Dog Breed for Your Zodiac Sign: What Real Survey Data Shows

PawCompass AU · Last updated: 10 Oct 2026

Two pieces of survey data link star signs and dogs: Rover's 2023 survey of American dog owners and Compare the Market's 2024 analysis of Australian dogs' birth dates. Both are fun to read, and both end up pointing away from astrology. In the US data, mixed breeds topped every sign; in the Australian data, the star sign pattern mostly reflects when Australians buy puppies.

What did Rover's 2023 US survey find about star signs and dog breeds?

Mixed-breed dogs were the most popular choice for all 12 star signs in Rover's survey The Most Popular Dog Breeds in America 2023. Overall, 60% of the American dog owners surveyed had a mixed-breed dog and 40% had a purebred. Media coverage of the survey did not report the sample size.

The survey also asked about cats. Taurus and Virgo owners were the most likely to have cats, Libra and Cancer owners the most likely to have dogs, and Aquarius and Virgo owners the most likely to have both.

Setting mixed breeds aside, Rover published the most popular purebred for each sign:

The same survey found a clearer pattern by generation than by star sign: baby boomers favoured the Labrador Retriever, Gen X the Chihuahua, millennials the German Shepherd and Gen Z the Golden Retriever.

Can Australians use Rover's star sign results?

Only as trivia: Rover surveyed American owners, and one of its results is a breed Australia bans from import. The American Pit Bull Terrier, the top purebred for Leo and joint top for Gemini, is on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) list of pure-bred dog bans for import. Our pet relocation guide covers the DAFF list in detail. That is why the clock illustration at the top of this page shows a mixed-breed dog at Leo, the overall #1 for every sign.

The survey also reflects American breed popularity. Its overall top eight were mixed breed, Labrador Retriever, Goldendoodle, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Chihuahua, Shih Tzu and French Bulldog. Australian data, covered below, has the Cavoodle at the top of its list.

What is the most common star sign for dogs in Australia?

Capricorn is the most common star sign among Australian dogs, according to Compare the Market's analysis of dog birth dates entered into its pet insurance comparison tool between 1 July 2023 and 21 May 2024. Aquarius and Gemini followed, and Pisces and Aries were the least common. Compare the Market published the analysis on 23 August 2024 for International Dog Day and did not state how many dogs it covered.

Note the direction: this data measures the dog's star sign, not the owner's. No Australian survey we could find links owners' star signs to the breeds they choose.

Compare the Market also broke the data down for its 10 most common breeds:

Four of the 10 breeds were most often Aquarius, born in January or February.

Why are so many Australian dogs Capricorn and Aquarius?

The likely reason is timing, not the stars: Australians tend to get puppies born in summer. Compare the Market's breed table dates Aquarius births to January–February, the peak of the Australian summer. Adrian Taylor, Compare the Market's Executive General Manager for General Insurance, said the research shows "a trend towards people buying pets born in the summer months", and suggested families decide to get a pet around the end-of-year holidays and contact breeders about availability.

In other words, the Australian star sign ranking is really a seasonal buying pattern. The Cavoodle, Miniature Dachshund, French Bulldog and Labrador Retriever all peaked in January–February births in Compare the Market's data.

What should you use instead of a star sign to choose a dog?

Match the breed's needs to your household, not your birthday. Compare the Market's Adrian Taylor made the same point: "we would urge people to consider the dog they are getting and not get a breed for the sake of its star sign or popularity." His example was the Blue Heeler, which has grown more popular because of Bluey but may be the wrong breed for a city apartment unless you run before and after work.

The two datasets agree in their own way. Rover found mixed breeds top every star sign, so the stars did not separate owners' choices; Compare the Market found a calendar effect, not a personality one. For a choice based on exercise needs, space, experience and coat care, start with:

• The breed picker, where you weight six lifestyle factors yourself
• Dogs for apartments, dogs for first-time owners and family dogs
• How our Lifestyle Fit scores work, including their limits

Sources checked October 2026

• Rover, The Most Popular Dog Breeds in America 2023, as reported by Country Living (2 September 2023) and The Epoch Times Chinese edition (6 September 2023)
• Compare the Market, "It's written in the stars: The most common star signs for dogs" (23 August 2024), based on pet insurance comparison data from 1 July 2023 to 21 May 2024

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