New Report Names The 3 Most Popular Dog Breeds In Illinois

Our household contains 3 pets. One dog and two cats. And, although I love the cats, this is all about the dogs. There are more than 130 million households in the United States, and more than half of them have at least one dog.

That's a whole lot of barking, shedding, drooling, and...unconditional love. And while Americans certainly have some favorite breeds in common, where you live can make a pretty big difference in what kind of dog you're most likely to find curled up on the family couch depending on which state you're in.

A new study from U.S. News & World Report took a look at more than 3.5 million data points from the pet-insurance industry (covering from January of 2022 through June of 2026) to determine the most popular dog breeds in every state. And here in Illinois, our favorite dogs aren't necessarily the ones you might expect.

selective focus photography of Labrador in vehicle

Let's Take A Look At The Top 3 Favorite Breeds In Illinois And In Wisconsin

These are the favorite 3 in the Land of Lincoln, based on the US News study:

#1: Labrador Retriever. Illinois has had a soft spot for the classic family dog for a very long time. Labs are friendly, intelligent, energetic and generally great with families, which probably explains why they've been perennial favorites across the country. Labs were named America's top dog for 31 straight years.

#2: Yorkshire Terrier. This one comes as a bit of a surprise. The tiny Yorkie comes in second in Illinois. These little dogs may weigh only a few pounds, but they tend to have personalities considerably larger than their bodies. They're affectionate, alert and, as plenty of Yorkie owners will tell you, not exactly shy about expressing an opinion.

#3: German Shepherd. Rounding out Illinois' top three is one of America's best-known working breeds. German Shepherds are famous for their intelligence, loyalty and versatility, and they've long been popular as police, military, service and family dogs.

brown and black yorkshire terrier lying on white textile

What About North Of The Cheddar Curtain?

Our neighbors to the north have a somewhat different canine preference. Wisconsin's top three are Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd. In other words, Wisconsin apparently looked at the menu and said, "Give us the large dogs."

The study found that Wisconsin was one of just seven states where large breeds dominated all three top spots. The other six were Alaska, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Montana. Another interesting regional trend is that only 14 states don't have either a Labrador Retriever or Golden Retriever among their top three.

So there you have it. Illinois likes Labs, Yorkies and German Shepherds, while Wisconsin is all about Labs, Goldens and German Shepherds.