One of the longest dynasties in American culture recently ended. After ruling as the nation’s top breed for 31 years, according to the American Kennel Club, the Labrador retriever was unseated by the playful French bulldog. To further confer top-dog status on that particular canine – with a face only a mother could love – the bulldog also sits atop the leaderboard for Instagram posts. (Its face aside, it’s hardly one of the ugliest dogs of all time.)
To compile a list of the dog breeds that are most often posted on Instagram, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by Our Fit Pets, an online platform specializing in expert cat and dog advice. A total of 281 dog breeds, compiled from the official American Kennel Club website, were included in the study. Breeds were compared based on their corresponding Instagram hashtag. Breeds such as Bolognese, Boxer, and Shikoku, which all needed the modifier ‘dog’ added to the hashtag to return relevant results.
The French bulldog easily topped the field with more than 37 million Instagram posts using the hashtag #frenchbulldog. Other top “Instagrammable” dogs were the golden retriever and the Chihuahua. The Labrador came in 12th on the list. (Here’s a list of America’s most popular dogs.)
The French bulldogs looks like a miniature version of a conventional bulldog; its distinguishing feature is its large, erect “bat ears.”
Originally bred in the U.K., not France, despite its name, the animal became the favored pet of lacemakers in England in the mid-1800s. When the Industrial Revolution threatened to put the lace cottage industry out of business, the lacemakers decamped to northern France and took the dogs with them. The bulldog became the toast of Paris café society and became associated with Parisian city life. (It can be seen in the works of impressionist works of Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec.)
20. Yorkshire Terrier
> Hashtag: #YorkshireTerrier
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 8,827,880
19. Siberian Husky
> Hashtag: #SiberianHusky
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 9,339,626
18. Australian Shepherd
> Hashtag: #AustralianShepherd
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 10,095,250
17. Boston Terrier
> Hashtag: #BostonTerrier
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 10,490,578
16. Cocker Spaniel
> Hashtag: #CockerSpaniel
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 10,621,936
15. Maltese
> Hashtag: #Maltese
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 12,785,571
14. Toy Poodle
> Hashtag: #ToyPoodle
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 13,823,544
13. Beagle
> Hashtag: #Beagle
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 13,892,929
12. Labrador Retriever
> Hashtag: #LabradorRetriever
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 13,973,083
11. Shiba Inu
> Hashtag: #ShibaInu
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 15,956,987
10. Shih Tzu
> Hashtag: #ShihTzu
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 16,144,454
9. Border Collie
> Hashtag: #BorderCollie
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 17,499,859
8. Dachshund
> Hashtag: #Dachshund
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 19,473,384
7. Pomeranian
> Hashtag: #Pomeranian
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 21,270,151
6. Poodle
> Hashtag: #Poodle
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 22,311,664
5. Bulldog
> Hashtag: #Bulldog
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 23,199,468
4. Pug
> Hashtag: #Pug
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 23,938,945
3. Chihuahua
> Hashtag: #Chihuahua
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 34,567,175
2. Golden Retriever
> Hashtag: #GoldenRetriever
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 34,620,981
1. French Bulldog
> Hashtag: #FrenchBulldog
> No. of Instagram posts using hashtag: 37,426,453