Historical Comparisons & Notable Trends
Rankings of Popular Dog Breeds
Proving that bigger really is better, the American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced that during 2012 the Bulldog muscled its way into the top 5, becoming the fifth most popular dog in the U.S. according to AKC Registration Statistics, bumping the tiny Yorkshire Terrier into sixth place for the first time since 2003. The Golden Retriever also pushed its way back to the top, overtaking the Beagle for third place, and Rottweilers continued their climb up the top 10 list by taking ninth place away from the Dachshund, both adding to the bigger breed trend. Labrador Retriever lovers have again spoken – the playful, family friendly breed remains the number one most popular breed in the U.S. for the 22nd consecutive year, tying with the Poodle for the longest reign in the top spot.
RANKING | ||||
BREED | 2012 | 2011 | 2007 | 2002 |
Labrador Retrievers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
German Shepherd Dogs | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Golden Retrievers | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Beagles | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
Bulldogs | 5 | 6 | 10 | 18 |
Yorkshire Terriers | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
Boxers | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Poodles | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Rottweilers | 9 | 10 | 15 | 13 |
Dachshunds | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
Shih Tzu | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
Doberman Pinschers | 12 | 13 | 21 | 23 |
Miniature Schnauzers | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
French Bulldogs | 14 | 18 | 34 | 58 |
German Shorthaired Pointers | 15 | 15 | 18 | 22 |
Siberian Huskies | 16 | 16 | 24 | 21 |
Great Danes | 17 | 19 | 23 | 28 |
Chihuahuas | 18 | 14 | 12 | 9 |
Pomeranians | 19 | 17 | 13 | 12 |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels | 20 | 21 | 25 | 40 |
Shetland Sheepdogs | 21 | 20 | 20 | 16 |
Australian Shepherds | 22 | 24 | 33 | 35 |
Boston Terriers | 23 | 22 | 16 | 17 |
Pembroke Welsh Corgis | 24 | 25 | 22 | 25 |
Maltese | 25 | 23 | 19 | 20 |
Mastiffs | 26 | 28 | 28 | 34 |
Cocker Spaniels | 27 | 27 | 17 | 15 |
Havanese | 28 | 31 | 37 | 64 |
English Springer Spaniels | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 |
Pugs | 30 | 26 | 14 | 14 |
Brittanys | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
Weimaraners | 32 | 32 | 30 | 29 |
Bernese Mountain Dogs | 33 | 34 | 41 | 51 |
Vizslas | 34 | 37 | 42 | 46 |
Collies | 35 | 36 | 38 | 32 |
West Highland White Terriers | 36 | 35 | 35 | 31 |
Papillons | 37 | 38 | 36 | 38 |
Bichons Frises | 38 | 39 | 32 | 26 |
Bullmastiffs | 39 | 40 | 40 | 47 |
Basset Hounds | 40 | 41 | 31 | 24 |
Rhodesian Ridgebacks | 41 | 44 | 53 | 57 |
Newfoundlands | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
