Most searched dog breeds in 2023

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The French bulldog was named the top dog breed for the second year in a row by the American Kennel Club (AKC),¹ however a new study from Paw Safe revealed that the most searched breed on the internet was the cane corso.²

The cane corso had an average monthly search volume of 1.5 million internet searches in 2023. Second place was tied with the French bulldog and American Pitbull terrier each having 838,000 monthly searches. The golden retriever and Australian shepherd are next on the list, tying with 673,000 monthly searches.²

The cane corso is characterized as being affectionate with families, good with children and other dogs, effective guard dogs, easily motivated in training, and high energy levels.³ Cane corsos are also known as Italian mastiffs and “cane” translates to dog, while it is believed “corso” comes loosely from the Latin word cohors, which means “guardian.” This breed did not place in the top 10 of AKC’s top breeds of 2023, despite having an overwhelming volume of online searches. The breed placed at #16 in 2023, and has steadily risen over the years, as these dogs were #51 on the list 10 years ago, in 2013.¹

With the cane corso reaching the top of general search inquiries, Paw Safe also took a deep dive into online searches that had purchase intent. The pet company wanted to see if there was a connection between the general curiosity about dog breeds and the actual intent to purchase them. To determine this, Paw Safe analyzed data that included the breed’s name and “for sale” as an example.

In these results, Paw Safe found the golden retriever on top with 215,800 monthly searches that included some kind of purchase intention. Second place was the French bulldog with 186,300 monthly searches and third place was the cane corso with 164,500 searches.²

Paw Safe also broke down this information by state. Golden retrievers were the top searched with purchase intent for 43 states. This could point to why golden retrievers and French bulldogs placed higher on the AKC list since search inquires of these breeds tend to result in purchasing the dog, rather than just general interest.²

References

1. Vive La Frenchie! French bulldog is America’s most popular pup for the second year in a row. News release. American Kennel Club. March 20, 2024. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vive-la-frenchie-french-bulldog-is-americas-most-popular-pup-for-the-second-year-in-a-row-302092740.html
2. Pollard C. Canine trends: A nationwide analysis of America’s preferred dog breeds in 2023. Paw Safe. March 14, 2024. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://pawsafe.com/blogs/data-research/americas-preferred-dog-breeds
3. Cane Corso. American Kennel Club. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cane-corso/