year, so we thought internet searches would yield similar data. Boy were we wrong. The German Shepherd didn’t even make top five!
Shiba Inu breed vs the Shiba Inu coin
We also got excited when we saw the sudden spike of interest for the Shiba Inu breed, only to discover that there’s a new crypto coin called “Shiba Inu”. The Shiba Inu coin was created in August 2020, and has been making a lot of headlines lately (hence all the search interest).
Unfortunately most people who search “Shiba Inu” are most likely looking for the coin and not the dog breed.
Most popular dog breeds according to AKC registrations
Here’s the list of most popular dog breeds based on AKC registrations.
| Most Popular Breeds According to American Kennel Club registrations |
|---|
| 1) Labrador Retriever |
| 2) French Bulldog |
| 3) Golden Retriever |
| 4) German Shepherd |
| 5) Poodle |
| 6) Bulldog |
| 7) Beagle |
| 8) Rottweiler |
| 9) Pointer (German Shorthaired) |
| 10) Dachshund |
Why the discrepancy between search data and kennel registrations?
So what’s going on with this data? The AKC says the Labrador is the most popular dog breed in America, but the search data tells a completely different story.
Typically dog owners register their purebred pups with the AKC if they want to compete in dog shows or skill competitions, or if they want breeding pedigrees. Your average dog owner in the US won’t necessarily register their dog with a kennel club.
Thus the American Kennel Club’s list reflects the most popular dog breeds for shows, sporting competitions, and breeders. It doesn’t necessarily represent the interest of the average pet owner.
Raw Google search data better reflects general interest and popularity. In one month alone Google reports over 3.5 billion unique visits in the US, and that’s across all demographics. So if a breed is getting Googled a lot the odds are pretty high that it’s more popular.
Why has the Cane Corso become so popular?
So why all the fuss about Cane Corso’s?
The Cane Corso is a working breed. They are known for the their loyality, intelligence, and desire to please their owners.
Cane Corso’s are happiest when they have a job to do. Their vigilant personality mixed with their size and striking physique make them great watch dogs. When properly trained and socialized they make affectionate family dogs.
With these kind of traits, it’s no wonder the breed has surged in popularity!
