Can You Guess Minnesota’s Top Dog Breed in 2026?

Whether they're hiking with us along the North Shore, chasing tennis balls at the dog park, or riding shotgun on a trip to the cabin, one breed has won over more Minnesotans than any other. A new report reveals which dog is the state's top pick this year.

More Than Half of Minnesota Households Now Have a Pet

Finding a household with a pet is pretty easy to do these days, here in the North Star State. Over half of all households here in Minnesota are currently home to at least one pet. According to the World Population Review. That data, from the 2020 U.S. Census, says Minnesota has a pet, good for a pet residence rate of 54 percent.

Of those owners here in the Bold North, 35 percent are dog owners, with cat-owning homes coming in at just over 26 percent. And when Minnesotans own pets, most households own more than one dog and cat, as well. The rate for canines per household is 1.4 (though it's difficult to own 4/10ths of a dog, right?), similar to the feline rate of 1.9 per household.

But just which breed of those dogs is the most popular in the Gopher State in 2026? That's what the number crunchers over at Visual Capitalist did. They mapped out an analysis of more than 1.2 million dog insurance records collected between 2022 and 2025 to find the most popular dog breed in each state.

The Most Popular Dog Breeds Across the U.S.

And here in Minnesota, Visual Capitalist says that our most popular dog breed is... the Golden Retriever.

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And, we're not alone. Goldens were the most popular dog breed in four other states as well, including Vermont, Colorado, Montana, and North Dakota. But they weren't the favorite breed overall in most states in the U.S. this year.

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Overall, the most popular breed in the most states in 2026 is... the Labrador Retriever. Labrador Retrievers are the top breed in 16 states, including our neighboring states of Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota, according to Visual Capitalist. 

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READ MORE: Doing This Will Get Your Dog 'High'-- But It's a Good Thing

The Most Popular Dog Breeds Across the U.S.

This survey is similar to the most recent list of the Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds in the U.S., as compiled by U.S. News & World Report:

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Chihuaua
3. Golden Retriever
4. Pit Bull Terrier
5. German Shepherd
6. French Bulldog
7. Goldendoodle
8. Yorkshire Terrier
9. Dachshund

Meanwhile, none of our three dogs —Asher (an Australian Cattle Dog), Juniper (an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie), and Frances (a Mini Australian Shepherd) — made the list again this year. If yours didn't, either, at least you can see what their breed looked like when there were puppies. Keep scrolling to check the pictures out!