Labrador Retriever Is Most Popular Dog Breed (Again)

For the 26th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever has been named the country’s most popular dog breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC®), the nation’s largest purebred dog registry. The rankings showed little change at the top for 2016 compared to 2015 with the German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Bulldog, Beagle, French Bulldog, Poodle, Rottweiler, Yorkshire Terrier, and Boxer rounding out the top 10.

Overall, the terriers did increase in popular with the Russell Terrier jumping from 104th to 90th, the Rat Terrier edging up 5 slots to 96th and the Parson Russell Terrier and the Dinmont Terrier also seeing gains.

LABRADOR RETRIEVER At-A-Glance

• Officially recognized by the AKC in 1917
• Originally called a St. John’s Dog or lesser Newfoundland dog
• Bred to hunt both upland game birds and waterfowl
• Classified in the gundog, retriever family
• Described as active, friendly and outgoing
• Standard colors are black, chocolate, and yellow
• Average weight is 65-80 lbs. (male) and 55-70 lbs. (female); Average height at withers is 23 in. (male) and 22 in. (female)
• Matures moderately fast, reaching adult height from 6-12 months
• Labs are known for their broad head, drop ears and large, expressive eyes
• Labs have thick but fairly short double coat
• Good option for a family dog BUT need lots of exercise otherwise they can become destructive when left alone
• Considered to be intelligent and easy to train

 

The Labrador Retriever – Ultimate Breed Information Guide
By far the most popular dog in the world, the Labrador retriever is a common sight at dog parks and in suburban neighborhoods. This breed’s happy, energetic personality and propensity for getting along with just about everyone has earned them the kind of adoration that few breeds receive.

Most Popular Dog Breeds in Major Cities
(Registration data pulled from zip codes as specified by U.S. Postal Service)

ATLANTA Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd French Bulldog Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	BOSTON Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd French Bulldog Yorkshire Terrier	CHICAGO Labrador Retriever French Bulldog German Shepherd Golden Retriever Rottweiler	DALLAS Labrador Retriever Bulldog Golden Retriever German Shepherd French Bulldog	DENVER Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Golden Retriever Bulldog French Bulldog
HOUSTON Labrador Retriever Bulldog German Shepherd French Bulldog Golden Retriever	LOS ANGELES Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Golden Retriever Bulldog Beagle	MIAMI German Shepherd French Bulldog Labrador Retriever Dachshund Golden Retriever	NEW YORK French Bulldog Labrador Retriever Bulldog German Shepherd Poodle	RALEIGH Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Golden Retriever Beagle Poodle
SAN FRANCISCO French Bulldog Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever Bulldog Poodle	SEATTLE Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Bulldog French Bulldog	WASHINGTON, D.C. Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever Poodle French Bulldog German Shepherd	WEST PALM BEACH Labrador Retriever German Shepherd Golden Retriever Rottweiler French Bulldog

 

 

Most Popular Dog Breeds – Full Ranking List
(source: AKC.org)

