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Labrador retriever puppies sleeping side by side in the grass.
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For the most updated statistics, check out the latest rankings of America’s most popular dog breeds.

Is your dog’s breed winning popularity contests this year? Now you can find out! The most popular dog breeds of 2020 were released on March 16, 2021, based on American Kennel Club registration statistics.

America continues its love affair with the Labrador Retriever, which tops the list for the 30th year in a row. Just below the Lab, the French Bulldog takes the #2 spot, ranking above the German Shepherd Dog and Golden Retriever for the first time. And the Dachshund makes its way into the top 10 this year, knocking the Pembroke Welsh Corgi down to #11.

Some breeds rose in popularity, including the Belgian Malinois, which jumped from 60th in 2014 to 37th this year. Some breeds declined in popularity, like the Coton de Tulear, which dropped 50 spots from 31 to 81, and the Boerbel, which declined almost 60 spots.

Like clothing styles and baby names, dog breeds go in and out of style. It’s likely that pop culture plays a large role in preferences. In fact, a study from the University of Bristol, City University of New York, and Western Carolina University found that movies, specifically durably popular ones, play a large role in breed popularity. For most of the 20th century, a breed’s temperament, health, and longevity played less of a role in selecting a dog than its association with a popular film.

The study used registration statistics from the AKC to compile and analyze the data. But there are more substantial reasons that dog registration is important. The AKC is the only purebred dog registry in the United States, maintaining systematic investigations and inspections. The AKC conducts thousands of inspections each year to ensure compliance with standards that support the safety, welfare, and health of dogs throughout the country. Additionally, the American Kennel Club and its affiliates have donated over $38 million to canine health research and $7 million to pet disaster relief.

Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2020 Full List

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

 

Related article: What Dog Is Right For Me? How to Choose the Perfect Breed
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