The data used is Google for each specific country, all language searches, February 2011. The analysis includes dog breeds that are searched for in the top fifty most popular dog associated terms. These are then selected with the top term made equivalent to 100% and all other dog breed search volumes  shown as a proportion of the top term volumes. For instance in Australia the Labrador is one of the top four dog breed searches by volume and is shown as 100% (18,100 searches per month) while the Yorkshire terrier has 12,100 searches and is shown as a comparison value of 67% (18,100/ 12,100).

AUSTRALIA dog breed popularity

You can see that Australia’s most popular dog breed searched online are the traditional dogs such as German shepherds and Labradors.  Only 13 dog breeds rank in the top fifty dog related terms.

Large pulling/fighting styles dogs, Rottweiler (82%) and bull mastiff (44%) are also quite popular ranking in the middle of the ‘pack’. German shepherds and golden retrievers are essentially shown twice in the list, the first time for just the generic breed, the second time for puppies of the breeds.

AMERICAN Dog breeds popularity

While America is one of the highest dog associated search countries per capita, unusually it only has seven dog breeds amongst its top fifty dog searched terms. This is because in the USA the dog associated search terms are more related to generic terms such as dogs, puppies, hypoallergenic dogs, small dogs and types of dogs rather than specific breeds. It looks like more people are searching for sites to provide them with guidance on what dog to choose rather than having a preset idea of a breed.

As in Australia, the German shepherd is the most popular searched breed  (110,00 monthly searches). Another very popular dog is the French bulldog (67%) coming in as the second most popular dog search breed in America. It is noted that the ‘French bulldog’ is the equal third highest searched breed in Australia.

The bernese mountain dog comes in as the third most popular American breed (45%) while in Australia it comes in at ninth (36%). The popularity of the Portuguese water dog (sixth on the list and 20%) is still likely to be due to the lingering president Obama effect.While America is one of the highest dog associated search countries per capita, unusually it only has seven dog breeds amongst its top fifty dog searched terms. This is because in the USA the dog associated search terms are more related to generic terms such as dogs, puppies, hypoallergenic dogs, small dogs and types of dogs rather than specific breeds. It looks like more people are searching for sites to provide them with guidance on what dog to choose rather than having a preset idea of a breed.

Canada dog breed popularity

While Canada has very close proximity and cultural values to America, its dog breed ranking shows a distinct difference. America only has seven breeds in its top fifty dog related searches and Canada has 23, the highest specific number of the five countries analysed.

The four equal most popular dog breed searches in Canada (all the same volume – 12,100) are bernese mountain dog, German shepherd, golden retriever and Rottweiler. Of these, only the German shepherd and bernese mountain dog appear in America’s top fifty searches.

The French bulldog is Australia and America’s second most popular dog, while it comes in at seven on the Canada dog breed popularity list (67%).

The boxer dog is the 13^th most popular dog breed in Australia (24%); fourth in America (20%) and fifteenth in Canada (30%) but as you can see, the percentage volume of the most popular dog is similar for each country.

UK dog breed popularity

The UK is the highest global dog search country per capita in the world, so it is interesting what breeds they find important. In the UK the four equal most searched dog breeds (18,100 searches a month each) are: beagle; German shepherd, Rottweiler and Labrador.

Thus so far, for every country analysed, the German shepherd has the highest search volume of all breeds.

The beagle also has very high popularity across the Australia and Canada but not America (not in the top fifty).  The ranking and percentage popularity of the beagle in each country is Australia (equal second and 82%); Canada (equal second and also 82%).

The Labrador is one of the most popular dogs in the world for domestic ownership and trained tasks such as police work, customs and blind people’s dogs. But the Labrador did not make the American top fifty dog search volumes but it ranked equal top in Australia and ranked equal ninth in Canada (55%).

The French bulldog breed comes in at sixth in UK (67%) and second in Australia and America.

America has only seven dog breeds in the top fifty and it’s other dog associated terms are related to generic dog terms. By comparison, the UK’s top twenty terms show a distinct difference in how people view dogs with dog humane terms of ‘rspca’ being even higher than the generic ‘dogs’ term and four other humane terms ranking in the top twenty. The top twenty humane dog terms are: ‘dogs trust’ (third highest); ‘battersea dogs home’ (seventh); ‘preloved dogs’ (thirteenth); ‘rescue dogs’ (twentieth).

Ireland dog breed popularity

While Ireland has a relatively low population, like the UK it is a very popular dog search country (second highest in the world per capita).

With such a close geographical proximity to the UK, you might expect the dog breeds popularity to be very similar, but there are subtle differences. Ireland is the first country where the german shepherd is not the most popular dog. It comes in equal second with golden retrievers, while the most popular is the Yorkshire terrier (1,600 searches per month).  The Yorkshire terrier does not appear in Australia or Americas top fifty terms, but comes in at equal ninth in Canada (55%) and equal sixth in the UK (67%). This small dog originated in the UK and it appears that its popularity is still highest near its breed origin.

The beagle (63%); Rottweiler (63%) and bernese mountain dog (55%) are also very popular searches in Ireland as they are in the other countries analysed.

CONCLUSIONS

The German Shepherd is the most popular or equal most popular dog breed searched in four of the five main dog search countries under analysis (all except Ireland).6

America has the greatest real world dog ownership per capita of all the countries analysed, but the lowest number of specific dog breeds (seven) in its top fifty dog associated searches.

The French bulldog is surprisingly a highly searched term in most countries (Australia second and 82%, America second and 67%, Canada equal seventh and 67%, UK equal sixth and 67%, Ireland > top fifty searches).

Typical family dogs of Labrador and golden retrievers ranked well in Australia still (100%, 82%) but did not rank in America’s top fifty dog associated searches. Canada the golden retriever was the equal most popular search while the Labrador  was equal ninth at 55%.

The beagle was UKs equal most popular dog search breed, and did well in all other countries except America – not in the top fifty dog associated search terms.

While it designer dogs (mixed breeds often with the poodle) are popular on Australian streets, a specific mixed breed dog such as the spoodle (spaniel poodle cross). Labradoodle (Labrador poodle cross) or groodle (golden retriever poodle cross) did NOT appear in the top fifty searches for any country analysed. While ‘spoodle pupplies for sale’ appeared as the 113^th most popular search term in Australia, this breed is also known as the ‘cockapoo’ in America.

These poodle cross breeds are grouped together with other single breed dogs that do not shed hair as ‘hypoallergenic dogs’. While this term was fifteenth in America it was only 349^th in Australia, 169^th in the UK.

Google search terms in many industries are often well ahead of real world product or volumes. This is also likely in the dog world, meaning that the dog breed search term shown here is likely to be a good indicator of future dog ownership popularity. For instance while French bulldog numbers in the real world may currently be relatively low, it is likely that high online search volumes for the breed indicate purchase intentions, which will lead to relatively high real world numbers of this breed.

Article by Bruce Dwyer. If you wish to use any of this information please refer to the article as a reference and provide a link to http://www.dogwalkersmelbourne.com.au