Russell Terriers** | 43 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Border Collies | 44 | 45 | 54 | 63 |
Akitas | 45 | 47 | 51 | 41 |
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers | 46 | 46 | 47 | 42 |
Miniature Pinschers | 47 | 42 | 26 | 19 |
Bloodhounds | 48 | 48 | 43 | 49 |
St. Bernards | 49 | 49 | 39 | 37 |
Shiba Inu | 50 | 53 | 67 | 55 |
Bull Terriers | 51 | 51 | 58 | 79 |
Chinese Shar-Pei | 52 | 50 | 46 | 39 |
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers | 53 | 52 | 62 | 56 |
Airedale Terriers | 54 | 55 | 55 | 48 |
Portuguese Water Dogs | 55 | 56 | 65 | 73 |
Whippets | 56 | 57 | 61 | 60 |
Alaskan Malamutes | 57 | 58 | 56 | 53 |
Scottish Terriers | 58 | 54 | 45 | 44 |
Australian Cattle Dogs | 59 | 60 | 64 | 71 |
Cane Corso | 60 | 67 | N/A | N/A |
Lhasa Apsos | 61 | 62 | 49 | 36 |
Chinese Crested | 62 | 61 | 52 | 62 |
Cairn Terriers | 63 | 59 | 48 | 43 |
English Cocker Spaniels | 64 | 63 | 69 | 75 |
Dalmatians | 65 | 73 | 77 | 68 |
Italian Greyhounds | 66 | 65 | 59 | 52 |
Dogues de Bordeaux | 67 | 66 | N/A | N/A |
Samoyeds | 68 | 69 | 73 | 69 |
Chow Chows | 69 | 68 | 63 | 54 |
German Wirehaired Pointers | 70 | 75 | 70 | 76 |
Belgian Malinois | 71 | 74 | 79 | 90 |
Great Pyrenees | 72 | 71 | 57 | 50 |
Pekingese | 73 | 64 | 50 | 33 |
Irish Setters | 74 | 70 | 66 | 59 |
Cardigan Welsh Corgis | 75 | 81 | 78 | 82 |
Staffordshire Bull Terriers | 76 | 76 | 85 | 91 |
Irish Wolfhounds | 77 | 79 | 80 | 83 |
Old English Sheepdogs | 78 | 84 | 72 | 67 |
American Staffordshire Terriers | 79 | 72 | 68 | 61 |
Bouviers des Flandres | 80 | 83 | 84 | 81 |
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs | 81 | 82 | 90 | 97 |
Japanese Chin | 82 | 78 | 71 | 74 |
Tibetan Terriers | 83 | 86 | 92 | 92 |
Brussels Griffons | 84 | 77 | 60 | 78 |
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons | 85 | 92 | 105 | 113 |
Border Terriers | 86 | 80 | 81 | 86 |
English Setters | 87 | 87 | 93 | 94 |
Basenjis | 88 | 93 | 89 | 77 |
Standard Schnauzers | 89 | 91 | 102 | 101 |
Silky Terriers | 90 | 85 | 74 | 66 |
Flat-Coated Retrievers | 91 | 90 | 100 | 98 |
Norwich Terriers | 92 | 89 | 95 | 102 |
Afghan Hounds | 93 | 88 | 94 | 89 |
Giant Schnauzers | 94 | 95 | 83 | 80 |
Borzois | 95 | 102 | 98 | 88 |
Wire Fox Terriers | 96 | 100 | 82 | 70 |
Parson Russell Terriers | 97 | 97 | 75 | 65 |
Schipperkes | 98 | 105 | 86 | 72 |
Gordon Setters | 99 | 94 | 91 | 84 |
Treeing Walker Coonhounds** | 100 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Keeshonden | 101 | 98 | 99 | 85 |
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers | 102 | 107 | 110 | N/A |
Toy Fox Terriers | 103 | 101 | 88 | N/A |
Leonbergers | 104 | 103 | N/A | N/A |
Norwegian Elkhounds | 105 | 96 | 96 | 87 |
Belgian Tervuren | 106 | 108 | 103 | 104 |
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs | 107 | 111 | 111 | 126 |
Welsh Terriers | 108 | 99 | 97 | 93 |
Black and Tan Coonhounds | 109 | 109 | 136 | 125 |
Pointers | 110 | 115 | 106 | 99 |
Tibetan Spaniels | 111 | 114 | 104 | 100 |
