The census project was launched in March, 2010 to discover which breeds are most popular in America’s “mixed breed” population. DNA samples were collected from more than 36,000 dogs and survey responses were also added in from nearly 16,000 respondents.
“The Mars Veterinary National Mutt Census provides a vivid snapshot of past and present trends in mixed breed dogs,” said Angela Hughes, DVM, veterinary genetics research manager at Mars Veterinary. “Thanks to the census, we know what breeds are wide-spread, as well as how people are caring for their dogs and what health concerns they may have. The hope is that the pet community will use this information to provide better care for the nation’s mixed breed dogs.”
Coming out on top was the German Shepherd as the breed most commonly identified in “mutts.”
Below is a list of the top 10 most popular breeds found in the nation’s mutts compared to AKC’s ranking of popular breeds:
1. German Shepherd (No. 2 most popular AKC registered breed)
2. Labrador Retriever (No. 1 for AKC)
3. Chow Chow (No. 63 for AKC)
4. Boxer (No. 6 for AKC)
5. Rottweiler (No. 13 for AKC)
6. Poodle (No. 9 for AKC)
7. American Staffordshire Terrier (No. 70 for AKC)
8. Golden Retriever (No. 4 for AKC)
9. Cocker Spaniel (No. 23 for AKC)
10. Siberian Husky (No. 22 for AKC)
You can still participate in the survey by registering your mutt at the National Mutt Census.