PHOTO
A small, energetic Jack Russell Terrier jumps over a hurdle in an agility course. The background features colorful training equipment and a grassy field.
Google Trends has highlighted what people are searching for when it comes to the beloved pooch, painting a picture for the smartest, liveliest and most popular across regional Victoria.
Winner of the dog breed popularity stakes for regional Victoria over the last five years are Greyhounds, followed by Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
Between 1000 and 1300 former racing Greyhounds are rehomed in regional Victoria each year through the Greyhound Adoption Program, adding to the popularity of the breed.
Next in popularity are Border Collie, German Shepherd, French Bulldog and Cavapoo, with the latter falling off the radar following laws to ban puppy farms being introduced in 2022.
When it comes to small dog breeds in rural areas around the state, in August 2026 Google Trends data shows the favourite search was for the Jack Russell breed, followed by Pug, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
However, these three breeds have interchangeably fluctuated between the top popularity spots over the previous 12 months.
Search interest for dog breeds possessing intelligence and responsiveness to training has the poodle as the most 'switched on' (also highest maintenance), followed by Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd and Border Collie.
Wangaratta Kennel and Obedience Dog Club president Kevin Felmingham agreed with the Golden Retriever's popularity status as he has owned the breed over the last 40 years.
"Wherever you drive around Wangaratta Golden Retrievers are everywhere and they're popular because they're a family dog, and they're bred for a family," he said.
"I worked on obedience with mine and they did very well in the trial rink reaching the top level."
Mr Felmingham explained that the dog can sniff out their handler's scent on objects including metal, leather and wood.
"The dog is sent to find the article out of 12 others and it is required to repeat the task three times," he said.
"In the utility class you have a lot of exercises where you don't speak to your dog as the direction solely relies on signals and body language."
If you're up for an energetic dog, the Dachshund takes the cake, followed by Border Collie and Jack Russell.
If you're in the market for a new furry friend, the most popular search term for acquiring a newly beloved pooch on Google Trends over the last 20 years is 'puppies for sale', with the pet store next prominent, followed by dog adoption, and animal rescue.
However, the search for puppies for sale has been on a steady decline since it peaked in 2020 due to a higher demand for canines, as people sought companionship during covid lockdowns.
Supply also dropped due to a crackdown on unethical breeding and the closure of sub-standard 'puppy farms' following tighter government legislation.
Mr Felmingham said tighter breeding laws have affected every breeder and they work under the strict controls of Dogs Victoria.
"If you have a litter of puppies now they all have to be DNA tested, registered, microchipped and vaccinated," he said.
"To get a breeders licence now it is more difficult and they have really tightened up to try and prevent puppy farmers."
With the number of puppies entering the market reducing, the price of puppies has skyrocketed in recent years, and adoption waiting lists at rescue shelters sometimes have hundreds of prospective dog owners submitting applications.
VetCompare reported vet costs are rising in Australia due to a combination of factors including advances in veterinary technology, staff shortages, increased demand for pet care following the pandemic pet boom.
Higher costs of imported equipment and medications, and growing pet owner expectations for specialist and emergency services also contribute.
This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends. It uses Google Trends data to explore search interest in dog breeds. Google Trends data is aggregated and anonymous. Search interest is measured on a relative scale and does not represent total search volume.
