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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National Puppy Day - March 23rdAlso 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

  1. Retrievers (Labrador)
  2. German Shepherd Dogs
  3. Retrievers (Golden)
  4. French Bulldogs
  5. Bulldogs
  6. Beagles
  7. Poodles
  8. Rottweilers
  9. Pointers (German Shorthaired)
  10. Yorkshire Terriers
  11. Boxers
  12. Dachshunds
  13. Pembroke Welsh Corgis
  14. Siberian Huskies
  15. Australian Shepherds
  16. Great Danes
  17. Doberman Pinschers
  18. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
  19. Miniature Schnauzers
  20. Shih Tzu
  21. Boston Terriers
  22. Bernese Mountain Dogs
  23. Pomeranians
  24. Havanese
  25. Shetland Sheepdogs
  26. Brittanys
  27. Spaniels (English Springer)
  28. Pugs
  29. Mastiffs
  30. Spaniels (Cocker)
  31. Vizslas
  32. Cane Corso
  33. Chihuahuas
  34. Miniature American Shepherds
  35. Border Collies
  36. Weimaraners
  37. Maltese
  38. Collies
  39. Basset Hounds
  40. Newfoundlands
  41. Rhodesian Ridgebacks
  42. West Highland White Terriers
  43. Belgian Malinois
  44. Shiba Inu
  45. Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)
  46. Bichons Frises
  47. Akitas
  48. St. Bernards
  49. Bloodhounds
  50. Portuguese Water Dogs
  51. Bullmastiffs
  52. Spaniels (English Cocker)
  53. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
  54. Papillons
  55. Australian Cattle Dogs
  56. Dalmatians
  57. Scottish Terriers
  58. Alaskan Malamutes
  59. Samoyeds
  60. Airedale Terriers
  61. Whippets
  62. Bull Terriers
  63. Pointers (German Wirehaired)
  64. Chinese Shar-Pei
  1. Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
  2. Great Pyrenees
  3. Dogues de Bordeaux
  4. Cardigan Welsh Corgis
  5. Cairn Terriers
  6. Miniature Pinschers
  7. Lhasa Apsos
  8. Old English Sheepdogs
  9. Italian Greyhounds
  10. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
  11. Chow Chows
  12. Irish Wolfhounds
  13. Setters (Irish)
  14. Giant Schnauzers
  15. Chinese Crested
  16. Staffordshire Bull Terriers
  17. Coton de Tulear
  18. Russell Terriers
  19. Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)
  20. Bouviers des Flandres
  21. American Staffordshire Terriers
  22. Rat Terriers
  23. Basenjis
  24. Border Terriers
  25. Standard Schnauzers
  26. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
  27. Retrievers (Flat-Coated)
  28. Pekingese
  29. Leonbergers
  30. Setters (English)
  31. Keeshonden
  32. Tibetan Terriers
  33. Norwegian Elkhounds
  34. Brussels Griffons
  35. Lagotti Romagnoli
  36. Spaniels (Boykin)
  37. Fox Terriers (Wire)
  38. Neapolitan Mastiffs
  39. Borzois
  40. Japanese Chin
  41. Schipperkes
  42. Belgian Tervuren
  43. Welsh Terriers
  44. Norwich Terriers
  45. Spinoni Italiani
  46. Miniature Bull Terriers
  47. Toy Fox Terriers
  48. Silky Terriers
  49. Afghan Hounds
  50. Pointers
  51. Setters (Gordon)
  52. Irish Terriers
  53. Parson Russell Terriers
  54. Black Russian Terriers
  55. Tibetan Spaniels
  56. Salukis
  57. Boerboels
  58. American Eskimo Dogs
  59. Fox Terriers (Smooth)
  60. Beaucerons
  61. Belgian Sheepdogs
  62. Norfolk Terriers
  63. Bearded Collies
  64. Spaniels (Welsh Springer)
  1. Kerry Blue Terriers
  2. Bluetick Coonhounds
  3. Tibetan Mastiffs
  4. Briards
  5. Manchester Terriers
  6. German Pinschers
  7. English Toy Spaniels
  8. American Hairless Terriers
  9. Treeing Walker Coonhounds
  10. Black and Tan Coonhounds
  11. Australian Terriers
  12. Xoloitzcuintli
  13. Bedlington Terriers
  14. Redbone Coonhounds
  15. Spaniels (Clumber)
  16. Berger Picards
  17. Greyhounds
  18. Setters (Irish Red and White)
  19. Lakeland Terriers
  20. Affenpinschers
  21. Spaniels (Field)
  22. Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes
  23. Pumik
  24. Ibizan Hounds
  25. Spanish Water Dogs
  26. Portuguese Podengo Pequenos
  27. Icelandic Sheepdogs
  28. Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens
  29. Entlebucher Mountain Dogs
  30. Scottish Deerhounds
  31. Spaniels (Irish Water)
  32. Pulik
  33. Finnish Lapphunds
  34. Retrievers (Curly-Coated)
  35. Kuvaszok
  36. Sealyham Terriers
  37. Norwegian Buhunds
  38. Spaniels (American Water)
  39. Wirehaired Vizslas
  40. Lowchen
  41. Swedish Vallhunds
  42. Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
  43. Plotts
  44. Pharaoh Hounds
  45. Komondorok
  46. Glen of Imaal Terriers
  47. American English Coonhounds
  48. Dandie Dinmont Terriers
  49. Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens
  50. Skye Terriers
  51. Canaan Dogs
  52. Spaniels (Sussex)
  53. Pyrenean Shepherds
  54. Otterhounds
  55. Cirnechi dell’Etna
  56. Finnish Spitz
  57. Cesky Terriers
  58. American Foxhounds
  59. Bergamasco Sheepdogs
  60. English Foxhounds
  61. Harriers
  62. Chinooks
  63. Norwegian Lundehunds
  64. 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]


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