What's the best dog breed? Survey shows each state's favorite type of pup
Approximately two-thirds of U.S. households own a dog, with 85% of dog owners considering their pets a part of their family. But which breeds are more favored between the 50 states?
Forbes surveyed 10,000 dog owners across the country to find out which breeds rank supreme in the U.S. Results encompassed the top 25 most popular breeds nationwide, according to the American Kennel Club.
What is the top dog breed in the nation? Turns out, “no breed in particular” is America's favorite at 13%.
But if we as a nation had to decide, Australian shepherds ranked as the top favorite dog breed.
Commonly referred to as “Aussies,” Australian shepherds are known to be highly intelligent herding dogs with high energy levels. Their coats comes in an array of colors, including shades of blue and red.
The Australian shepherd ranked as the top dog breed in 10 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New York and Virginia. They were also the second favorite dog breed in nine states.
But while Aussies won the popular vote, the German Shepherd is the favorite in more states (16) than any other breed.
What is your state's favorite dog breed?
What are the top 10 favorite dog breeds in the United States?
- Australia Shepherds (7.2%)
- German Shepherds (7.1%)
- Bulldogs (6.5%)
- Labrador Retriever (6%)
- Bernese Mountain Dog (5.6%)
- Beagle (5.2%)
- Golden Retriever (5.1%)
- Boston Terrier (4.7%)
- Boxer (4.5%)
- Shih Tzu (3.1%)
- Dachshund (3.1%)
- Siberian Husky (3%)
Is there a least favorite dog breed in America?
If you can believe it, there is actually dog breed considered the "least favorite." And that title goes to the Havanese, which was the bottom-ranking breed in 33 states in the Forbes survey.
"The Havanese, native to Cuba, is a small breed with long hair," Forbes writes. "A great option for an urban dweller, the Havanese is easy to train and a great watchdog that takes its jobs very seriously."
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Why do Americans rank specific breeds as their favorites?
Is there a science to why we choose our favorite breeds? Forbes shared the factors that motivated survey respondents to choose a specific breed as their favorite: