Virginia's Favorite Dog Breed: Who's A Good Boy?

VIRGINIA — We’re dog people in Virginia — Australian shepherd people if you want to get technical, according to a recent Forbes survey that looked at favorite dog breeds by state.

Mostly, though, we just like dogs and aren’t fussy about the breed, according to the Forbes Advisor survey of 10,000 dog owners across the country. Options were limited to the 25 most popular breeds nationwide, as identified by the American Kennel Club.

The Australian shepherd was also the No. 1 choice in nine other U.S. states, and the second-favorite breed in another nine states. Aussies are highly intelligent herding dogs with high energy levels.

Although French bulldogs ranked as the “Most Popular Breed” in 2023 by the AKC, the Forbes survey showed that this breed did not rank as the favorite breed in any individual state.

The survey showed that 70 percent of Americans adopted their dogs as puppies. Another 21 percent said they adopted older dogs between ages 3 and 5. Of those who adopted a dog, 36 percent sought out a breeder, and 23 percent adopted from a shelter. Nearly one-fifth (19 percent) of respondents said they received their dogs as a gift.

Overall, Australian shepherds came out on top of the dog pile among those who did specify a breed. German shepherds and bulldogs were the second- and third-favorite breeds.

The survey revealed Americans’ least favorite dog breeds are all small — Havanese, Pembroke Welsh corgis and miniature schnauzers.

Methodology

This online survey of 10,000 dog owners (200 per state) was commissioned by Forbes Advisor and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct. Data was collected from September 21 to October 13, 2023. The margin of error is +/- 1.0 points with 95% confidence. This survey was overseen by the OnePoll research team, which is a member of the MRS and has corporate membership with the American Association for Public Opinion Research.

Forbes asked respondents to select their favorite dog breeds based on a list of the 25 most popular dog breeds from the American Kennel Club. It also asked why respondents selected a breed as their favorite.