Dog Care Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020449,515

Best year197415,062 earned

All-time popularity#71official, as of 2020#73by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1938. Peak year 1974 with 15,062. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1938275 earned#100 of 105

19391,915 earned#56 of 106

19401,971 earned#58 of 106

19412,241 earned#54 of 106

19422,342 earned#50 of 110

19432,903 earned#50 of 112

19443,865 earned#48 of 111

19454,203 earned#44 of 111

19462,408 earned#55 of 111

19472,763 earned#49 of 111

19482,750 earned#47 of 111

19493,249 earned#45 of 111

19504,283 earned#43 of 111

19514,827 earned#43 of 111

19525,049 earned#44 of 120

19535,056 earned#41 of 105

19545,495 earned#45 of 103

19555,923 earned#42 of 100

19566,007 earned#44 of 100

19576,211 earned#43 of 100

19586,651 earned#41 of 101

19597,494 earned#39 of 101

19609,319 earned#40 of 100

19619,042 earned#42 of 101

19628,997 earned#43 of 101

19638,909 earned#44 of 102

19649,665 earned#41 of 107

19658,929 earned#43 of 109

19668,606 earned#44 of 110

19679,456 earned#45 of 112

19689,581 earned#45 of 112

196910,336 earned#43 of 113

19709,846 earned#46 of 113

19719,402 earned#47 of 113

19728,604 earned#52 of 124

19739,315 earned#52 of 122

197415,062 earned#48 of 121

197514,297 earned#50 of 128

197613,162 earned#47 of 130

197711,340 earned#47 of 130

19789,325 earned#47 of 131

19796,715 earned#51 of 132

19804,113 earned#54 of 132

19816,030 earned#53 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19933,695 earned#75 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19963,674 earned#78 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20003,817 earned#85 of 128

20013,799 earned#83 of 129

20024,071 earned#88 of 129

20034,047 earned#86 of 130

20043,997 earned#91 of 121

20053,157 earned#96 of 121

20063,124 earned#97 of 121

20072,948 earned#96 of 121

20083,188 earned#94 of 121

20093,373 earned#96 of 122

20103,455 earned#98 of 125

20113,407 earned#97 of 129

20123,330 earned#90 of 132

20133,351 earned#76 of 129

20142,955 earned#114 of 136

20152,666 earned#118 of 138

20162,414 earned#118 of 138

20172,661 earned#114 of 139

20183,025 earned#111 of 139

20193,151 earned#108 of 139

20204,136 earned#82 of 137

2021No data available#107 of 137

2022No data available#111 of 138

2023No data available#110 of 138

2024No data available#114 of 138

2025No data available#120 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#120 of 141" means the badge was number 120 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1938275#100 of 105

19391,915#56 of 106

19401,971#58 of 106

19412,241#54 of 106

19422,342#50 of 110

19432,903#50 of 112

19443,865#48 of 111

19454,203#44 of 111

19462,408#55 of 111

19472,763#49 of 111

19482,750#47 of 111

19493,249#45 of 111

19504,283#43 of 111

19514,827#43 of 111

19525,049#44 of 120

19535,056#41 of 105

19545,495#45 of 103

19555,923#42 of 100

19566,007#44 of 100

19576,211#43 of 100

19586,651#41 of 101

19597,494#39 of 101

19609,319#40 of 100

19619,042#42 of 101

19628,997#43 of 101

19638,909#44 of 102

19649,665#41 of 107

19658,929#43 of 109

19668,606#44 of 110

19679,456#45 of 112

19689,581#45 of 112

196910,336#43 of 113

19709,846#46 of 113

19719,402#47 of 113

19728,604#52 of 124

19739,315#52 of 122

197415,062#48 of 121

197514,297#50 of 128

197613,162#47 of 130

197711,340#47 of 130

19789,325#47 of 131

19796,715#51 of 132

19804,113#54 of 132

19816,030#53 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19933,695#75 of 123

