The French bulldog is still riding high in the Mile High City. The flat-faced lap dog was Denver's most popular dog breed in 2024, securing first place for the third year in a row, according to annual registration statistics from the American Kennel Club.
Second place went to the golden retriever, followed by the Labrador retriever, German shepherd and English bulldog.
The ranking only includes purebred breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, which keeps the world's largest voluntary dog registry. So pit bulls and husky mixes, for example, weren't included in the count, despite being the most common type of dog at most Denver-area animal shelters.
“The French bulldog continues to feel all the love in Denver,” says Gina DiNardo, executive secretary of the kennel club, in a statement. “Given that these charming companions make fantastic city-dwellers and are adaptable to many lifestyles, it makes perfect sense.”
Other breeds gaining popularity in Denver include the shiba inu (which jumped from 46th place in 2023 to nineteenth in 2024) and the cavalier King Charles spaniel (which went from sixteenth to eleventh).
French bulldogs are also the most popular breed nationwide for three years running — and number-one in Chicago and Atlanta. Nearly 74,500 new Frenchies were added to the kennel club's national registry in 2024, compared to 58,500 new Labrador retrievers, which earned second place nationally.
However, that's down from 98,500 French bulldogs registered in 2023 and 108,000 in 2022. So maybe there's a chance for a new breed to seize the crown next year.
Here's how the top dog breeds stack up for the United States:
- French bulldog
- Labrador retriever
- Golden retriever
- German shepherd
- Poodle
- Dachshund
- Beagle
- Rottweiler
- English bulldog
- German shorthaired pointer
