Data study · 92 AKC-ranked breeds · Updated June 2026

The most popular
dog breeds.

Name: TailorPup Most Popular Dog Breeds (US), ranked
Creator: TailorPup
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: most popular dog breeds, akc popularity ranking, top dog breeds, popular family dogs

Ranked by real American Kennel Club US registration data, from the #1 most-registered breed in the country down through 92 AKC-ranked breeds in our training library.

Want to know if a popular breed is actually easy to train? See the trainability index and the training difficulty index.

Quick answer

By American Kennel Club US registration data, French Bulldog is the most popular dog breed in the country, followed by Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever. Popularity reflects how many people register that breed each year, not how easy it is to train or live with: the average trainability score across these 92 popular breeds is 7.2/10, and several rank high on energy too, so a popular breed is still a real commitment.

French Bulldog

#1 most popular breed

AKC-ranked breeds tracked

7.2/10

average trainability of popular breeds

148

library breeds without a US rank

How this is measured

Real AKC data, not a TailorPup opinion.

Unlike our trainability, energy and difficulty studies, which are TailorPup's own editorial scoring, this ranking is not ours: it is the American Kennel Club's published US registration popularity rank, the same figure already cited on each breed's individual guide ("the AKC ranks the [breed] the #N most popular breed in the United States"). We simply compile it here across every breed in our library that the AKC ranks, so it can be scanned as one chart.

Only breeds recognized and ranked by the AKC appear below. Many breeds in TailorPup's wider 240-breed training library, rare landraces, regional breeds, and breeds outside AKC recognition, do not have a US popularity rank at all, so they are not fabricated here; they simply sit outside this particular list.

The top 25

America's most popular breeds.

1French BulldogNon-Sporting · medium energy 2Labrador RetrieverSporting · very high energy 3Golden RetrieverSporting · high energy 4German ShepherdHerding · very high energy 5BulldogNon-Sporting · low energy 6PoodleNon-Sporting · high energy 7BeagleHound · high energy 8RottweilerWorking · medium energy 9DachshundHound · medium energy 10German Shorthaired PointerSporting · very high energy 10Yorkshire TerrierToy · medium energy 11Pembroke Welsh CorgiHerding · high energy 13Australian ShepherdHerding · very high energy 14BoxerWorking · very high energy 15Cavalier King Charles SpanielToy · medium energy 16Mixed BreedMixed · medium energy 17Doberman PinscherWorking · very high energy 18Great DaneWorking · medium energy 19Siberian HuskyWorking · very high energy 20Shih TzuToy · low energy 21Bernese Mountain DogWorking · medium energy 22Miniature SchnauzerTerrier · high energy 23PomeranianToy · medium energy 24Cane CorsoWorking · medium energy 24HavaneseToy · medium energy

The full ranking

All 92 AKC-ranked breeds.

