There are over twice as many labrador retrievers registered in Boston than any other dog breed.

Out of the 13,734 registered dogs that currently call the city home, over 1,900 are labrador retrievers.

Their close relatives, golden retrievers, are the second most common breed in Boston, with 953 of them registered.

What makes a retriever such a popular pet?

According to the American Kennel Club, golden retrievers are outgoing, easy to train and trustworthy.

Labrador retrievers are friendly and “companionable housemates that bond with the whole family,” according to the American Kennel Club.

In 2025 alone, over 300 labrador retrievers and 200 golden retrievers have become new registered residents of Boston.

A couple of smaller species follow the retrievers on the list of most abundant breeds.

Miniature poodles are the third most populous breed, with 522 registered. Next on the list comes the chihuahua, at 479.

The miniature poodle is growing in popularity, with nearly a 50% increase in 2025.

It has surpassed the chihuahua and German shepherd since the end of 2024, when there were 351 of them in the city.

Miniature poodles typically weigh around 10 pounds, and chihuahuas weigh less than six pounds. Both require less space than most larger breeds, making them popular in city settings.

Nancy Maida, who owns Pawsh Dog Boutique in Back Bay along with her husband, said miniature poodles are very smart and may cause less allergies than other breeds, which could be a popular selling point.

Rounding out the top 10 most popular breeds are the aforementioned german shepherd, australian shepherd, yorkshire terrier, shih tzu, beagle and cavalier spaniel, all having at least 300 registered in the city.

Out of all dogs currently registered, Luna is the most common name. 135 dogs don the name.

There were 102 Lunas in the city in 2024. Charlie is currently the most popular name for male dogs and second most popular name overall with 117 dogs.

The next three most popular names are all female, with Bella, Lucy and Daisy following Charlie.

Teddy and Milo are the second and third most common male names.

Gus is a trendy name in the city this year. In 2024, it wasn’t in the top 10 most popular names for male dogs. Today, it is the sixth most popular male dog name with 61 registered.