The Newest Rankings of Dog Breeds by Popularity

Just how popular is your dog breed? The American Kennel Club knows the answer based upon its registration statistics.

Much like clothing styles and baby names, dog breeds tend to rise and fall in terms of their popularity. Some data says that breed choice is influenced by things like which breeds of dogs are featured in popular movies. For example, the first Lassie movie in 1943 was followed by an upsurge in the popularity of collies, and surprisingly, Saint Bernards became more popular after the release of the horror film Cujo. When a dog is associated with a prominent person that can also influence its popularity, thus there was an increase in the popularity of Cocker Spaniels during the Nixon presidency, since he was seen so often with his Cocker Spaniel Checkers. Also when a dog breed is associated with a celebrity trendsetter this can raise its prominence, as in the case of Madonna and her Chihuahua, which caused the popularity of the breed to rise over 40 ranks in one year.

Contrast this to the fact that again like in clothing, certain styles are classic and never seem to drop in their popularity. In women's fashion, Chanel's "Little Black Dress" is as enduring as the Rock of Gibraltar, while white knit cardigan sweaters never seem to go out of fashion with men. The same goes for certain breeds of dogs that seem to have an enduring lock on the top ranks of popularity.

The American Kennel Club has just released its latest statistics ranking dog breeds by popularity, and there are some familiar "classic" breeds at the top. For example, the Labrador retriever comes out as the most popular dog in America, topping the list for the 30th year in a row. In the number two slot, there is the French bulldog, which has been rising in popularity slowly over the past decade. The number three dog is the German Shepherd and the Golden retriever holds its number four ranking, with both of these breeds unwavering in their popularity. There is a newcomer to the top 10 — namely the Dachshund in the number 10 slot, knocking the Pembroke Welsh Corgi out of the top 10.

Some dog breeds are definitely on the rise, including the Belgian Malinois, which jumped from 60th in 2014 to 37th in 2020. Conversely, some dogs declined in popularity, including the cute and fluffy Coton de Tulear, which dropped 50 ranks from 31st to 81st.

Some dog breeds seem to be hovering near extinction, with the American foxhound ranking 192 and the English foxhound 194 out of 195 breeds ranked. Their low ranking has been a constant over a number of years causing some concerns over their continuing existence.

Here is the complete listing as released on March 16, 2021, based upon registrations by the American Kennel Club.

Breed                                                                      2020 Rank

Retrievers (Labrador)........................................................1

French Bulldogs................................................................2

German Shepherd Dogs ................................................3

Retrievers (Golden)...........................................................4

Bulldogs...............................................................................5

Poodles ...............................................................................6

Beagles.................................................................................7

Rottweilers...........................................................................8

Pointers (German Shorthaired)......................................9

Dachshunds........................................................................10

Pembroke Welsh Corgis...................................................11

Australian Shepherds........................................................12

Yorkshire Terriers................................................................13

Boxers....................................................................................14

Great Danes.........................................................................15

Siberian Huskies.................................................................16

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.......................................17

Doberman Pinschers..........................................................18

Miniature Schnauzers.........................................................19

Shih Tzu.................................................................................20

Boston Terriers.....................................................................21

Bernese Mountain Dogs...................................................22

Pomeranians........................................................................23

Havanese..............................................................................24

Cane Corso...........................................................................25

Spaniels (English Springer)...............................................26

Shetland Sheepdogs..........................................................27

Brittanys.................................................................................28

Pugs........................................................................................29

Spaniels (Cocker)................................................................30

Miniature American Shepherds.......................................31

Border Collies......................................................................32

Mastiffs...................................................................................33

Chihuahuas...........................................................................34

Vizslas....................................................................................35

Basset Hounds.....................................................................36

Belgian Malinois..................................................................37

Maltese..................................................................................38

Weimaraners........................................................................39

Collies....................................................................................40

Newfoundlands....................................................................41

Rhodesian Ridgebacks......................................................42

Shiba Inu................................................................................43

West Highland White Terriers..........................................44

Bichons Frises.....................................................................45

Bloodhounds.......................................................................46

Spaniels (English Cocker).................................................47

Akitas.....................................................................................48

Portuguese Water Dogs...................................................49

Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)..........................................50

Dalmatians............................................................................51

St. Bernards..........................................................................52

Papillons................................................................................53

Australian Cattle Dogs.......................................................54

Bullmastiffs............................................................................55

Samoyeds.............................................................................56

Scottish Terriers..................................................................57

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers........................................58

Whippets..............................................................................59

Pointers (German Wirehaired)........................................60

Chinese Shar-Pei...............................................................61

Airedale Terriers................................................................62

Wirehaired Pointing Griffons..........................................63

Bull Terriers.........................................................................64

Alaskan Malamutes...........................................................65

Cardigan Welsh Corgis....................................................66

Giant Schnauzers..............................................................67

Old English Sheepdogs...................................................68

Italian Greyhounds............................................................69

Great Pyrenees..................................................................70

