Most Popular Dog Breeds in America (AKC Top 10)
The French Bulldog dethroned the Labrador as America's number one. Here's the AKC's top 10 — and the trade-offs the popularity charts leave out.
How we built it
We reproduce the AKC's published top 10 by registration, in order, and link each breed to its full PetGrit profile.
Every spring, the American Kennel Club publishes the most popular dog breeds in the United States, ranked by the previous year's registrations across 200+ recognized breeds. It's the closest thing to an official popularity chart American dogs have. In 2022 the French Bulldog ended the Labrador Retriever's record 31-year reign at number one, and it has held the top spot since. Here's the latest top 10 — with a candid line on each, because popular doesn't always mean easy.
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- 1
French Bulldog
Non-sporting group · Small
Compact, affectionate, and apartment-friendly — but a flat-faced breed with real breathing, heat, and spinal risks to plan for.
View profile - 2
Labrador Retriever
Sporting group · Large
America's number one for three decades and still the default family dog: friendly, trainable, and food-motivated to a fault.
View profile - 3
Golden Retriever
Sporting group · Large
Gentle, eager, and endlessly social — with a heavy coat and a sobering cancer rate the breed clubs are working to address.
View profile - 4
German Shepherd
Herding group · Large
Brilliant and loyal working dog that needs a job, structure, and early socialization to be its best.
View profile - 5
Poodle
Non-sporting group · Varies (Toy to Standard)
Standard, Miniature, and Toy — a low-shedding, top-tier-smart breed that's far more athletic than the show clip suggests.
View profile - 6
Dachshund
Hound group · Small
Bold, funny, and stubborn; the long back means lifelong care to protect against disc disease (IVDD).
View profile - 7
Bulldog
Non-Sporting · Medium
Famously easygoing and devoted, with the highest care burden on this list thanks to flat-faced breathing and skin issues.
View profile - 8
Beagle
Hound group · Small
Merry, sturdy, and kid-friendly — a scent hound that follows its nose, bays loudly, and needs a fenced yard.
View profile - 9
Rottweiler
Working group · Large
Confident, calm, and protective; a powerful breed that rewards committed, consistent training and socialization.
View profile - 10
German Shorthaired Pointer
Sporting group · Large
A versatile, athletic gundog with an enormous exercise appetite — the rising star of the active-owner set.
View profile
Sources & method
American Kennel Club (AKC) — Most Popular Dog Breeds — ranked by annual AKC registration data (2023 registrations (released 2024)) . Registrations track purebred dogs registered with the AKC, not the total US population of each breed
- American Kennel Club (AKC) — annual Most Popular Breeds release — Primary source for the registration-based ranking and year-over-year changes.
- PetGrit breed profiles — Temperament, size, and health context for each breed.
The short version
- The French Bulldog is now America's most popular dog breed, ending the Labrador Retriever's 31-year run at the top.
- Three of the top three (Frenchie, Lab, Golden) are easygoing companions; the rest skew toward working and sporting breeds with higher activity needs.
- Two of the top breeds — French Bulldog and Bulldog — are flat-faced, so factor in breathing, heat-sensitivity, and likely higher vet costs before you fall for the rank.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular dog breed in the US right now?
The French Bulldog. According to the American Kennel Club's most recent registration data, the French Bulldog is the most popular dog breed in the United States, a spot it took in 2022 when it overtook the Labrador Retriever — which had held number one for 31 straight years.
Is the most popular breed the best breed to get?
Popularity and suitability are different things. The AKC ranking reflects how many dogs were registered, not how well a breed fits a given household. Several breeds near the top — notably the French Bulldog and Bulldog — have flat-faced anatomy with breathing and heat risks, so the 'best' breed for you depends on your space, activity level, and budget, not the chart.
Why do the rankings change each year?
The AKC recalculates the list every year from new registration totals, so breeds shift as fashions, breeder output, and demand change. The French Bulldog's rise is the clearest recent example — it climbed from outside the top 10 to number one within about a decade.
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