Is your dogās 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 Frenchie 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, even the adorable 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. Itās 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 twentieth century, even the breedās temperament, health, and longevity played less of a role in selecting a dog than did 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.
2020 Most Popular Dog Breeds Rankings
| 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 dellāEtna | 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 |