Mapped: Top five dog breeds in every Brisbane suburb

Frenchies, Pugs and Sausage Dogs may dominate our Instagram feeds, but another breed has been rated Brisbane’s top dog. See which breeds are most popular in your suburb. VIEW THE INTERACTIVE MAP.

Two-year-old Violet Tharenou with Molly, the Golden Labrador. Picture: Richard Walker

Frenchies, Pugs and Sausage Dogs may dominate our Instagram feeds, but Labradors are still top dog in Brisbane.

Latest registration data from Brisbane City Council reveals the local government area is home to 9741 Labrador Retrievers and related cross breeds, such as the increasingly popular Labradoodle.

That’s more than all the French Bulldogs (1467), Pugs (1376) and Dachshunds (3663) combined.

Labs are our most popular pooches, followed by Maltese (7401), Border Collie (6886), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (6351) and Staffordshire Bull Terrier (6059) pure-breeds and crossbreeds.

But Brisbane’s choice of furry friend varies across the city.

If you want to cuddle a Kelpie, head to Bracken Ridge (101 live here).

If you want to snuggle a schnauzer, your best bet is The Gap (32 live here).

If Golden Retrievers are your go-to, Ashgrove is the place for you (100 live here).

**See the full list of dog breeds below**

Animal Emergency Service director and senior veterinarian Dr Alex Hynes was not surprised to see family-friendly Labradors at the top of Brisbane’s list but said smaller breeds were also becoming more popular.

“We are going for smaller dogs as people move off the big blocks and into urban environments,” she said.

“Maltese suit that more apartment-type lifestyle as they don’t need as much exercise.

“Staffies are an Aussie favourite They have a great personality and they are tough dogs. There is the iconic thing of the Aussie bloke and his Staffie.”

Bondi Vet’s Dr Alex Hynes recommends adopting an older dog if you don’t have time to properly train a puppy. Picture: Supplied

Brisbane-based Dr Hynes, who stars on Bondi Vet: Coast to Coast, said “oodle” crossbreeds were also incredibly popular – particularly Cavoodles (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel x Poodle).

“It’s because Poodles are very smart dogs, very trainable and don’t shed hair,” she said.

“They are less likely to trigger allergies so perhaps families can have a dog that could not previously.

“(Cavoodles) then add the friendly personality of a Cavalier.”

When choosing the right dog breed for your household, Dr Hynes recommended five key considerations.

1 How much space do you have?

“If you are in an apartment, don’t get a Great Dane,” she said.

There are 578 Great Danes in Brisbane, led by Bracken Ridge with 18.

2 Do you have time for walks and exercise?

“The Australian Kelpie is a beautiful breed but needs lots of exercise so busy working people might be better with an older dog that can handle being alone during the day,” she said.

3 Do you want to go for runs with your dog?

“French Bulldogs are hugely popular but due to their pushed-in faces and not a great ability to breathe, they aren’t suited to going for a long run and in fact it can be dangerous for them,” she said.

4 Do you have time to socialise and train a puppy?

“There are lots of older dogs that may need a home,” she said.

“With my Samoyed, Yoshi, I adopted him as an adult and that was fantastic because I didn’t have the time to put into the intensive needs of a puppy.

“Yoshi is a therapy dog at the Mater Hospital so he has a job and goes to work so he is kept busy.”

There are 197 Samoyeds in Brisbane, led by Westlake with 7.

5 Do you have children?

“Sometimes little terrier breeds can be a bit snappy and they are at that level where kids are crawling around the ground,” she said.

“Picking something like a Labrador might be more suitable,” she said.

Sisters Violet and Ruby Tharenou with Molly the Golden Labrador. Picture: Richard Walker

Carindale toddler Violet Tharenou, age 2.5, loves her Labrador Molly, age 2 – except when Molly steals her breakfast if she is distracted watching Bluey.

Her parents chose the breed for its friendly, gentle and obedient personality.