Breed	Yearly Rank
	2016	2015	2014	2013
Retrievers (Labrador)	1	1	1	1
German Shepherd Dogs	2	2	2	2
Retrievers (Golden)	3	3	3	3
Bulldogs	4	4	4	5
Beagles	5	5	5	4
French Bulldogs	6	6	9	11
Poodles	7	8	7	8
Rottweilers	8	9	10	9
Yorkshire Terriers	9	7	6	6
Boxers	10	10	8	7
Pointers (German Shorthaired)	11	11	12	13
Siberian Huskies	12	12	13	14
Dachshunds	13	13	11	10
Great Danes	14	15	15	16
Doberman Pinschers	15	14	14	12
Australian Shepherds	16	17	18	20
Miniature Schnauzers	17	16	16	17
Pembroke Welsh Corgis	18	20	22	24
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels	19	18	19	18
Shih Tzu	20	19	17	15
Boston Terriers	21	22	23	23
Pomeranians	22	21	20	19
Havanese	23	24	25	25
Shetland Sheepdogs	24	23	21	21
Brittanys	25	26	27	30
Spaniels (English Springer)	26	27	28	28
Bernese Mountain Dogs	27	29	32	32
Mastiffs	28	25	26	26
Spaniels (Cocker)	29	30	30	29
Chihuahuas	30	28	24	22
Vizslas	31	32	34	34
Pugs	32	33	33	31
Maltese	33	31	29	27
Weimaraners	34	34	35	33
Newfoundlands	35	37	37	37
Miniature American Shepherds	36
Collies	37	36	36	35
Border Collies	38	38	40	44
Basset Hounds	39	39	42	41
Cane Corso	40	35	48	50
West Highland White Terriers	41	41	38	36
Rhodesian Ridgebacks	42	40	39	39
Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)	43	42	41	43
Shiba Inu	44	45	47	46
Bichons Frises	45	44	44	40
Akitas	46	46	46	45
Belgian Malinois	47	51	60	60
Bullmastiffs	48	43	45	40
St. Bernards	49	50	51	47
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers	50	47	49	51
Portuguese Water Dogs	51	52	52	49
Bloodhounds	52	49	50	48
Papillons	53	48	43	38
Australian Cattle Dogs	54	56	55	58
Airedale Terriers	55	53	57	56
Spaniels (English Cocker)	56	60	62	62
Bull Terriers	57	55	53	52
Scottish Terriers	58	58	59	55
Alaskan Malamutes	59	54	54	57
Whippets	60	57	56	59
Chinese Shar-Pei	61	59	58	54
Dalmatians	62	62	66	64
Dogues de Bordeaux	63	63	63	65
Pointers (German Wirehaired)	64	68	71	71
Samoyeds	65	61	68	67
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons	66	66	76	80
Great Pyrenees	67	67	75	69
Miniature Pinschers	68	64	61	53
Cardigan Welsh Corgis	69	76	78	75
Cairn Terriers	70	70	69	61
Lhasa Apsos	71	65	67	63
Italian Greyhounds	72	71	74	66
Irish Wolfhounds	73	69	72	73
Chow Chows	74	73	70	70
Old English Sheepdogs	75	74	77	78
Setters (Irish)	76	72	73	72
Chinese Crested	77	75	65	68
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs	78	78	80	74
Giant Schnauzers	79	81	83	83
Coton de Tulear	80	85	31
American Staffordshire Terriers	81	77	84	76
Staffordshire Bull Terriers	82	79	79	79
Bouviers des Flandres	83	83	81	82
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs	84	92	94	93
Standard Schnauzers	85	91	90	90
Border Terriers	86	82	85	81
Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)	50	99	99	97
Basenjis	88	50	86	85
Retrievers (Flat-Coated)	89	86	92	94
Russell Terriers	90	104	105	102
Tibetan Terriers	91	90	88	88
Keeshonden	92	84	50	86
Pekingese	93	80	82	77
Norwegian Elkhounds	94	88	103	103
Leonbergers	95	93	104	98
Rat Terriers	96	101	111
Brussels Griffons	97	95	91	84
Borzois	98	89	102	99
Neapolitan Mastiffs	99	106	114	111
Silky Terriers	100	102	101	92
Fox Terriers (Wire)	101	94	95	96
Setters (English)	102	96	89	91
Norwich Terriers	103	103	97	89
Setters (Gordon)	104	105	100	105
Spinoni Italiani	105	112	118	117
American Hairless Terriers	106
Belgian Tervuren	107	98	110	108
Japanese Chin	108	97	93	50
Parson Russell Terriers	109	111	116	100
Spaniels (Boykin)	110	107	108	121
Welsh Terriers	111	108	106	104
Schipperkes	112	109	109	109
Afghan Hounds	113	100	98	95
Lagotti Romagnoli	114
Irish Terriers	115	113	125	123
Toy Fox Terriers	116	110	115	107
Pointers	117	114	119	114
Tibetan Spaniels	118	115	122	106
Black Russian Terriers	119	116	127	118
Miniature Bull Terriers	120	121	129	125
Bluetick Coonhounds	121	123	130	128
American Eskimo Dogs	122	118	120	110
Spaniels (Welsh Springer)	123	128	133	124
Fox Terriers (Smooth)	124	122	124	116
Salukis	125	132	134	115
Bearded Collies	126	119	121	112
Kerry Blue Terriers	127	124	128	126
Black and Tan Coonhounds	128	127	126	113
Belgian Sheepdogs	129	120	123	119
English Toy Spaniels	130	129	138	135
Boerboels	131	126	64
Briards	132	130	132	127
Manchester Terriers	133	137	136	120
Norfolk Terriers	134	131	131	129
Tibetan Mastiffs	135	133	135	132
Australian Terriers	136	125	139	122
Treeing Walker Coonhounds	137	117	112	101
Bedlington Terriers	138	146	140	137
Xoloitzcuintli	139	135	142	139
Beaucerons	140	142	145	152
Berger Picards	141
Setters (Irish Red and White)	142	148	155	145
Redbone Coonhounds	143	139	148	133
Spaniels (Clumber)	144	134	143	131
Lakeland Terriers	145	141	149	134
German Pinschers	146	138	141	130
Spaniels (Field)	147	145	137	140
Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens	148	143	150	138
Affenpinschers	149	136	144	143
Spaniels (Irish Water)	150	144	152	141
Greyhounds	151	147	147	148
Ibizan Hounds	152	160	159	151
Icelandic Sheepdogs	153	140	146	142
Scottish Deerhounds	154	152	157	165
Sealyham Terriers	155	158	169	158
Spaniels (American Water)	156	157	160	144
Wirehaired Vizslas	157	156	107
Plotts	158	149	154	149
Pulik	159	154	151	136
Portuguese Podengo Pequenos	160	153	166	153
Entlebucher Mountain Dogs	161	159	153	155
Spanish Water Dogs	162	167	113
Swedish Vallhunds	163	155	158	147
Retrievers (Curly-Coated)	164	151	163	163
Kuvaszok	165	150	161	150
Otterhounds	166	180	179	172
Dandie Dinmont Terriers	167	172	167	168
Pharaoh Hounds	168	171	164	160
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs	169	164	170	157
American English Coonhounds	170	166	156	146
Lowchen	171	161	165	154
Spaniels (Sussex)	172	173	175	162
Finnish Lapphunds	173	169	173	171
Norwegian Buhunds	174	165	172	166
Chinooks	175	177	171	156
Pyrenean Shepherds	176	176	178	169
Komondorok	177	163	168	159
Skye Terriers	178	175	177	161
Finnish Spitz	179	178	174	170
Glen of Imaal Terriers	180	168	162	167
Canaan Dogs	181	170	176	164
Cesky Terriers	182	179	182	174
Cirnechi dell’Etna	183	162	117
Bergamasco	184	174	96
Sloughis	185
Harriers	186	183	181	173
English Foxhounds	150	184	183	177
Norwegian Lundehunds	188	182	184	175
American Foxhounds	189	181	180	176

