Top 5 large and small dog breeds of 2023

Photo courtesy of Camp Bow Wow.

Photo courtesy of Camp Bow Wow.

Camp Bow Wow, a North American doggy day care and boarding franchise, revealed the top 5 large and top 5 small dog breeds for 2023 based on its database of approximately 400,000 dog campers in the US and Canada.¹

Camp Bow Wow's annual list of breeds includes a variety of purebreds, mixed-breed dogs (listed by their primary breed), and popular crossbreeds (e.g., doodles) whereas kennel clubs solely share annual lists based on purebred dog registrations.

The most popular 5 big dog breeds include¹:

1. Labrador retriever (tops the list for the sixth year in a row)
2. Goldendoodle
3. Golden retrievers (both mixed and purebred)
4. German shepherds
5. Australian shepherds

The most popular 5 small dog breeds include1:

1. Miniature poodle
2. Chihuahua
3. Shih tzu
4. Beagle
5. Yorkshire terrier

Camp Bow Wow animal health and behavioral expert, Erin Askeland, MSc, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, said that family, lifestyle, and daily routine are key factors to consider before choosing which size and breed of dog to adopt.¹ While small breeds often thrive better in apartments and typically have lower energy demands, large breeds are usually more active and need more space, however, there are caveats. Each breed is unique so it’s important to do research.

"Some small breeds are big dogs at heart — for example, even the smallest terriers tend to be high-energy and need lots of attention and exercise, while a large dog breed like a great Dane is known to be fairly calm and lower-energy," Askeland shared.¹ "Even though a dog's breed may influence certain tendencies and behaviors, the breed alone should not determine whether to bring a specific dog into your home. At Camp Bow Wow, we love all breeds and believe every dog deserves a loving home."

It's also critical to consider lifespan as small dogs typically have a longer life expectancy with about 12 to 15 years of age while large dogs typically live to 8 to 12 years old.¹ Some theories of why this happens are that large breeds grow faster, so they may be more likely to have abnormal cell growth shown in cancer and because large breeds age more quickly, they may be more susceptible to age-related illness earlier.²

References

1. Camp Bow Wow unveils top 5 large and small dog breeds for 2023. News release. Camp Bow Wow. August 16, 2023. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/camp-bow-wow-unveils-top-5-large-and-small-dog-breeds-for-2023-301902607.html
2. Meyers H. Why do small dogs live longer than large dogs? American Kennel Club. April 26, 2022. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/why-do-small-dogs-live-longer