Dogues de Bordeaux.......................................................71

Russell Terriers..................................................................72

Cairn Terriers.....................................................................73

Irish Wolfhounds...............................................................74

Setters (Irish)......................................................................75

Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs......................................76

Miniature Pinschers.........................................................77

Lhasa Apsos.....................................................................78

Chinese Crested..............................................................79

Coton de Tulear................................................................80

Staffordshire Bull Terriers...............................................81

American Staffordshire Terriers....................................82

Rat Terriers.........................................................................83

Chow Chows......................................................................84

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs..............................................85

Basenjis...............................................................................86

Spaniels (Boykin)..............................................................87

Lagotti Romagnoli............................................................88

Brussels Griffons..............................................................89

Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)........................90

Norwegian Elkhounds....................................................91

Standard Schnauzers.....................................................92

Dogo Argentinos.............................................................93

Bouviers des Flandres...................................................94

Pekingese..........................................................................95

Keeshonden......................................................................96

Border Terriers..................................................................97

Leonbergers......................................................................98

Tibetan Terriers................................................................99

Neapolitan Mastiffs.........................................................100

Setters (English)...............................................................101

Retrievers (Flat-Coated).................................................102

Borzois................................................................................103

Fox Terriers (Wire)............................................................104

Miniature Bull Terriers.....................................................105

Belgian Tervuren..............................................................106

Setters (Gordon)...............................................................107

Silky Terriers......................................................................108

Norwich Terriers...............................................................109

Spinoni Italiani...................................................................110

Japanese Chin..................................................................111

Welsh Terriers....................................................................112

Toy Fox Terriers.................................................................113

Schipperkes.......................................................................114

Parson Russell Terriers....................................................115

Pointers................................................................................116

Belgian Sheepdogs..........................................................117

Tibetan Spaniels...............................................................118

American Eskimo Dogs..................................................119

Irish Terriers.......................................................................120

Beaucerons........................................................................121

Afghan Hounds.................................................................122

Boerboels...........................................................................123

Fox Terriers (Smooth).......................................................124

Bearded Collies.................................................................125

Black Russian Terriers......................................................126

Black and Tan Coonhounds...........................................127

Spaniels (Welsh Springer)...............................................128

American Hairless Terriers..............................................129

Norfolk Terriers...................................................................130

Xoloitzcuintli........................................................................131

Manchester Terriers...........................................................132

Kerry Blue Terriers..............................................................133

Australian Terriers...............................................................134

Spaniels (Clumber).............................................................135

Lakeland Terriers................................................................136

Bluetick Coonhounds.......................................................137

English Toy Spaniels..........................................................138

German Pinschers..............................................................139

Tibetan Mastiffs...................................................................140

Bedlington Terriers.............................................................141

Greyhounds..........................................................................142

Pulik........................................................................................143

Salukis....................................................................................144

Barbets...................................................................................145

Redbone Coonhounds.......................................................146

Swedish Vallhunds...............................................................147

Sealyham Terriers................................................................148

Spanish Water Dogs...........................................................149

Briards....................................................................................150

Berger Picards......................................................................151

Entlebucher Mountain Dogs.............................................152

Treeing Walker Coonhounds...........................................153

Icelandic Sheepdogs.........................................................154

Wirehaired Vizslas...............................................................155

Pumik......................................................................................156

Portuguese Podengo Pequenos.....................................157

Spaniels (American Water)...............................................158

Retrievers (Curly-Coated).................................................159

Spaniels (Field)...................................................................160

Lowchen................................................................................161

Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes.........................................162

Affenpinschers....................................................................163

Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens..................................164

Finnish Lapphunds.............................................................165

Scottish Deerhounds.........................................................166

Plott Hounds........................................................................167

Norwegian Buhunds..........................................................168

Glen of Imaal Terriers........................................................169

Setters (Irish Red and White)...........................................170

Ibizan Hounds......................................................................171

Spaniels (Sussex).................................................................172

Bergamasco Sheepdogs...................................................173

Spaniels (Irish Water)..........................................................174

Polish Lowland Sheepdogs..............................................175

Otterhounds..........................................................................176

Kuvaszok................................................................................177

Komondorok.........................................................................178

Cirnechi dell’Etna................................................................179

Pharaoh Hounds.................................................................180

Dandie Dinmont Terriers...................................................181

Pyrenean Shepherds.........................................................182

Skye Terriers........................................................................183

Canaan Dogs.......................................................................184

American English Coonhounds.......................................185

Chinooks................................................................................186

Finnish Spitz..........................................................................187

Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens......................................188

Sloughis..................................................................................189

Harriers...................................................................................190

Cesky Terriers........................................................................191

American Foxhounds...........................................................192

Azawakhs................................................................................193

English Foxhounds................................................................194

Norwegian Lundehunds......................................................195

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