#1
French Bulldogs led the AKC’s 2025 popularity ranking.
The French Bulldog held the top spot in the American Kennel Club’s registration-based ranking for the fourth consecutive year.
American Kennel Club, 2026Murrybowl reference
Flat-Faced Dog Statistics: 2026
A clear, cited snapshot of the breeds and research shaping conversations around French Bulldogs, Bulldogs, Pugs, and other flat-faced dogs.
Last updated October 7, 2026. Facts are linked to their original published sources.
The quick view
Five figures worth knowing.
#10
Bulldogs were also in the AKC’s 2025 top 10.
The Bulldog ranked tenth in the same registration-based list, showing that short-nosed breeds remain highly visible among registered purebred dogs in the United States.
American Kennel Club, 202619%
Nearly one in five dogs in one UK primary-care study were flat-faced.
Researchers identified 4,169 flat-faced dogs among 21,409 dogs receiving primary veterinary care in the study dataset. This is a study sample, not a worldwide population estimate.
Royal Veterinary College VetCompass, 202046%
French Bulldogs had Grade II or III airway obstruction in one clinical study group.
The study reported this finding for French Bulldogs evaluated in its research population, alongside 60% of Pugs and 40% of Bulldogs. It does not diagnose any individual pet or predict every dog’s experience.
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 201657%
More than half of dogs in one flat-faced study group were overweight.
Among 154 non-referral flat-faced dogs in a 2015 study, 57% had a body condition score above 5 out of 9. The finding is specific to that sample and reinforces the value of individualized veterinary care.
PLOS ONE, 2015Read the numbers well
Useful statistics need their context.
Popularity rankings show the choices being made by people registering dogs with the American Kennel Club. They do not measure every dog in every home, and they cannot tell us what is right for an individual pet.
Research findings describe the dogs included in each study. They are not a diagnosis. If a pet has breathing, swallowing, gagging, regurgitation, or feeding concerns, a veterinarian can provide advice tailored to that pet.
Methodology and sources
How this reference is kept useful.
This page uses original research, a veterinary research program, and the American Kennel Club’s published registration rankings. Each figure links directly to its source and publication date.
- American Kennel Club, 2025 popularity rankings, published 2026
- Royal Veterinary College VetCompass, flat-faced dog study, 2020
- Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, airway obstruction study, 2016
- PLOS ONE, facial conformation and health study, 2015
Cite this page
Murrybowl. “Flat-Faced Dog Statistics: 2026.” Updated October 7, 2026. murrybowl.com/flat-faced-dog-statistics
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