Study: Dog movies make certain breeds more popular

Study: Dog movies make certain breeds more popular
(Image credit: David Westing/Getty Images Entertainment)

New research suggests that Hollywood movies can have strong impacts on dog adoption.

Dog movies can influence featured breeds' popularity for up to 10 years, even if the animals are cartoons, according to a new study published in PLOS One. Researchers at the University of Bristol, Western Carolina University, and the City University of New York studied the effects of 87 dog movies with data from the American Kennel Club's 65 million dog registries.

The researchers found that collies were 40 percent more popular, registration-wise, after Lassie Come Home's release in 1943. The study also found that 1959's The Shaggy Dog increased registrations of Old English Sheepdogs 100-fold, Time reports. And even the cartoon 101 Dalmatians increased dalmatian popularity after its release in 1985.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Dog movies may not help struggling breeds now, though — earlier movies had larger breed impacts than more recent ones, which Time speculates may be related to the internet's obsession with all types of animals.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.