SEATTLE, WA – August 22, 2023 – Rover.com®, the world’s largest online marketplace for pet care, today released its 2023 Most Popular Dog and Cat Breeds Report. In time for National Dog Day on August 26th, Rover’s fifth iteration of the report reveals America’s most popular dog and cat breeds, the top trending and rarest dog breeds in the country, and breaks out local trends in 10 U.S. cities. In conjunction, Rover surveyed 1,000 U.S. based pet parents to uncover insights around which factors impact decision making when choosing a pet.
According to the report, non designer mixed breeds are the most popular dog breed in America, followed by the Labrador Retriever, Goldendoodle, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd. In terms of year-over-year change, the Bernedoodle, Miniature Poodle, French Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and the Toy Poodle are the top trending breeds of 2023. For cats, the Domestic Shorthair, American Shorthair and Domestic Longhair are most popular.
The rise of Doodle-dom continues as “Doodles” trend up again this year, not surprising considering pet parents ranked “hypoallergenic” as the second most important factor when choosing their dog. In fact, the number of Doodle breeds added to the Rover platform has doubled in the last decade, with Bernadoodles claiming the top spot for most trending dog breed, followed by Miniature Poodles.
“Whether they’re bringing home a designer, hybrid or mixed breed pet, pet parents tell us what they really want is a dog or cat who fits their family dynamic,” said Kate Jaffe, trends expert at Rover. “Pets are important members of our families and a lot of thought goes into choosing who to bring home. Many of the traits we most desire in a pet aren’t determined by their breed, but can be found and celebrated in dogs and cats of all kinds.”
For 42% of pet parents, breed was not an important factor when considering which dog to bring home. In fact, eight in ten (81%) would still have gotten a dog, even if their top three breed choices were unavailable. According to pet parents, family-friendliness is the number one factor when considering which type of dog to bring home. For those choosing a dog based on personality, friendly or social behavioral traits rank the highest (24%), followed by cuddly (15%), loyal (15%) and intelligent (14%).
And, it turns out that people fall in love with their dog, regardless of breed, as the majority (72%) say their dog is their “best friend”. People may also gravitate toward pets that mirror themselves, with 72% of pet parents claiming they resemble their dogs—both in looks and personality. Even pet parents who didn’t intentionally pick a specific dog breed, ultimately develop “breed loyalty” as 88% would choose a dog of the same type again, next time.
Breed is less important to pet parents with cats, as just one third (30%) say breed was an important factor when considering which type of cat to bring home. Instead, cat parents indicate the color of their cat’s fur (48%) was more impactful. When it comes to personality, pet parents say they most want a cat that is cuddly (30%), friendly or social (26%) and calm or low-energy (10%).
To celebrate the ever-growing popularity of unique mixed breeds, pet-obsessed Rover experts curated a limited edition “Breed Reveal Party Kit” to help pet parents learn more about, and celebrate, their unique pets. The customizable build-your-own-kit, available on the Rover Store for a limited time, includes a DNA testing kit and options to mix and match including treats, toys and supplies.
To view the full report on popular dog breeds, please visit here. A similar report was conducted in Canada (dog and cat) , the U.K., France (dog and cat) and Spain. To view Rover’s annual report on America’s most popular cat breeds, please visit here.
About the Report
Rover data from June 2023 includes the top 12 most popular and top 4 rarest dog breeds across the U.S., the top 8 trending dog breeds–where breeds experienced the most growth in 2023–and the top 10 most common cat breeds in America. Rover also conducted a survey via Pollfish in July 2023 of 1,000 U.S. based pet parents.
About Rover:
Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Rover (NASDAQ: ROVR) is the world’s largest online marketplace for loving pet care. Rover connects pet parents with loving pet care providers who offer overnight services, including boarding and in-home pet sitting, as well as daytime services, including doggy daycare, dog walking, and drop-in visits. Millions of pet parents have booked a service on Rover across North America and Europe.
Contact:
Kristin Sandberg
pr@rover.com
360-510-6365