1994—

1995—

19963,674#78 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20003,817#85 of 128

20013,799#83 of 129

20024,071#88 of 129

20034,047#86 of 130

20043,997#91 of 121

20053,157#96 of 121

20063,124#97 of 121

20072,948#96 of 121

20083,188#94 of 121

20093,373#96 of 122

20103,455#98 of 125

20113,407#97 of 129

20123,330#90 of 132

20133,351#76 of 129

20142,955#114 of 136

20152,666#118 of 138

20162,414#118 of 138

20172,661#114 of 139

20183,025#111 of 139

20193,151#108 of 139

20204,136#82 of 137

2021—#107 of 137

2022—#111 of 138

2023—#110 of 138

2024—#114 of 138

2025—#120 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Dog Care: workbook data

Printings (81)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1938	September	3D	back-3	2M		3289
x	1938	October	3D	back-3	2M		3289
x	1939	September	4	back-4	3M		3289
	1940	not made
x	1941	June	4	back-4	2M		3289
x	1942	August	4	back-4	3M	1942	3289
	1943	not made
x	1944	May	5A	back-5a	2M	1942	3289
x	1945	January	5B	blank	4M	1942	3289
x	1945	October	5B	blank	3M	1942	3289
x	1946	October	5B	blank	3M	1942	3289
	1947	not made
x	1948	January	5B	blank	3M		3289
x	1949	April	5B	blank	3M		3289
x	1950	June	5B	blank	3M		3289
c	1951	April	5B		1M		3289
x	1951	August	5B	back-6a	4M		3289
x	1952	October	6	back-6b-1	7M	1952	3289
x	1953	May	6	back-6b-1	5M	1952	3289
x	1953	December	6	back-6b-1	10M	1952	3289
x	1954	October	6	back-6b-2	10M	1952	3289		HCJV1
	1955	not made
x	1956	January	6	back-6b-2	10M	1952	3289		HCJV1
x	1956	November	6	back-6b-2	12M	1952	3289
x	1957	November	6	back-6b-2	12M	1952	3289
	1958	not made
x	1959	January	6	back-6c-2	12M	1952	3289		HCJV1
x	1960	February	6	back-6c-2	10M	1952	3289
x	1960	September	6	back-6d	13M	1952	3289
x	1961	September	6	back-6e	13M	1952	3289		HCJ
x	1962	October	6	back-6f	14M	1952	3289		HCP
x	1963	August	6	back-6g	15M	1952	3289		HCK
x	1964	October	6	back-6h	17M	1952	3289
x	1965	August	6	back-6i	15M	1952	3289		HCL
x	1966	August	7A	back-7	16M	1952	3289		HCL
x	1967	August	7A	back-7	15M		3289
x	1968	April	7A	back-7	18M		3289
x	1969	June	7A	back-7	20M	1969	3289		HCL, HCN
x	1970	September	7A	back-7	20M	1969	3289		HCM
	1971	not made
x	1972	February	7B	back-7	18M	1969	3289		HCSV1
x	1973	July	8	bacl-8a	20M	1969	3289		HCSV1, HCT
x	1974	May	8	back-8b	20M	1969	3289
	1975	not made
x	1976	August	8	back-8c-1	10M		3289
x	1977	August	8	back-8d	10M		3289
	1978	not made
x	1979	June	8	back-8d	6.5M		3289
x	1980	October	9A	back-9a	5.5M		3289
x	1981	September	9A	back-9a	6M		3289
x	1982	November	9A	back-9a	5.5M		3289
x	1983	August	9A	back-9a	6.5M		3289
x	1984	September	9A	back-9b-1	6M	1984	3289
x	1985	September	9A	back-9b-2	5.5M	1984	3289
x	1986	July	9A	back-9b-2	6M	1984	3289
x	1987	May	9A	back-9b-2	7M	1984	3289
x	1988	June	9A	back-9b-2	6M	1984	3289
x	1989	May	9A	back-9b-2	6M	1984	3289
x	1990	March	9A	back-9b-2	6M	1984	3289
x	1991	June	9A	back-9c-1	6M		3289
x	1992	April	9A	back-9c-2	6M		33289	730176332895
x	1993	March	9A	back-9c-2	7M		33289	730176332895
x	1994	April	9A	back-9d	7M		33289	730176332895
