The French bulldog is the most popular dog breed in California, according to the American Kennel Club.
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The American Kennel Club released its 2025 rankings of the most popular dog breeds in California, and one breed came out on top again.
French bulldogs claimed the No. 1 spot in the state and nationally.
They’ve claimed the crown four years running.
FULL STORY: What are the most popular dog breeds in California? See which ones made the list
The French bulldog is the most popular dog breed in California, according to the American Kennel Club. Image Via: Dragan Mujan/Shutterstock
Here are key takeaways:
• French bulldogs ranked as the most popular pedigreed breed in California and the United States in 2025, according to American Kennel Club registration data.
• The breed also topped the list in Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. San Francisco was the outlier, where golden retrievers took first place. • French bulldogs, which resemble miniature bulldogs with large, erect ears, are “playful, alert, adaptable and completely irresistible,” the kennel club says.
• Other popular breeds in California’s biggest cities included bulldogs, Pembroke Welsh corgis, poodles, Pomeranians and rottweilers.
• The dachshund was the biggest mover in the 2025 national ranking, replacing the poodle in the top five. “Dachshunds are very intelligent, excellent problem solvers and adorable,” American Kennel Club CEO Gina M. DiNardo said.
• The cane corso climbed from No. 14 to No. 11 on the national list.
• The American Kennel Club used registration data from owners with California ZIP codes to determine the state rankings. The club told The News & Observer in North Carolina there were “hundreds of thousands” of dogs in the registry as of March.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
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Brooke (they/them) covers Fresno and California news as the Fresno Bee’s service journalism reporter. They previously covered wildlife and national parks out west for the national real-time team at McClatchy News. Originally from Florida, they studied journalism at the University of Florida and previously covered LGBTQ+ news for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, their hometown newspaper. When they’re not writing stories, they enjoy hanging out with their cats, riding horses or spending time outdoors.