And, Minnesota’s Most Popular Dog Breed for 2021 Is…
Dogs are certainly popular in Minnesota these days, but just which breed of dog is the MOST popular in Minnesota?
That's the question answered by the American Kennel Club, and their latest dog ownership survey. Their latest survey of the Most Popular Dog Breeds was released earlier this spring.
So which breed IS the most popular this year? Well, both here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and across the country, the Canine Journal says that honor once again goes to... the Labrador Retriever, which once again took the top spot in the AKC survey for 2021. And it's not really a surprise, seeing as the Labrador Retriever has been ranked #1 now for 30 years in a row. That's right, Labs have been the most popular breed of dog since way back in 1991! That's an impressive streak.
Following the Labrador Retrievers, French Bulldogs came in second; German Shepherds came in third; Golden Retrievers were fourth, and Bulldogs came in at number five in this year's survey. Other breeds including Poodles, Beagles, Rottweilers, German Shorthaired Pointers, and (new to the top ten in 2021) Dachshunds rounded out the top ten most popular dog breeds in 2021.
Now, keep in mind that this survey is based on American Kennel Club registrations-- which tracks purebred breeds only. So, if you have a mixed breed-- like all pretty much all the dogs I've had the pleasure of owning-- the results might be somewhat different.
Our first dog, Asher, who we adopted from Paws and Claws Humane Society here in Rochester three years ago, is an Australian Cattle Dog (with a LOT of energy!) We were pretty sure he's some type of mixed breed, but the results of a DNA test we did says he's, in fact, 100% Australian Cattle Dog. If that's indeed true (our veterinarian says some of those DNA tests aren't always accurate), it would mark the first purebred I've ever owned. His breed ranked 54th on the AKC survey again this year.
Meanwhile, our second dog, Juniper, is an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. We just adopted her last month from a rescue in Colorado and she just missed the top ten, with Australian Shepherds coming in at #12 this year. Border Collies, meanwhile, ranked 32nd. You can see where YOUR dog's breed ranked HERE.
And if you didn't know your dog when they were puppies (like in our case with Asher), keep scrolling to check out what some of the most popular breeds look like when they're really young-- and really cute. There's also a handy list of foods likely to be at your summer cookout in Minnesota that could be dangerous for your dog to eat!
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KEEP LOOKING: See What 50 of America's Most 'Pupular' Dog Breeds Look Like as Puppies