Dog Data

Why are some of America's favorite dogs also some of the most common to be surrendered? That is a serious question. You would think that if a particular dog breed was popular, they would not appear often in shelters, correct? Well, you'd be wrong. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) the top 5 most popular dog breeds were the French Bulldog, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, and Poodle. Why are they the most popular? Temperament and pack mentality.

You may be surprised to know that two of these breeds also show up in shelters often enough to put them amongst the top 10 most adopted dogs as well. You may not be surprised that the American Pitbull Terrier is the most commonly adopted, but you may be surprised that the Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog are among the most adopted as well. Data compiled by BeChewy using entries in petfinder was used to determine which dogs were most likely to be found in shelters/adopted. Pitbulls are #1 for obvious reasons- there are some states that limit their ownership and will go as far as banning Pitbull-type dogs altogether. The other reason they are surrendered is because of insurance- some renters' insurance policies will not cover them at all.

Meanwhile, for the Labradors it appears to be mostly the black Labradors that are surrendered the most. It's been seen time and time again that black dogs are the least likely to be adopted or purchased, especially if they are large. Something about that look is unsettling to some. In third place comes the German Shepherd Dog (GSD). GSDs are wonderful pets if you know what you're doing. They are working dogs and require a fair amount of training and socialization in order to be healthy. Like the Labrador, GSDs also suffer from the "big black dog is scary" mindset of consumers and the black ones are more likely to be present in shelters than a classic black and tan. Interestingly enough, GSDs are also one of the most mis-classified dogs in shelters because people see any black and tan markings that are roughly in the right spot for a GSD and immediately assume that it is a German Shepherd Dog, when in reality it may be a different breed altogether (ie: a Belgian Shepherd or a Leonberger).

Something else to consider with large breed dogs is that they do not live as long as medium or small breed due to unavoidable health issues- specifically hip & knee failure, certain cancers, and heart conditions. Maybe think twice before buying a puppy or adopting a relatively young dog, especially if you're looking at adopting your first pet. The more you know!

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