The American Kennel Club has released a "Top 10 list" of dog breeds in 50 American cities, including Iowa’s capitol city. First, a caveat. This is a ranking of pedigreed dogs. Mutts or perhaps more politely "mixed breed" dogs are likely the number one kind of dog in Des Moines. But the Kennel Club’s list shows among pedigreed dogs in Des Moines, the Labrador Retriever is number one, followed by the box and the Golden Retriever.
Other popular dog breeds in Des Moines are the German Shepherd, the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Brittany, Shetland Sheepdogs, Cocker Spaniels and Rottweilers. According to the Kennel Club, Des Moines has "the most unique list of all 50" American cities because only four of the 10 top dogs in Des Moines were on the national Top 10 list. In addition, Des Moines was the "only city to not have any toy dogs in its Top 10."