Golden retrievers are Indianapolis' top dog
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Golden retrievers might be Indy's top breed, but (from right) Adriana, Sugar and Dasher are Axios Indy's best girls. Photos: Arika Herron/Axios; Brittany Erwin Photography
Happy National Dog Day to the good boys and girls out there — including the many golden retrievers that populate Indianapolis.
The big picture: Goldens are the top dog breed in the city, 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 and tops all breeds.
The national ranking:
- Labrador retriever
- Chihuahua
- Golden retriever
- American pit bull terrier
- German shepherd
Zoom in: In Indy, the list of top dogs is a bit different.
- After golden retrievers, our top breeds are German shepherds and American pit bull terriers.
Yes, but: It's fun to talk about breeds (and guess the makeup of our favorite mixes), but they're all good dogs.
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.