IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Labrador retriever is still Americans’ favorite dog

For the 18th consecutive year, the Labrador retriever is the most popular purebred dog in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club.
/ Source: Reuters

The Labrador retriever is the most popular purebred dog in the United States for the 18th consecutive year, according to the American Kennel Club.

More than twice as many Labs were registered last year than any other breed, the club said in a statement.

The Yorkshire terrier came in second place, followed by the German shepherd, the golden retriever, the beagle, the boxer and the dachshund.

The bulldog is moving up the list with a 69 percent increase over the past decade, jumping two spots this year to number eight. Last year it made the Top 10 for the first time in 70 years.

“The playful Lab may still reign supreme, but the docile and adaptive nature of the bulldog is gaining ground as a family favorite,” said American Kennel Club spokeswoman Lisa Peterson.

The poodle and the Shih Tzu completed the top 10.

Other breeds on the rise over the past decade are the miniature bull terrier, up 109 percent, the bull terrier (102 percent), Staffordshire bull terrier (69 percent) and the bullmastiff (22 percent).

Among the breeds on the decline are the Lhasa apso, down 80 percent, Rottweiler (down 76 percent), schipperke (75 percent), the basset hound (66 percent) and the miniature pinscher (75 percent).