Chihuahuas Take Top Spot as America's Most Popular Dog Breed, and "Luna" Leads the Pack in Dog Names for 2025, According to JustAnswer Data

In honor of upcoming National Dog Day, JustAnswer reviewed over 114,000 pet owner-vet conversations to reveal the nation's most popular pooch breeds, names and dog-related questions in 2025

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chihuahuas have surpassed Labs as the most common dog breed in the U.S., and "Luna" has pushed "Bella" out of the top spot as America's #1 dog name. And "My dog ate chocolate- what should I do?" continues its long-time reign as the most popular question for veterinarians on expert platform JustAnswer.

These are just a few of the key findings revealed in a just-released analysis from JustAnswer of nearly 115,000 online conversations between U.S. dog owners and verified veterinarians, trainers, and pet experts on the platform between January and July 2025. In honor of National Dog Day on August 26th, JustAnswer compared this year's data to 2024 results to uncover national favorites, rising trends, and regional differences in America's canine companions.

America's Top Dog Breeds in 2025
In reviewing question + answer data from pet owners and JustAnswer pet specialists this year, a few interesting insights about favorite canine breeds emerged, including:

• Chihuahuas jumped from #2 on the list last year to reclaim the #1 dog breed spot, pushing Labrador Retrievers to second billing
• Pitbulls held steady in the top three, while Yorkies and Shepherds rounded out the top five breeds
• French Bulldogs entered the top 10 on JustAnswer for the first time this year, while Golden Retrievers and Poodles dropped slightly in rank
• While Chihuahuas and Labs lead in JustAnswer question volume, this varies from American Kennel Club (AKC) registration data showing French Bulldogs remain the most popular purebred breed nationwide, and Cane Corsos seeing one of the fastest rises in popularity in recent years.
• Regional trends reveal breed diversity across the US:

• • Labs dominate in the Midwest and Northeast, while Chihuahuas lead in the Southeast and West.
  • Pitbulls rank in the top three in every region but the West.
  • Dachshunds and Shih Tzus continue to gain ground in multiple regions.

America's Top Dog Names in 2025
Pet owners shifted their naming preferences a bit this year, with a few new entries nudging older favorites off the list, and a few regional differences emerging. 

• "Luna" climbed from #2 in 2024 to the top spot this year, while former #1 "Bella" slipped to #3, following "Daisy" as #2 nationally. Meanwhile, "Lucy" and "Charlie" rounded out the country's top five dog names
• New for 2025, "Penny" and "Sadie" entered the top 10 nationally, while "Max," "Buddy," and "Bailey" fell off the list this year
• Some names are especially region-specific:

• • "Lucy" leads in the Midwest, "Luna" rules the Northeast and Southeast, and "Daisy" is #1 in the West.
  • Unique regional favorites include "Penny" (Midwest, Southeast), "Stella" (Northeast), and "Lola" (West)
  • Outside the US, "Luna" is nowhere near the top dog moniker. Even among JustAnswer pet conversations from people in non-US but English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada and the UK), America's number-one dog name doesn't even fall within the top 10

Most Popular Dog Names by Breed
JustAnswer also looked at the top dog names for each of the top 3 most popular dog breeds and found:

• Chihuahua owners favor "Chloe" or "Mac"
• Lab owners favor "Daisy" or "Duke"
• Pitbull owners favor "Roxie" or "Beast"

Why Your Dog's Name Matters: JustAnswer Dog Training Expert Weighs In
"Naming a dog can be a lot of fun for a new owner, but it can also be an important decision that can impact their training and ability to learn things like recall," notes JustAnswer Dog Behavior Expert Sally Grottini, a dog trainer with more than 30 years of experience as an AKC and Therapy Dog evaluator. "For example, when choosing your dog's name, it should not be a name that sounds like another animal or person's name in the home, nor should it sound like something that is said in general around the house like 'Noah' that sounds like 'No.' Instead, think of a name that makes you happy and fits your dog, so you will always see your dog in a pleasant light. And if you have more than one dog in your home, don't name them with similar vowel sounds like 'Shasta' and 'Sasha' which could be confusing for them."

The good news, according to Grottini, is that even if you adopt a pooch who already has a given name, there's no need to keep it: "What is important is that when you are changing the name, you do it several times each day in a row, for several days, sometimes a week, saying the new name in an upbeat voice, and when they look at you, then you click and reward the dog for looking at you."

What Keeps Dog Owners Up at Night: Top 5 Dog Questions on JustAnswer
Health concerns, particularly worries over accidentally ingested foods or other substances causing digestive distress, dominated the trending topics from dog-related questions on JustAnswer in 2025. Specifically, the most popular questions from pup parents this year were:

1. "My dog ate chocolate- what should I do?"
2. "My dog is vomiting, having diarrhea, or panting excessively- what could this mean?"
3. "My dog swallowed something unusual or potentially toxic- need advice right away."
4. "My dog's leg or paw is swollen or injured- what should I do to help him?"
5. "My dog's stomach is bloated, and they're having trouble going to the bathroom - what's causing this?"

For more insights about the top dog names, breeds, question themes – and for expert insights on the importance of choosing (and using) a name for your pooch, please visit: https://www.justanswer.com/blog/surprising-dog-trends-taking-over-america-2025.

"Our pets reflect our personalities, lifestyles, and even regional cultures," said JustAnswer CEO Andy Kurtzig. "Whether it's a Chihuahua named Luna in Los Angeles or a Lab named Lucy in Chicago, we're here to make sure pet owners can get quick, trusted answers to help their dogs live healthier, happier lives."

About JustAnswer
JustAnswer is an online platform that connects people with live Doctors, Lawyers, Veterinarians, Mechanics and other verified and vetted Experts for real-time, personalized assistance and answers to just about any question or problem 24/7. With more than 12,000 experts across 150 categories, JustAnswer is the leading destination for accessing affordable professional help on-demand when and from wherever you need it.

Media Contact:

Andrea Toch for JustAnswer
[email protected]
(602) 405-8335

SOURCE JustAnswer