LABRADOR RETRIEVER HOLDS FIRM IN TOP SPOT ON
AKC’S LIST OF MOST POPULAR DOGS IN AMERICA; LOVABLE BULLDOG CONTINUES ITS ASCENT
--
AKC Celebrates 125
th Anniversary with a Look Back at First
AKC Registered Breeds in History --
New York, NY – For the 18
th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America, according to 2008 registration statistics released today by the American Kennel Club® (
AKC) But, while more than twice as many Labs were registered last year than any other breed making it a likely leader for many years to come, the Bulldog continues to amble its way up the list. The breed made news last year by returning to the
AKC’s Top 10 for the first time in more than 70 years and now has jumped 6%, advancing two spots to land in 8
th place.
“The playful Lab may still reign supreme, but the docile and adaptive nature of the Bulldog is gaining ground as a family favorite,” said
AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “It’s no surprise to learn that this devoted family companion is still growing in popularity.”
2008 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.
1.
Labrador Retriever2.
Yorkshire Terrier3.
German Shepherd Dog 4.
Golden Retriever5.
Beagle6.
Boxer7.
Dachshund8.
Bulldog9.
Poodle10.
Shih Tzu125 YEARS OF HISTORY
Like the Bulldog, the popularity of breeds ebbs and flows over time. The
AKC is proud to be celebrating its 125
th Anniversary during 2009. In 1884 at the time of the organization’s founding,
AKC registered only nine breeds versus the 161 it recognizes today:
AKC Registered Breeds in 1884 Rank in 2008
Pointer 111
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 48
English Setter 86
Gordon Setter 92
Irish Setter 69
Clumber Spaniel 117
Cocker Spaniel* 21
Irish Water Spaniel 144
Sussex Spaniel 147
*In 1884 the English
Cocker Spaniel and the
Cocker Spaniel were registered as the same breed. They were separated in 1946. Today the English
Cocker Spaniel is ranked 70
th.
These original breeds are all current members of the Sporting Group -- dogs bred to help man find and retrieve game. They all have innate instincts in the water, field and woods. While none of the original nine is anywhere near the
AKC Top 10, the qualities that made them effective hunters --
trainability and desire to please -- make them ideal family dogs today.
“I think the comparison of our original nine to the current top 10 illustrates the different needs that dogs fill today,” said Peterson. “In the 1880’s most breeds served a specific purpose or function. Today dogs still serve man and in even more diverse roles -- from guide dog to bomb detection K-9 – but most of all, dogs are now companions that ground us to nature in a busy and increasingly technological world.”
PET PREFERENCES: TOP 50 CITIES
While time periods are indicators for the popularity of certain pets, so is geography. Each year,
AKC looks at the most popular breeds in each of the
50 largest cities in the U.S. Some highlights:
While the Bulldog continues to climb the national list, it’s really marking its territory in a number of western cities --
Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego – where it comes in 2
nd, right after the Lab.
Only Honolulu, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City snubbed the Bulldog — opting for a wide variety of other breeds in their Top 10.
Detroit and Miami are the only cities that do not have the Labrador Retriever in the top spot, both favoring the German Shepherd Dog.
The Boxer is muscling its way to the top in a few cities, ranking second in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Des
Moines, Louisville, Omaha and Kansas City. It’s 3rd in Atlanta, Cleveland, New Orleans, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and even Philadelphia -- where like its boxing brethren “Rocky” it’s still a literal underdog, but if movie plots are any indication, perhaps not for long.
Californians seem to love the Miniature
Pinscher (ranked 32
nd nationally). It came in 6
th (up from 15 last year) in San Diego and also ranked 8
th in Sacramento.
The
Vizsla is tied for 10
th with the
Shih Tzu in Chicago. Ranked 44
th nationally, the
Vizsla has long been a favorite in the Windy City, having made the local top 10 list in 2007 and 2003.
Unusual breeds on local top ten lists including the Great Dane (10
th in St. Louis), the Mastiff (10
th in Indianapolis), the Brittany (10
th in Minneapolis), the Belgian
Malinois (8
th in Kansas City) and the Siberian Husky (9
th in Long Beach).
PET PREFERENCES: 1998– 2008
Some of the most notable recent trends in the past decade include:
The Bulldog (+69%) and four of its relatives are among the breeds that have increased most significantly over the last decade: Miniature Bull Terrier (+109%), Bull Terrier (+102%),
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (+69%) and the
Bullmastiff (+22%).
The French Bulldog (+467%), the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (+209%) and the Brussels
Griffon (+73%) continue to be among the breeds with the largest increases, likely due to their popularity with urban dog owners who favor portable, apartment-sized dogs.
The Border Collie, often considered among the most intelligent and trainable breeds, and known for its mastery of the highly popular canine sport of agility, saw a significant increase (+50%).
Lesser known breeds that saw an increase include the
Ibizan Hound (+74%), Norwich Terrier (+39%) and
Bedlington Terrier (+28%).
Large dogs with notable increases are two Swiss breeds – the Bernese Mountain Dog (+78%) and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (+88%) – as well as the
Wirehaired Pointing
Griffon (+117%), which hails from France.
Among breeds on the decline are the Lhasa
Apso (-80%), Rottweiler (-76%),
Schipperke (-75%) the Basset Hound (-66 %) and, despite its popularity in Sacramento and San Diego, the Miniature
Pinscher (-75%).
Portuguese Water Dogs, in the news recently due to the Obama family’s interest in this mid-sized, hypoallergenic breed, is currently ranked 64
th and has increased 44% in the past decade—especially appropriate considering Obama is our 44
th president.
However another famous presidential pet – the American Foxhound (-75%) – is on the decline. George Washington is credited with developing the breed.
Dog lovers can see and learn more about all of their favorite breeds on Saturday, January 31, 2009 when the
AKC/Eukanuba National Championship — where the country’s top dogs compete for $225,000 in prize money and the title of “National Champion” — airs on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel from 8-11 p.m. (ET/PT). Highlights from the
AKC Agility Invitational will air on Animal Planet on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
###
The American Kennel Club (
AKC), proudly celebrates its 125
th Anniversary in 2009. Since 1884 the not-for-profit organization has maintained the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, and today its rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year. The
AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the
AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. Affiliate
AKC organizations include the
AKC Humane Fund,
AKC Canine Health Foundation,
AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the
AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit
http://www.akc.org/.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.
The sellers are unqualified breeders, and don't have licenses to breed animals. We don't know if people are running puppy mills, and don't know what the conditions are that the animals live in. We don't even know if the animals are healthy - buying is based on the sellers 'word'. This is an unregulated business. 
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