The rarest dog breed in the United States is a puffin hunter
Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and German Shepherds are all instantly recognizable dog breeds. But these are just a fraction of the 202 dog types officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). While the French Bulldog maintains its status as the most popular breed in the United States for the fourth year in a row, there has been a bit of a shake-up this year when it comes to the breed. the rarest dog in the countryside. By the AKC’s tally, you should consider yourself lucky if you spotted a Norwegian lundehund in 2025 — the small breed has pushed the English foxhound to the status of the country’s least common canine companion.
“With the addition of new recognized breeds almost every year, it is difficult to determine whether breeds are becoming rarer or other breeds are simply becoming more popular,” the AKC explained in its statement. “In some cases there are certainly gains in popularity, but for other breeds the registration numbers are so low that even one less registered dog makes a difference.”
So, what is a Norwegian Lundehund? This lack of awareness is understandable, even abroad. The approximately 15-pound dog is an extremely ancient breed, specifically designed to hunt puffins that roost in steep cliffs and caves. The word “lunde” is actually a Norwegian word meaning puffin. The first historical mention of a lundehund dates back to 1591, when a bailiff visiting the town of Værøy noted that “one cannot easily retrieve the birds from the depths without having a small dog accustomed to crawling into the hole and pulling the birds out.”
Hunting puffins is now illegal in Norway and the lundehund almost disappeared in the 1960s before concerted breeding efforts brought it back from the brink of extinction. However, this does not mean that they are commonplace today. In 2022, researchers estimated that there were only about 1,500 lundehunds in the world, with about 900 living in Norway.
While the English Foxhound has made great strides as an American breed in 2025 (it is now the 16th rarest breed), the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen has remained solidly in third place. Meanwhile, the Sloughi, which is reminiscent of greyhounds, has risen to become the second rarest dog.
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