#	Breed	Group	Trainability
1	French Bulldog	Non-Sporting	7/10
2	Labrador Retriever	Sporting	9/10
3	Golden Retriever	Sporting	9/10
4	German Shepherd	Herding	10/10
5	Bulldog	Non-Sporting	6/10
6	Poodle	Non-Sporting	10/10
7	Beagle	Hound	6/10
8	Rottweiler	Working	9/10
9	Dachshund	Hound	6/10
10	German Shorthaired Pointer	Sporting	9/10
10	Yorkshire Terrier	Toy	7/10
11	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Herding	9/10
13	Australian Shepherd	Herding	9/10
14	Boxer	Working	8/10
15	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Toy	8/10
16	Mixed Breed	Mixed	8/10
17	Doberman Pinscher	Working	10/10
18	Great Dane	Working	8/10
19	Siberian Husky	Working	5/10
20	Shih Tzu	Toy	6/10
21	Bernese Mountain Dog	Working	8/10
22	Miniature Schnauzer	Terrier	8/10
23	Pomeranian	Toy	7/10
24	Cane Corso	Working	8/10
24	Havanese	Toy	8/10
25	Boston Terrier	Non-Sporting	7/10
25	Shetland Sheepdog	Herding	10/10
26	English Springer Spaniel	Sporting	9/10
27	Brittany	Sporting	9/10
28	Mastiff	Working	7/10
29	Cocker Spaniel	Sporting	8/10
30	Vizsla	Sporting	8/10
33	Pug	Toy	6/10
35	Border Collie	Herding	10/10
36	Belgian Malinois	Herding	10/10
37	Chihuahua	Toy	6/10
38	Bichon Frise	Non-Sporting	7/10
39	Basset Hound	Hound	5/10
39	Maltese	Toy	6/10
40	Weimaraner	Sporting	8/10
41	West Highland White Terrier	Terrier	6/10
42	Newfoundland	Working	8/10
43	Rhodesian Ridgeback	Hound	7/10
44	Shiba Inu	Non-Sporting	5/10
45	Collie	Herding	9/10
46	Chesapeake Bay Retriever	Sporting	7/10
47	Akita	Working	6/10
48	Bloodhound	Hound	5/10
49	Dalmatian	Non-Sporting	7/10
50	Portuguese Water Dog	Working	9/10
51	Whippet	Hound	6/10
52	Bullmastiff	Working	7/10
53	Saint Bernard	Working	7/10
54	Bull Terrier	Terrier	6/10
54	Papillon	Toy	9/10
55	Australian Cattle Dog	Herding	9/10
56	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	Terrier	7/10
57	American Staffordshire Terrier	Terrier	8/10
58	Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Terrier	7/10
59	Samoyed	Working	7/10
60	Scottish Terrier	Terrier	5/10
60	Old English Sheepdog	Herding	7/10
61	Great Pyrenees	Working	6/10
62	Airedale Terrier	Terrier	7/10
63	Alaskan Malamute	Working	6/10
64	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	Herding	8/10
65	Irish Setter	Sporting	7/10
66	Giant Schnauzer	Working	9/10
67	Standard Schnauzer	Working	8/10
68	Italian Greyhound	Toy	5/10
69	Chow Chow	Non-Sporting	4/10
70	Basenji	Hound	4/10
70	Jack Russell Terrier	Terrier	7/10
71	Chinese Shar-Pei	Non-Sporting	5/10
71	Miniature Pinscher	Toy	6/10
72	Border Terrier	Terrier	7/10
72	Cairn Terrier	Terrier	6/10
73	Pekingese	Toy	4/10
74	Lhasa Apso	Non-Sporting	5/10
75	Anatolian Shepherd	Working	5/10
76	English Setter	Sporting	7/10
77	Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	Working	7/10
78	Belgian Tervuren	Herding	9/10
79	Bouvier des Flandres	Herding	8/10
80	Gordon Setter	Sporting	7/10
81	Greyhound	Hound	6/10
82	Afghan Hound	Hound	4/10
83	Borzoi	Hound	5/10
84	Flat-Coated Retriever	Sporting	8/10
85	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	Sporting	8/10
86	Keeshond	Non-Sporting	8/10
87	Schipperke	Non-Sporting	7/10

Common questions.

What is the most popular dog breed in the US?

According to American Kennel Club registration data, French Bulldog holds the #1 spot as the most popular dog breed in the United States, with Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever close behind.

How is dog breed popularity measured?

The ranking used here comes from the American Kennel Club, which tallies annual purebred registrations in the US and publishes a popularity rank for every AKC-recognized breed. It measures how many people register that breed with the AKC each year, not temperament, trainability or suitability for any particular household.

Does popularity mean a breed is easy to train or a good first dog?

Not necessarily. Popularity tracks demand, not ease of ownership. Some of the most popular breeds, like French Bulldog, score well on trainability, but plenty of popular breeds are energetic or independent and need real commitment. Check a breed's own trainability and energy level, on our trainability and energy studies, before assuming "popular" means "easy."

Why do only some breeds on TailorPup have a popularity rank?

TailorPup's training library covers 240 breeds, far more than the 92 the American Kennel Club officially ranks for US popularity. Rare breeds, landraces, and breeds not recognized by the AKC do not receive a US popularity rank, so they are left out of this specific list even though they have a full training guide.

Best breeds for first-time owners Training difficulty index Energy levels by breed

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The most populardog breeds.