Labrador Retriever Most Popular Breed Once Again

For the 28th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is once again the most popular breed according to the American Kennel Club registry list for 2018. Statistics were released on March 20, 2019 as AKC registration continues to expand for the sixth year in a row. Rankings were determined by tracking a year’s worth of national registrations for purebred dogs. You can find out more about AKC’s dog and litter registration here.

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Also of note, March 23rd is National Puppy Day! The event was established in 2006 as a way to promote dog adoption and educate the public about puppy mills. “Puppies are the most trusting and joyous creatures on the planet,” said National Puppy Day founder, Colleen Paige. “Oh, to be more like a puppy.” [source]

You can join in on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nationalpuppyday/ or find out more at www.nationalpuppyday.com.

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And now back to the rankings…
This year’s Top 10 remain little changed from last year’s rankings, with the exception of the 9th and 10th spots switching places.

 1.   Labrador Retriever
 2.   German Shepherd Dog
 3.   Golden Retriever
 4.   French Bulldog
 5.   Bulldog
 6.   Beagle
 7.   Poodle
 8.   Rottweiler
 9.   German Shorthaired Pointer
10.   Yorkshire Terrier

You can read about last year’s rankings from a previous post.

If you are wondering why the Labrador Retriever is so popular, you can look to the insights from three longtime breeders according to the AKC. “Linda Maffett, of Bellingham, Washington; Judy Heim, of Turlock, California; and Erin Henlon-Hall, of Villa Ridge, Missouri, all cite versatility, stable temperament, friendliness, trainability, and athleticism as just a few of its special qualities.” According to Maffett, “The qualities I focus on when placing my puppies in pet homes are the same as I am in looking for in a pup to keep for myself – temperament, temperament, temperament, and, of course, overall health and breed type.” [source]

Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2018

Retrievers (Labrador) German Shepherd Dogs Retrievers (Golden) French Bulldogs Bulldogs Beagles Poodles Rottweilers Pointers (German Shorthaired) Yorkshire Terriers Boxers Dachshunds Pembroke Welsh Corgis Siberian Huskies Australian Shepherds Great Danes Doberman Pinschers Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Miniature Schnauzers Shih Tzu Boston Terriers Bernese Mountain Dogs Pomeranians Havanese Shetland Sheepdogs Brittanys Spaniels (English Springer) Pugs Mastiffs Spaniels (Cocker) Vizslas Cane Corso Chihuahuas Miniature American Shepherds Border Collies Weimaraners Maltese Collies Basset Hounds Newfoundlands Rhodesian Ridgebacks West Highland White Terriers Belgian Malinois Shiba Inu Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay) Bichons Frises Akitas St. Bernards Bloodhounds Portuguese Water Dogs Bullmastiffs Spaniels (English Cocker) Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers Papillons Australian Cattle Dogs Dalmatians Scottish Terriers Alaskan Malamutes Samoyeds Airedale Terriers Whippets Bull Terriers Pointers (German Wirehaired) Chinese Shar-Pei

Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Great Pyrenees Dogues de Bordeaux Cardigan Welsh Corgis Cairn Terriers Miniature Pinschers Lhasa Apsos Old English Sheepdogs Italian Greyhounds Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs Chow Chows Irish Wolfhounds Setters (Irish) Giant Schnauzers Chinese Crested Staffordshire Bull Terriers Coton de Tulear Russell Terriers Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling) Bouviers des Flandres American Staffordshire Terriers Rat Terriers Basenjis Border Terriers Standard Schnauzers Anatolian Shepherd Dogs Retrievers (Flat-Coated) Pekingese Leonbergers Setters (English) Keeshonden Tibetan Terriers Norwegian Elkhounds Brussels Griffons Lagotti Romagnoli Spaniels (Boykin) Fox Terriers (Wire) Neapolitan Mastiffs Borzois Japanese Chin Schipperkes Belgian Tervuren Welsh Terriers Norwich Terriers Spinoni Italiani Miniature Bull Terriers Toy Fox Terriers Silky Terriers Afghan Hounds Pointers Setters (Gordon) Irish Terriers Parson Russell Terriers Black Russian Terriers Tibetan Spaniels Salukis Boerboels American Eskimo Dogs Fox Terriers (Smooth) Beaucerons Belgian Sheepdogs Norfolk Terriers Bearded Collies Spaniels (Welsh Springer)

Kerry Blue Terriers Bluetick Coonhounds Tibetan Mastiffs Briards Manchester Terriers German Pinschers English Toy Spaniels American Hairless Terriers Treeing Walker Coonhounds Black and Tan Coonhounds Australian Terriers Xoloitzcuintli Bedlington Terriers Redbone Coonhounds Spaniels (Clumber) Berger Picards Greyhounds Setters (Irish Red and White) Lakeland Terriers Affenpinschers Spaniels (Field) Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes Pumik Ibizan Hounds Spanish Water Dogs Portuguese Podengo Pequenos Icelandic Sheepdogs Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens Entlebucher Mountain Dogs Scottish Deerhounds Spaniels (Irish Water) Pulik Finnish Lapphunds Retrievers (Curly-Coated) Kuvaszok Sealyham Terriers Norwegian Buhunds Spaniels (American Water) Wirehaired Vizslas Lowchen Swedish Vallhunds Polish Lowland Sheepdogs Plotts Pharaoh Hounds Komondorok Glen of Imaal Terriers American English Coonhounds Dandie Dinmont Terriers Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens Skye Terriers Canaan Dogs Spaniels (Sussex) Pyrenean Shepherds Otterhounds Cirnechi dell’Etna Finnish Spitz Cesky Terriers American Foxhounds Bergamasco Sheepdogs English Foxhounds Harriers Chinooks Norwegian Lundehunds Sloughis

Most Popular Dog Breeds By City

Atlanta Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog French Bulldog Bulldog	Boston Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog French Bulldog Yorkshire Terrier	Chicago Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever French Bulldog Bulldog	Dallas Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever French Bulldog Bulldog German Shepherd Dog
Denver Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog Bulldog French Bulldog	Houston Labrador Retriever Bulldog French Bulldog German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever	Los Angeles French Bulldog Bulldog Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog	Miami German Shepherd Dog French Bulldog Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever Rottweiler
New York City French Bulldog Labrador Retriever Bulldog German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever	Raleigh Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog Beagle Yorkshire Terrier	San Francisco French Bulldog Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever Pembroke Welsh Corgi Poodle	Seattle Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever French Bulldog German Shepherd Dog Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Washington D.C. Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever French Bulldog Bulldog Poodle	West Palm Beach French Bulldog Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Dog Golden Retriever Bulldog

RESOURCES
AKC’s Most Popular Dog Breeds (2017) [dogshowconfidential.com]
Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2018 [akc.org]
Most Popular Breeds by City [akc.org]
The 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds in the Country [countryliving.com]