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2020 UPDATE:

A reader from New Zealand named Jennifer Stark, who is founder and editor for Happy DIY Home, noticed our mention of the breed Xoloitzcuintli and suggested we use an article from Your Dog Advisor entitled “The Xoloitzcuintli – Ultimate Breed Information Guide” as an additional resource. We’re certainly honored that we have fans from across the globe.  Check out the post as well as the rest of the website where they publish information on all sorts of breeds  research-backed dog training guides, advice on how to take care of your dog, dog product reviews, breed information guides and more. It is certainly worth a read!

From the article…
“As one of the rarest dog breeds in the world and by far the hardest breed name to pronounce, the Xoloitzcuintli (show-low-itz-queent-lee) or Mexican Hairless, is as unique a breed as you are likely to find. But don’t let this dog’s lack of popularity make you think they can’t be good pets. The truth is, for the right owner, this breed makes for an obscure but loyal companion.”

Thank you to Jennifer. And as a reminder, if you have a resource or website pertaining to any of our topics, we welcome your suggestions. Send your message to connie[at]dogshowconfidential.com.

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RESOURCES:
https://diamondpup.com/border-collie-ultimate-guide/
http://www.lorkenfarms.com/labrador%20Retriever%20history.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever
http://www.akc.org/content/news/articles/most-popular-dog-breeds-full-ranking-list
http://www.animalplanet.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds/sporting/labrador-retriever.html
http://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_labrador_retriever