On National Dog Day, Rover placed the mixed breed atop its 2025 ranking of America’s most popular dogs, using user-submitted profiles from 1,000 dogs on its platform.

The annual list, released around August 20-26, 2025, for National Dog Day, offers a snapshot of pets actually living in homes rather than registrations in breed registries, producing results that diverge from the American Kennel Club’s purebred-based standings. Mixed-breed dogs are gaining popularity in America largely because more owners are adopting from shelters and rescues, where these breeds are most common.

Rover, an online marketplace for pet care, compiled the ranking from profiles submitted by pet parents on its site and published the report on Aug. 26, 2025, with an update at 7:49 p.m. ET that day. The company’s approach includes mixed and designer breeds alongside recognized purebreds, a methodology reflected in the top placement for the affectionately described “good old-fashioned mutt.” This shift in ownership reflects a broader “adopt, don’t shop” ethic promoted by major humane organizations.

“These are dogs who have been adopted or brought home by pet parents, as opposed to litters being registered but not yet homed with a pet parent,” the report said. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that about 53% of dogs in U.S. households are mixed breeds, indicating that they slightly outnumber purebreds, which account for roughly 47%.

Sarah Scanlan and Kelsey Monstrola of USA Today wrote about the release, noting that Rover’s roster often shows different priorities than registries that count purebred litters rather than dogs already living with families.

Rover’s ranking matters to owners and shelters because it reflects what dogs people are living with day to day. Americans love their dogs. The top 10 usually doesn’t change much from year to year, the report observed.

The difference in approach helps explain why lists can vary: Rover’s data reflect on-the-ground ownership captured through its platform, while the American Kennel Club compiles standings using purebred registrations. That contrast has been visible in recent years as designer and mixed breeds appear prominently in platform-based lists. For dog owners seeking purebreds, reputable breeders can be identified through national breed clubs and registries, which maintain listings of breeders meeting health-testing and ethical breeding standards.

Readers seeking additional summaries and breakdowns of the 2025 rankings can find coverage at outlets such as Audacy and a detailed recap at Virabroadcasting, which outline how Rover and others have presented the top breeds this year.

The report’s timing — published on National Dog Day — framed the list as a celebratory look at the nation’s companion animals and underscored differences in measurement that can shift which names appear at the top. Rover’s inclusion of mixed and designer dogs changes the composition of its rankings compared with registries that count only purebreds.

Rover’s release and the USA Today article by Scanlan and Monstrola join a broader set of year-end and holiday lists that aim to capture prevailing trends in pet ownership. For many owners and rescue groups, platform-based tallies offer a view of the animals actually sharing homes with people rather than waiting to be registered.

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Original reporting: view the original article.