Headline figures
Every value below is a figure, not a hand-typed number -- click one for its source, method, and caveats. A dashed amber badge means preliminary: not a guess, but a method that hasn't had a full review yet.
Dog breeds catalogued on Wikidata (instances of dog breed, Q39367)
Wikidata's dog-breed roster is broader than any single kennel club's: it includes extinct, regional, and provisional breeds AKC/FCI do not recognise, so this count is not comparable to a registry count on its own.
Dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC)
Dog breeds recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), summed across its 10 official groups
Computed by counting links per group page rather than reading a single official total from FCI; may double-count a small number of breeds with provisional or multiple standard numbers.
Gap between the FCI's and AKC's recognized-breed counts
The two registries use different recognition criteria and geographic scope (FCI is a federation of ~98 national kennel clubs, AKC is US-only), so the gap reflects registry scope as much as any real difference in how many breeds exist.
Longest-lived UK breed: Lancashire Heeler, median survival age
UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), not a census of all dogs of the breed.
Shortest-lived UK breed: Caucasian Shepherd Dog, median survival age
UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), not a census of all dogs of the breed.
#1 recorded reason for euthanasia in UK dogs: Other
UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), 2016 only.
Highest NYC bite rate among mapped breeds: Pit Bull type (Am. Pit Bull Terrier / mixes, as self-reported), all years combined
One city only (NYC); breed labels are self-reported by the bite-report filer and by the owner at licensing, not verified.
Lowest NYC bite rate among mapped breeds: Border Collie, all years combined
One city only (NYC); breed labels are self-reported by the bite-report filer and by the owner at licensing, not verified.
Share of NYC dog bite reports with an Unknown or blank breed field
This is the largest single 'breed' category in the bite data -- larger than any named breed -- and is not attributable to any breed-specific rate.
AKC's most-registered dog breed, 2025: French Bulldog
AKC registration ranking, not a population census -- reflects breeding/purchase trends among AKC-registering owners specifically.
Estimated US dog population, 2025
Derived from an opt-in online survey (7,519 respondents), weighted to Census household distributions -- a survey estimate, not a census or registry count.
US households owning at least one dog, 2025
Derived from an opt-in online survey (7,519 respondents), weighted to Census household distributions.
How much breed predicts individual dog behaviour: Darwin's Ark citizen-science genomics study
Owner-survey behavioural data plus genotyping of a subset (2,155 of 18,385 dogs); a citizen-science convenience sample, not a random sample of all dogs.
Measured evidence against the 'hypoallergenic breed' claim: Nicholas 2011 found no significant Can f 1 allergen-level difference between 'hypoallergenic' and other dogs' homes under any of 4 classification schemes tested (including the AKC's own list)
94.2% of the 173 one-dog homes studied had detectable Can f 1 regardless of breed classification.
Highest OFA hip-dysplasia rate among evaluated breeds: Olde English Bulldogge
OFA is a voluntary-submission registry: owners/breeders choose whether to have a dog evaluated and whether to submit the result, so this is not a random sample of the breed and most likely understates true population prevalence.
Lowest OFA hip-dysplasia rate among evaluated breeds: Italian Greyhound
OFA is a voluntary-submission registry: owners/breeders choose whether to have a dog evaluated and whether to submit the result, so this is not a random sample of the breed and most likely understates true population prevalence.
Highest fearfulness prevalence among surveyed breeds: Chihuahua
Self-selected online convenience sample of Finnish pet owners, not a random sample.
French Bulldog: most common disorder by prevalence -- Otitis externa
UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), not a breed census.
The questions
How many breeds are there?
Registries disagree, and the disagreement is itself a figure -- Wikidata's broader, partly historical roster is not comparable to a single kennel club's count.
Dog breeds catalogued on Wikidata (instances of dog breed, Q39367)
- Wikidata's dog-breed roster is broader than any single kennel club's: it includes extinct, regional, and provisional breeds AKC/FCI do not recognise, so this count is not comparable to a registry count on its own.
Dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC)
Dog breeds recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), summed across its 10 official groups
- Computed by counting links per group page rather than reading a single official total from FCI; may double-count a small number of breeds with provisional or multiple standard numbers.
Gap between the FCI's and AKC's recognized-breed counts
- The two registries use different recognition criteria and geographic scope (FCI is a federation of ~98 national kennel clubs, AKC is US-only), so the gap reflects registry scope as much as any real difference in how many breeds exist.
How long does each breed live?
Median survival from a UK veterinary clinic population (McMillan et al. 2024) -- a clinic population, not a census of all dogs.
Longest-lived UK breed: Lancashire Heeler, median survival age
- UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), not a census of all dogs of the breed.
Shortest-lived UK breed: Caucasian Shepherd Dog, median survival age
- UK primary-care veterinary clinic population (VetCompass), not a census of all dogs of the breed.
What do they die of?
Top named cause of euthanasia, UK dogs (Pegram et al. 2021).
Which breeds bite, per dog?
NYC bite reports per 1,000 licensed dogs -- self-reported breed labels, one city, active-licence denominator. Preliminary: read the ranking, not the absolute rate.
Highest NYC bite rate among mapped breeds: Pit Bull type (Am. Pit Bull Terrier / mixes, as self-reported), all years combined
- One city only (NYC); breed labels are self-reported by the bite-report filer and by the owner at licensing, not verified.
- The denominator is active licences, and NYC licence compliance is far from universal, so the absolute rate overstates bites per dog owned for every breed; read it as a ranking, not a probability.
Lowest NYC bite rate among mapped breeds: Border Collie, all years combined
- One city only (NYC); breed labels are self-reported by the bite-report filer and by the owner at licensing, not verified.
- The denominator is active licences, and NYC licence compliance is far from universal, so the absolute rate overstates bites per dog owned for every breed; read it as a ranking, not a probability.
Share of NYC dog bite reports with an Unknown or blank breed field
- This is the largest single 'breed' category in the bite data -- larger than any named breed -- and is not attributable to any breed-specific rate.
Which breeds are popular?
AKC registration ranking and the AVMA's survey estimate of the US dog population -- a survey, not a census.
AKC's most-registered dog breed, 2025: French Bulldog
- AKC registration ranking, not a population census -- reflects breeding/purchase trends among AKC-registering owners specifically.
Estimated US dog population, 2025
- Derived from an opt-in online survey (7,519 respondents), weighted to Census household distributions -- a survey estimate, not a census or registry count.
US households owning at least one dog, 2025
- Derived from an opt-in online survey (7,519 respondents), weighted to Census household distributions.
Per-breed figures
262 breeds have at least one sourced figure -- longevity, causes of death, size and head shape, registry group, OFA hip/elbow dysplasia, VetCompass disorders, temperament, bite rate, and popularity, wherever a source covers that breed. Browse the breed index →