Neapolitan Mastiffs | 112 | 110 | 115 | N/A |
American Eskimo Dogs | 113 | 116 | 109 | 103 |
Spinoni Italiani | 114 | 123 | 117 | 114 |
Smooth Fox Terriers | 115 | 113 | 101 | 95 |
Boykin Spaniels | 116 | 138 | N/A | N/A |
Bearded Collies | 117 | 112 | 107 | 96 |
Salukis | 118 | 117 | 118 | 108 |
Norfolk Terriers | 119 | 120 | 112 | 110 |
Black Russian Terriers | 120 | 128 | 131 | N/A |
Manchester Terriers | 121 | 119 | 113 | 107 |
Briards | 122 | 125 | 123 | 115 |
Australian Terriers | 123 | 121 | 108 | 106 |
Belgian Sheepdogs | 124 | 118 | 119 | 109 |
Welsh Springer Spaniels | 125 | 130 | 124 | 112 |
Miniature Bull Terriers | 126 | 127 | 127 | 132 |
Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens | 127 | 131 | 120 | 116 |
Kerry Blue Terriers | 128 | 124 | 114 | 105 |
Tibetan Mastiffs | 129 | 122 | 128 | N/A |
Irish Terriers | 130 | 132 | 126 | 111 |
Clumber Spaniels | 131 | 133 | 122 | 120 |
Redbone Coonhounds | 132 | 126 | N/A | N/A |
Bluetick Coonhounds | 133 | 136 | N/A | N/A |
English Toy Spaniels | 134 | 129 | 121 | 121 |
Lakeland Terriers | 135 | 135 | 130 | 124 |
German Pinschers | 136 | 137 | 135 | N/A |
Xoloitzcuintli | 137 | 155 | N/A | N/A |
Affenpinschers | 138 | 139 | 125 | 117 |
Scottish Deerhounds | 139 | 142 | 137 | 122 |
Beaucerons | 140 | 144 | 76 | N/A |
American Water Spaniels | 141 | 157 | 138 | 119 |
Ibizan Hounds | 142 | 149 | 140 | 144 |
Icelandic Sheepdogs | 143 | 143 | N/A | N/A |
Bedlington Terriers | 144 | 134 | 129 | 118 |
Pulik | 145 | 156 | 141 | 129 |
Greyhounds | 146 | 140 | 133 | 123 |
Field Spaniels | 147 | 141 | 132 | 131 |
Swedish Vallhunds | 148 | 153 | 87 | N/A |
American English Coonhounds | 149 | 33 | N/A | N/A |
Plotts | 150 | 145 | 116 | N/A |
Kuvaszok | 151 | 148 | 134 | 127 |
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs | 152 | 159 | 142 | 133 |
Curly-Coated Retrievers | 153 | 154 | 143 | 128 |
Irish Water Spaniels | 154 | 150 | 147 | 134 |
Irish Red and White Setters | 155 | 147 | N/A | N/A |
Lowchen | 156 | 152 | 139 | 130 |
Entlebucher Mountain Dogs | 157 | 146 | N/A | N/A |
Pharaoh Hounds | 158 | 151 | 145 | 135 |
Canaan Dogs | 159 | 168 | 153 | 138 |
Finnish Spitz | 160 | 167 | 151 | 143 |
Sealyham Terriers | 161 | 163 | 146 | 137 |
Glen of Imaal Terriers | 162 | 158 | 149 | N/A |
Norwegian Buhunds | 163 | 165 | N/A | N/A |
Finnish Lapphunds | 164 | 104 | N/A | N/A |
Pyrenean Shepherds | 165 | 162 | N/A | N/A |
Skye Terriers | 166 | 164 | 152 | 142 |
Sussex Spaniels | 167 | 161 | 154 | 136 |
Otterhounds | 168 | 169 | 156 | 147 |
Komondorok | 169 | 166 | 144 | 141 |
Dandie Dinmont Terriers | 170 | 160 | 148 | 139 |
Harriers | 171 | 172 | 150 | 146 |
American Foxhounds | 172 | 173 | 155 | 140 |
Norwegian Lundehunds | 173 | 170 | N/A | N/A |
Cesky Terriers | 174 | 106 | N/A | N/A |
English Foxhounds | 175 | 171 | 157 | 145 |
American Kennel Club 2012 Dog Registration Statistics
Article: Rankings of Popular Dog Breeds
Return to the home page at Scottsdale real estate