What is NC's favorite dog breed? Forbes reveals results from countrywide study
It's no secret that North Carolina — perhaps Asheville especially — is home to plenty of dog lovers. But in the eyes of many, not all breeds are equal.
A recent Forbes Advisor study stated that roughly two thirds of U.S. households have a dog, and 85% of owners consider their pets a part of the family. In honor of International Dog Day (Aug. 26), the study went on to analyze data from all 50 states to determine the favorite dog breed of residents in each one.
It's worth mentioning first and foremost that, according to the Forbes study, there's plenty of love for mutts, and simple indifference among Americans. In fact, the largest percentage of respondents (13%) reported that "no breed in particular" was their favorite. With those statistics in mind, here's what Forbes Advisor reported.
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What is the most popular dog breed in North Carolina?
Answers from N.C. alone had some significant variants from the Forbes survey of the entire country, with the "top dog" in N.C. being the bulldog. This makes it one of eight states with the same top response.
Described as friendly, courageous and calm by the official AKC entry, it's no wonder N.C. residents are fans of the breed. Bulldogs were first recognized by the AKC in 1886. According to the organization, historical evidence suggests that bulldogs were originally bred in 13th-century England for "bullbaiting," in which a staked bull fought a pack of dogs while spectators bet on the outcome.
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Top dog breed runners-up in North Carolina
Also mentioned by Forbes were the second two most favored breeds in NC: beagles and Shih Tzus. In fact, despite being third on our list, N.C. voters ranked Shih Tzus the highest out of all 50 states.
On the other end, the Havanese was voted for the least in the state — the same placement for the breed across the survey of 10,000.
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What is the most popular dog breed in America?
The Forbes Advisor study used data from a survey of 10,000 dog owners across the country. The survey options included the top 25 most popular breeds in the nation as stated by the American Kennel Club.
After the "no breed in particular" option, Australian shepherds ranked as the top favorite dog breed, followed by German shepherds and bulldogs.
Here's the full list of the 10 most popular responses according to the survey:
Australian shepherd - 7.2%
German shepherd dog - 7.1%
Bulldog - 6.5%
Labrador retriever - 6.0%
Bernese mountain dog - 5.6%
Beagle - 5.2%
Golden retriever - 5.1%
Boston terrier - 4.7%
Boxer - 4.5%
Shih Tzu and dachshund - 3.1%
The Siberian Husky is just behind at 3%.
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Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Most popular dog breed in North Carolina: Bulldog, beagle, shih tzu
