Montana's Most Popular Dog Breed

I just spent several months researching dog breeds. I've had dogs since I was a kid. I grew up with German Shepherds and a Pomeranian, and when I was an adult, I adopted Greyhounds. All three of those breeds have distinct and different needs. But as I've mentioned recently, I did just adopt a puppy. The reason why I was doing so much research was because this dog would be joining the other dogs in our house.

Right now, I have a Greyhound and a rescue dog from Montana who is smart and playful, but he also comes with some specific challenges after being a stray. I wanted to adopt a breed with a good chance of getting along with the Greyhound and Heeler mix already in my house.

Ashley, Townsquare Media

Part of that decision was also thinking about the kinds of dogs that do well in a place like Missoula. I like to hike, and I wanted to adopt a dog that would enjoy going for hikes and runs with me. In the end, I adopted a border collie mix. I wondered how common Border Collies are in Montana. You see them on trails and dog parks all the time, so I was a bit surprised to learn they are not the most popular breed in our state.

Montana's Most Popular Dog Breed According to U.S. News & World Report

Lists like this come out all the time and the latest list of most popular dog breeds in the U.S. was published earlier this year by U.S. News & World Report. They used data from the AAPA National Pet Owners Survey (which has been tracking this kind of data since 1988). They include the top 10 dog breeds in the country, and the #4 most popular breed is also the most popular breed in Montana.

Canva

The German Shepherd seems plausible but when we asked Montanans which breed they thought should be the "official dog breed" of Montana, the German Shepherd didn't make the list. Based on the dogs that you see in Montana, do you think the German Shepherd is really Montana's most popular dog?

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh