Alabama's top dog: The chihuahua

Happy National Dog Day to the good boys and girls out there — including the many chihuahuas across the state.

The big picture: The Chihuahua is the top dog breed in Alabama, according to a new U.S. News & World Report analysis.

The fine print: The annual report relies on pet insurance data, so it doesn't account for all dogs in the country.

• Last year, the Chihuahua was No. 1, but analysts had separated "Labs" (then No. 2) and "black Labs" (then No. 10) into separate categories. This year, the Labrador category includes labs of all colors.

The ranking for Alabama:

1. Chihuahua
2. Shih tzu
3. American Pit Bull Terrier

Zoom out: Nationally, the list of top dogs is a bit different:

1. Labrador retriever
2. Chihuahua
3. Golden retriever

Between the lines: It's tricky to track mutt popularity.

• The study counted "mixed breed," "pit bull," and labels like "German shepherd mix" as separate categories. The Goldendoodle was the only mixed breed to crack the top 10.

Zoom out: It's a big year for the Dachshund, which made its debut on the top 10 national ranking this year.

Go Deeper: The great dog poop debate