Big City Dogs: The Most Popular Breeds in 10 Major U.S. Cities

Is your city filled with pedigreed pooches and designer dogs or is it more of a mixed-breed mecca? Care to venture a guess as to which breed is the top pick in your metropolitan region? We recently shared the breeds that are most popular by state, so this time, we decided to dig deeper into Vetstreet's data to determine just which purebred pups are most common in 10 highly populated American cities — from New York to Los Angeles, with some equally big names in between.

New York, New York

In a city known for its small living spaces, it only makes sense that the compact Yorkshire Terrier is the most popular purebred pick in Manhattan.

©Vetstreet

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Charlotte, North Carolina

The lovable Labrador Retriever is the top dog in Charlotte -- along with being the most popular breed in the entire state.

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Washington, D.C.

Residents of the nation's capitol have deemed the Shih Tzu their top political animal.

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Chicago, Illinois

The Windy City tends to attract hardy types, which may explain why the tough and intelligent German Shepherd Dog is the most popular breed in Chicago.

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Las Vegas, Nevada

The most popular breed in Sin City is the American Pit Bull Terrier -- a dog that would have fit perfectly into C.M. Coolidge's iconic Dogs Playing Poker painting.

5 of 11 Sally Anne Thompson, Animal Photography

Phoenix, Arizona

The pint-size Chihuahua has clearly made a big impression in Arizona: Not only is it the most popular breed in the state, but it's also the most common dog found in Phoenix.

6 of 11 Tetsu Yamazaki, Animal Photography

Denver, Colorado

This city is known for its active and outdoorsy inhabitants, making the Labrador Retriever an obvious choice for most popular purebred in Denver.

7 of 11 Leanne Graham, Animal Photography

Seattle, Washington

It's a good thing that the Shih Tzu looks so adorable in a raincoat, because it's the most popular breed in rain-prone Seattle.

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Dallas, Texas

Everything really is bigger in Texas, so the German Shepherd Dog -- with his sizable paws (and heart!) -- is right at home in the Big D.

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Los Angeles, California

Elle Woods in Legally Blonde was more representative of Angelenos than we realized -- Chihuahuas (like Woods' pup, Bruiser) really are top dogs in this glam metropolis.

10 of 11 Anita Peeples, Animal Photography