The American Kennel Club just released its 2025 registration numbers. The French Bulldog is No. 1 again—for the fourth year running. Labrador Retrievers sit at No. 2. Golden Retrievers are third. German Shepherds fourth. Dachshunds jumped into fifth, the first time they’ve cracked the top five since 2003.
Visual Capitalist ranked the top 20 purebreds from those AKC numbers. After the top five come Poodles, Beagles, Rottweilers, German Shorthaired Pointers, and English Bulldogs. Cane Corsos keep climbing (now 11th). Yorkies, Australian Shepherds, and Pembroke Welsh Corgis stay in the conversation. The full list runs to 202 recognized breeds. Mixed breeds and doodles are excluded.
What 2005 looked like
Twenty years ago the list was different. In 2005 the AKC counted roughly 921,000 purebred registrations. Labs were first with about 138,000. Goldens second. Yorkshire Terriers third. German Shepherds fourth. Beagles fifth. Dachshunds were already sixth. Boxers, Poodles, Shih Tzus, and Miniature Schnauzers rounded out the top ten. French Bulldogs were nowhere near the top 20.
Labs had been No. 1 since 1991. They kept the crown for 31 straight years until 2022, when the Frenchie finally passed them. Goldens and German Shepherds have barely moved. The middle of the list has churned harder—Yorkies and Shih Tzus have slipped, smaller companion breeds have risen, and a few working dogs (Cane Corso especially) have jumped fast.
Why the Frenchie took over
They’re small enough for apartments. They don’t need long runs. They have the bat-ear face that photographs well. Celebrity owners and Instagram did the rest. Local news stations and Good Morning America ran short segments the week the 2025 list dropped; the same clips keep circulating. On X the chatter is mostly people posting pictures of their own Frenchies or joking about the snoring.
The same traits that make them popular also create the problems. Flat faces mean breathing trouble, heat intolerance, and higher rates of eye, skin, and spinal issues. Vets and breed clubs have said for years that demand has pulled in backyard breeders. Some owners end up with expensive dogs that need C-sections to deliver puppies and still face chronic health bills. The AKC rankings only count registered purebreds; they do not measure how many of those dogs stay healthy.
Dachshunds climbing back into the top five is the other clear movement. They were sixth in 2005 and have bounced around the teens and high single digits for years. Social media and the “little sausage dog” look helped.
Most Popular Dog Breeds in the US (1960-2025) 🐕 https://t.co/mJ2qnSmtey
— Global Statistics (@Globalstats11) November 5, 2026
The rest of the list
Retrievers still occupy two of the top three spots. Working and herding dogs have not disappeared—Rottweilers, Dobermans, Boxers, and Bernese Mountain Dogs remain in or near the top 20. The shift is real but not total. People still want dogs that can hike, retrieve, or guard. They also want dogs that fit in a condo and show up well on a phone screen.
YouTube is full of the same short local-news packages: “French Bulldog still No. 1, Dachshund cracks the top five.” X has the usual mix of owners defending their breed and critics pointing at the health data. Neither platform has changed the AKC numbers.
Which Country Created the Most Famous Dog Breeds? https://t.co/3A5GkZYwV8
— Living Tricks (@LivingTricks_) August 7, 2026
Labs ruled for three decades because they were versatile, trainable, and good with kids. Frenchies rule now because a lot of Americans live in smaller spaces and like dogs that look like characters. Both statements can be true at the same time. The registration list just shows which one more people chose to pay for this year.
Sources: American Kennel Club 2025 and 2005 registration rankings; Visual Capitalist ranking of the 2025 list.
—- The Whatfinger News Team: Beth and Lisa, with Grok on edits and graphics
🐕 Top 20 smartest dog breeds by intelligence
1. 🇬🇧 Border Collie
2. 🇫🇷 Poodle
3. 🇩🇪 German Shepherd
4. 🏴 Golden Retriever
5. 🇩🇪 Doberman Pinscher
6. 🏴 Shetland Sheepdog
7. 🇨🇦 Labrador Retriever
8. 🇫🇷 Papillon
9. 🇩🇪 Rottweiler
10. 🇦🇺 Australian Cattle Dog
11. 🏴 Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)
12. 🇩🇪 Miniature Schnauzer
13. 🇬🇧 English Springer Spaniel
14. 🇧🇪 Belgian Tervuren
15. 🇧🇪 Schipperke / Belgian Sheepdog (tied)
16. 🏴 Collie
17. 🇳🇱 Keeshond
18. 🇩🇪 German Shorthaired Pointer
19. 🇬🇧 Flat-Coated Retriever / English Cocker Spaniel / 🇩🇪 Standard Schnauzer (tied)
20. 🇫🇷 Brittany Spaniel / 🇺🇸 American Cocker Spaniel / 🇩🇪 Weimaraner (tied)🖇️ Source: Stanley Coren, The Intelligence of Dogs (1994/2006 editions)
— Cata Paul 🃏 (@CataPaul2) January 19, 2026
