National Dog Day! A Poll Found This Size Is Our Favorite

National Dog Day! A Poll Found This Size Is Our Favorite

  Happy National Dog Day!  Around 45% of Americans have a dog, compared to 32% who own cats.  Many of us have both.  If you just look at pet owners, 74% have a dog, and 51% have a cat.  So there’s some overlap.

A new poll by the pet food brand Hill’s looked at HOW we’re most likely to get a dog in 2025.  And it’s not from a shelter, or a pet store.

If you got your dog from a friend or family member, you’re not alone.  33% of dog owners got their last dog that way.  Shelters and breeders are next at 24% each.  Then pet stores at 18%, and 10% found their dog as a stray.

The big difference with cats is we’re more than twice as likely to adopt a stray.  22% got their cat when it just strolled into their life off the street.

But back to dogs:  The poll looked at different SIZED dogs to see what our favorite is.  Are you a big dog person, small dog person, or somewhere in the middle?

MEDIUM dogs are the most popular.  That’s anywhere from 26 to 54 pounds.  Small dogs are next, and just 25% say they’d want a BIG dog.

The top reasons for not wanting a big dog include not having enough room for one . . . they’re harder to travel with . . . and it costs more to feed them.

Whether or not you can keep up with them also matters.  34% of people under 45 would get a big dog, compared to just 18% of people older than that.

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics