The 20 Most Popular Dog Breeds In The United States
Did your best friend make the list?
Dog lovers, perk up your ears. The American Kennel Club just revealed the top breeds for 2015, and lots of favorite companions are back on top. Labs have been the number one pick for a quarter of a century, but there are also some surprises among the ranks. Chances are you know someone who's gotten a French Bulldog or Dachshund in the past year — and it's easy to see why. Those tiny pooches are pretty darn cute, and fun companions to boot.
Check out the first 20 breeds below, and head over to the AKC website to see the rest of the list.
These trusted companions often work as police dogs and service dogs because they're fiercely loyal to their main caretakers.
This intelligent, friendly breed has starred on Full House, Air Bud, and Homeward Bound.
A presidential pick, both Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding owned these dignified, courageous canines.
Beagles
Curious and merry, beagles will follow their noses anywhere (and often into trouble).
The smaller ancestor of the English Bulldog, this breed has a big personality but requires minimal exercise. It's no wonder the big-eared pooches are the top choice in New York, San Francisco, and Miami.
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkies became a fashionable pet in the late Victorian era, but they started off as vermin catchers in clothing mills.
Poodles
They come in standard, miniature, and toy size varieties, but all poodles are considered one (extremely intelligent) breed. As for that fancy haircut, the "poodle clip" is designed to protect the joints and organs in cold water — even though most work as family dogs now.
Rottweilers
Known as protective guardians, Rottweilers are also super loving and like to cuddle with their owners.
Boxers
Boxers fittingly share a name with the human athletes — they can be super muscular and active.
German Shorthaired Pointers
"GSPs" are known as great hunting and field dogs because of their intelligence and strong sense of smell.
Dachshunds
Their somewhat silly-looking torsos do have a purpose — dachshund means "badger dog" in German, referring to their hunting past.
Doberman Pinschers
Dobermans can be alert and protective guard dogs, but breeders have recently favored them as better family companions.
Great Danes
Bigger can be better — this giant breed has been around for more than 400 years! When standing on their hind legs, Great Danes are taller than most people.
Miniature Schnauzers
There are three schnauzer breeds, but the smallest variety is the most popular. Celebrities Bob Dole, Mary Tyler Moore, and Bruce Lee have all owned these friendly, bearded pups.
Australian Shepherds
"Aussies" serve as hard-working herders, obedience dogs, and family companions.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Both King Charles I and Charlotte York of Sex and the City owned these affectionate, gentle pets.
"Lion dogs" were favorites of the Chinese court as far back as 618 A.D., and people still heavily dote on them today.
Queen Elizabeth II has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, and three of them even appeared in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony (they're easy to train!).
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.
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