Dog Days of Summer: Top 15 Dog Breeds

Did you know that the state pet of Utah is the shelter pet? I didn’t either. My family has always had some sort of pet when I was growing up. When my husband and I moved in together, we decided that we didn’t want a pet. We thought that having kids would be enough work and that we didn’t want to add to it. So for several years that’s how it was. Then, our former babysitter asked me if I wanted to rehome their cat.

I said. “Yes." We found ourselves as pet owners for the first time in close to a decade. I’ll tell you this, though. Our house didn’t feel like a home until Aspen moved in.

Another thing about me is that I take things very literally sometimes. When my manager told me that we were going to be going with the theme this week for the “Dog Days of Summer", the first thought I had was that I had to write something about dogs. Like actual dogs.

15 Most Popular Dog Breeds

Here are the 15 most popular types of dog breeds. This list is in no particular order, so I’m not comparing them. One of the things you have to remember about animals is that even if the animal is from a certain breed and is supposed to have certain characteristics, its not necessarily going to have all of them. The breed determines what an animal is likely to be like, but the individual animal is going to have their own personality.

Labrador Retriever

Easily one of the most popular types of dog breeds, this is a classic pup that is perfect for families. These dogs are notoriously sweet and smart. The Labrador Retriever is playful, patient, loving and protective. They will go to great lengths for their owners and are fiercely loyal.

They need a lot of exercise and love to swim. If you have a larger family with several children or if your family is active, this may be a perfect dog for you. The Lab comes in 3 varieties; black, chocolate and yellow. They tend to have shorter coats which means they don’t require extensive grooming.

Golden Retriever

The Goldie is another breed that is super popular. They are incredibly sweet dogs that are extremely patient. One of our neighbors had a golden retriever and their littlest child liked to ride him like a pony. The dog just let her and seemed to be happy.

They are extremely receptive to training and are eager to please. They are also incredibly affectionate. They need a lot of exercise, so this is another pup that does well with a large or active family. Their coats tend to be long and flowy and need a bit more care than the Lab’s do. You’ll need to groom them quite extensively.

Collie

Who didn’t grow up wanting a sweet, smart and courageous dog like Lassie? Collies are amazing dogs to have with a family. They are a gentle breed and they rarely misbehave. They are smart and take well to any type of training that you want to put them through.

Collies have a need to please that makes them great to be around kids. They were originally bred to be herding dogs and so they might actually try to herd your children! The Collie does have a beautiful long coat, so grooming is going to be an ongoing process. They also tend to be a bit stubborn, so be firm with obedience training.

Boxers

One of the iconic cartoon pups, the Boxer is looking to make a comeback as a family dog. While they may not be good at figuring out that it was Old Man Wilson behind that mask after all, the Boxer is a great breed.

Boxers are playful and energetic dogs that are pack oriented and love to take care of kids. Make sure to give them plenty of exercise or you may have a mischievous pup on your hands.