Every year, the American Kennel Club releases a top 10 list of the most popular dog breeds in the country. The latest rankings come out Tuesday, drawn from more than 800,000 purebred puppies and older pooches that joined the nation's oldest canine registry last year. Among 197 registered dog breeds, Labrador retrievers once again come out on top, continuing a 31-year streak as America’s most beloved canine.
After Labs, the top 10 are:
1.French bulldogs
2.Golden retrievers
3.German shepherds
4.Poodles
5.Bulldogs
6.Beagles
7.Rottweilers
8.German shorthaired pointers
9.Dachshunds
While the list remains largely unchanged year to year, some breeds see massive surges in popularity. Eight breeds, from the petite Pembroke Welsh corgi (#11) to the towering great Dane (#17), have entered the top 25 since the start of the century. French bulldogs, who ranked 71st in 2000, are now #2 and a common sight from TV commercials to cosmopolitan streets.
The rarest breed last year was the Norwegian Lundehund, consistently rare in the U.S. The fox-like dogs boast extra toes and unusual flexibility that once helped them climb Norwegian cliffs to hunt puffins (Lundehund is literally "puffin dog") nesting in narrow crevices.
Image: Blue Bird/Pexels
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