Wash. — Washington’s top dog may not be the one you’d expect because, according to a recent study by U.S. News & World Report, the chihuahua ranks as the most popular breed in the Evergreen State.
The five most popular dogs in Washington are chihuahuas, golden retrievers, German shepherds, French bulldogs and goldendoodles, which are a crossbreed between a golden retriever and a poodle.
Huskies, the well-known mascot of the University of Washington (UW), failed to make the Top 5.
Our neighbors to the south in Oregon also list chihuahua as the most popular breed, but the rest of the Western U.S. has some variety. California loves the French bulldog while the goldendoodle is the favorite in Idaho and Utah. The German shepherd is the stand-out breed in Montana and Wyoming.
Across the entire U.S., the tiny Mexican toy breed is No. 1 in a whopping 21 states, with 4% of all dogs in the country being chihuahuas, according to the study. The golden retriever is a favorite in 14 and the French bulldog comes in as the top breed in three states.
As for most popular names, U.S. News & World Report reported late last year that Washington has a fondness for names ending in vowels, with the top five being Luna, Bella, Charlie, Daisy/Buddy (tie) and Max.
Bella is the most popular name for dogs in 37 states, as well as the District of Columbia. Luna, the No. 2 overall dog name in the study, is the top name in eight states.
Dogs are the most popular pet in the U.S. by a significant margin, occupying 49 million households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Cats are in second, living in 28.2 million households.
This story was originally posted by MyNorthwest.
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