x	1995	June	9A	back-9d	6.5M		33289	730176332895
x	1996	May	9A	back-9d	6.5M		33289	730176332895
x	1997	September	9A	back-9d			33289	730176332895
x	1998		9A	back-9e			33289	730176332895		© 1984 revised 1984 in book-cover states updated as january 1, 1998 on inside back cover
x	1999		9A	back-9f			33289	730176332895
x	2000		9A	back-9f			33289	730176332895
x	2001		9A	back-9f			33289	730176332895
x	2002		9A	back-9f			33289	730176332895
x	2003		9B	back-9g			33289A	730176332895
x	2004		9B	back-9g			33289A	730176332895
c	2005		9B	back-9g			33289A	730176332895
x	2006		9B	back-9g			33289A	730176332895
	2007	not made
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35884	730176358840
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1	back-1010b1			35884	730176358840
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010b1			35884	730176358840
x	2012		10C-2	back-1010b1			615322	730176357034
x	2013		10C-2	back-1013b1			615322	730176357034		01268-al
x	2014		10C-3	back-1013b1			615322	730176357034		01268-al
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1			635914	730176346151		01268-psf
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1			635914	730176346151		01042-al
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1			635914	730176346151		00358-al
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1			635914	730176346151		358
x	2020		10D	back-1019b1			655188	730176351414		358
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D	back-1019b1			656881	7301766568814		358
x	2023		10D	back-1019b1			659888	7301766598880		358
x	2024		10D	back-1019b1			661048	7301766610483		358
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1938	275	100	105
1939	1,915	56	106
1940	1,971	58	106
1941	2,241	54	106
1942	2,342	50	110
1943	2,903	50	112
1944	3,865	48	111
1945	4,203	44	111
1946	2,408	55	111
1947	2,763	49	111
1948	2,750	47	111
1949	3,249	45	111
1950	4,283	43	111
1951	4,827	43	111
1952	5,049	44	120
1953	5,056	41	105
1954	5,495	45	103
1955	5,923	42	100
1956	6,007	44	100
1957	6,211	43	100
1958	6,651	41	101
1959	7,494	39	101
1960	9,319	40	100
1961	9,042	42	101
1962	8,997	43	101
1963	8,909	44	102
1964	9,665	41	107
1965	8,929	43	109
1966	8,606	44	110
1967	9,456	45	112
1968	9,581	45	112
1969	10,336	43	113
1970	9,846	46	113
1971	9,402	47	113
1972	8,604	52	124
1973	9,315	52	122
1974	15,062	48	121
1975	14,297	50	128
1976	13,162	47	130
1977	11,340	47	130
1978	9,325	47	131
1979	6,715	51	132
1980	4,113	54	132
1981	6,030	53	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	3,695	75	123
1994
1995
1996	3,674	78	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	3,817	85	128
2001	3,799	83	129
2002	4,071	88	129
2003	4,047	86	130
2004	3,997	91	121
2005	3,157	96	121
2006	3,124	97	121
2007	2,948	96	121
2008	3,188	94	121
2009	3,373	96	122
2010	3,455	98	125
2011	3,407	97	129
2012	3,330	90	132
2013	3,351	76	129
2014	2,955	114	136
2015	2,666	118	138
2016	2,414	118	138
2017	2,661	114	139
2018	3,025	111	139
2019	3,151	108	139
2020	4,136	82	137
2021		107	137
2022		111	138
2023		110	138
2024		114	138
2025		120	141