Australians aren’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to their pets and 2026 is shaping up to be another year of beloved breeds and very human names. New forecasts from pet insurer Petsy show the nation sticking close to what it knows and loves.
Leading the pack once again is the ever-popular Cavoodle, tipped to hold onto its crown as Australia’s favourite dog.
Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers follow close behind, while smaller breeds continue their climb, with Miniature Dachshunds and French Bulldogs rounding out the top five.
On the feline front, it’s familiarity over flash. Domestic Shorthair cats are set to remain Australia’s most common cat in 2026, ahead of Domestic Mediumhair cats and Ragdolls, proving practicality still trumps pedigree for many households.
But it’s the names that tell the biggest story. According to Petsy founder Monica Limanto, Australians are firmly in the camp of short, sweet and human-sounding pet names.
“Our data shows we’re choosing to name our pets with short, friendly, human-sounding names,” she says.
“We expect Luna to continue to be the most popular name overall, ranking number one for both dogs and cats in 2025.”
Luna once again tops the list for both dogs and cats in 2026, joined by perennial favourites like Milo, Coco and Leo, names that would be just as at home in a classroom as at the dog park.
Limanto says the trends reflect just how deeply pets are woven into Australian family life.
“Pets are part of the family in many Australian households,” she says.
“The popularity of breeds like Cavoodles and names like Luna and Milo show that we are choosing pets that suit our lifestyle and names that feel personal, familiar and human.”
The takeaway for 2026? Oodle crosses and compact dogs aren’t going anywhere, domestic cats will continue to dominate loungerooms, and Australians will keep calling out names at dinner time that sound remarkably like their own.
