To all my puppy owners . . .more Labs in the Spring!
And the winner is – the LABRADOR Retriever!
For 18 years running, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America. According to the American Kennel Club® (AKC), more than twice as many Labs were registered last year than any other purebred dog. I can attest to contributing to this number with Tilly and Inka’s puppies.
Perhaps the number one characteristic that Labs posses making for a fabulous family dog is patience. I have seen children sit on them, lay on them, pull on their ears and poke them in the eye. They remain steadfast and loving. They are intelligent, loyal, family members.
In case you are wondering how the rest of the breds fared, here are the rankings of the most popular dogs in the USA:
| RANKING | ||||
| BREED | 2009 | 2008 | 2004 | 1999 |
| Labrador Retrievers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| German Shepherd Dogs | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Yorkshire Terriers | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Golden Retrievers | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Beagles | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Boxers | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| Dachshunds | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Poodles | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Shih Tzu | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 |
| Miniature Schnauzers | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 |
| Chihuahuas | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 |
| Rottweilers | 13 | 14 | 16 | 8 |
| Pomeranians | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Doberman Pinschers | 15 | 18 | 22 | 23 |
| German Shorthaired Pointers | 16 | 16 | 20 | 24 |
| Pugs | 17 | 15 | 12 | 16 |
| Shetland Sheepdogs | 18 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
| Boston Terriers | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 |
| Maltese | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| Great Danes | 21 | 22 | 27 | 28 |
| Siberian Huskies | 22 | 23 | 24 | 18 |
| Cocker Spaniels | 23 | 21 | 15 | 13 |
| French Bulldogs | 24 | 26 | 49 | 73 |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniels | 25 | 25 | 32 | 58 |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgis | 26 | 24 | 23 | 30 |
| Mastiffs | 27 | 28 | 33 | 39 |
| Australian Shepherds | 28 | 29 | 34 | 38 |
| English Springer Spaniels | 29 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
| Brittanys | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
| Weimaraners | 31 | 31 | 29 | 34 |
| Havanese | 32 | 36 | 52 | 92 |
| Miniature Pinschers | 33 | 32 | 21 | 17 |
| Basset Hounds | 34 | 33 | 25 | 22 |
| Bichon Frises | 35 | 35 | 26 | 25 |
| West Highland White Terriers | 36 | 34 | 31 | 29 |
| Papillons | 37 | 37 | 35 | 46 |
| Collies | 38 | 38 | 36 | 32 |
| Bernese Mountain Dogs | 39 | 40 | 48 | 59 |
| Bullmastiffs | 40 | 39 | 47 | 50 |
| Redbone Coonhounds** | 41 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Vizslas | 42 | 44 | 44 | 48 |
| Bloodhounds | 43 | 43 | 50 | 51 |
| Bluetick Coonhounds** | 44 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| St. Bernards | 45 | 45 | 37 | 37 |
| Newfoundlands | 46 | 46 | 45 | 53 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 47 | 47 | 41 | 35 |
| Rhodesian Ridgebacks | 48 | 50 | 55 | 56 |
| Chesapeake Bay Retrievers | 49 | 48 | 46 | 41 |
| Akitas | 50 | 52 | 51 | 36 |
| Scottish Terriers | 51 | 49 | 42 | 43 |
| Border Collies | 52 | 53 | 60 | 71 |
| Pekingese | 53 | 55 | 38 | 27 |
| Lhasa Apsos | 54 | 56 | 39 | 33 |
| Chinese Crested | 55 | 54 | 57 | 68 |
| Cairn Terriers | 56 | 51 | 43 | 42 |
| Bull Terriers | 57 | 57 | 68 | 79 |
| Alaskan Malamutes | 58 | 59 | 58 | 47 |
| Airedale Terriers | 59 | 58 | 53 | 49 |
| Portuguese Water Dogs | 60 | 64 | 69 | 80 |
| Whippets | 61 | 63 | 62 | 63 |
| Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers | 62 | 60 | 59 | 60 |
| Chow Chows | 63 | 66 | 61 | 44 |
| Great Pyrenees | 64 | 62 | 56 | 45 |
| Shiba Inu | 65 | 65 | 66 | 54 |
| English Cocker Spaniels | 66 | 70 | 75 | 76 |
| Australian Cattle Dogs | 67 | 68 | 74 | 66 |
| Italian Greyhounds | 68 | 61 | 54 | 52 |
| Dogues de Bordeaux | 69 | 41 | N/A | N/A |
| American Staffordshire Terriers | 70 | 71 | 65 | 67 |
| Japanese Chin | 71 | 74 | 67 | 74 |
| Brussels Griffons | 72 | 67 | 63 | 84 |
| Irish Setters | 73 | 69 | 64 | 62 |
| German Wirehaired Pointers | 74 | 72 | 70 | 72 |
| Dalmatians | 75 | 76 | 81 | 40 |
| Samoyeds | 76 | 73 | 76 | 57 |
| Staffordshire Bull Terriers | 77 | 78 | 90 | 91 |
| Silky Terriers | 78 | 77 | 71 | 61 |
| Old English Sheepdogs | 79 | 75 | 73 | 64 |
| Irish Red and White Setters** | 80 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Belgian Malinois | 81 | 79 | 97 | 95 |
| Border Terriers | 82 | 80 | 82 | 88 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgis | 83 | 82 | 85 | 86 |
| Irish Wolfhounds | 84 | 81 | 84 | 78 |
| Bouviers des Flandres | 85 | 83 | 83 | 75 |
| Black and Tan Coonhounds | 86 | 42 | 140 | 118 |
| Parson Russell Terriers | 87 | 84 | 72 | N/A |
| Basenjis | 88 | 85 | 78 | 69 |
| Giant Schnauzers | 89 | 87 | 80 | 82 |
| Borzois | 90 | 94 | 89 | 83 |
| Afghan Hounds | 91 | 93 | 86 | 85 |
| Boykin Spaniels** | 92 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Schipperkes | 93 | 91 | 79 | 55 |
| Wire Fox Terriers | 94 | 90 | 77 | 65 |
| English Setters | 95 | 86 | 95 | 89 |
| Tibetan Terriers | 96 | 96 | 96 | 94 |
| Gordon Setters | 97 | 92 | 87 | 81 |
| Norwich Terriers | 98 | 97 | 99 | 100 |
| Standard Schnauzers | 99 | 99 | 101 | 101 |
| Toy Fox Terriers | 100 | 88 | 94 | - |
| Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs | 101 | 89 | 93 | 104 |
| Keeshonden | 102 | 95 | 91 | 70 |
| Welsh Terriers | 103 | 101 | 88 | 90 |
| Norwegian Buhunds** | 104 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Norwegian Elkhounds | 105 | 100 | 92 | 77 |
| Flat-Coated Retrievers | 106 | 98 | 100 | 99 |
| Pyrenean Shepherds** | 107 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Wirehaired Pointing Griffons | 108 | 105 | 112 | 121 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 109 | 103 | 106 | 98 |
| Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers | 110 | 102 | 118 | N/A |
| Tibetan Spaniels | 111 | 104 | 105 | 106 |
| Salukis | 112 | 118 | 113 | 107 |
| Neapolitan Mastiffs | 113 | 112 | 40 | N/A |
| Pointers | 114 | 111 | 107 | 96 |
| Anatolian Shepherd Dogs | 115 | 110 | 114 | 117 |
| Bearded Collies | 116 | 109 | 102 | 93 |
| Manchester Terriers | 117 | 107 | 109 | 102 |
| American Eskimo Dogs | 118 | 108 | 110 | 97 |
| Spinoni Italiani | 119 | 114 | 116 | N/A |
| Belgian Sheepdogs | 120 | 116 | 115 | 105 |
| Kerry Blue Terriers | 121 | 120 | 108 | 109 |
| Norfolk Terriers | 122 | 115 | 117 | 110 |
| Smooth-Coated Fox Terriers | 123 | 106 | 103 | 87 |
| Australian Terriers | 124 | 113 | 111 | 103 |
| Miniature Bull Terriers | 125 | 124 | 129 | 129 |
| Plotts | 126 | 127 | N/A | N/A |
| Briards | 127 | 123 | 123 | 112 |
| Clumber Spaniels | 128 | 117 | 125 | 124 |
| English Toy Spaniels | 129 | 125 | 124 | 119 |
| Black Russian Terriers | 130 | 121 | 98 | N/A |
| Tibetan Mastiffs | 131 | 128 | N/A | N/A |
| Irish Terriers | 132 | 130 | 121 | 108 |
| Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens | 133 | 119 | 122 | 111 |
| Affenpinschers | 134 | 132 | 120 | 115 |
| Bedlington Terriers | 135 | 126 | 127 | 122 |
| Welsh Springer Spaniels | 136 | 122 | 119 | 113 |
| Field Spaniels | 137 | 140 | 138 | 127 |
| Lakeland Terriers | 138 | 131 | 126 | 120 |
| American Water Spaniels | 139 | 136 | 132 | 116 |
| Greyhounds | 140 | 129 | 131 | 128 |
| Kuvaszok | 141 | 135 | 128 | 126 |
| Scottish Deerhounds | 142 | 133 | 134 | 125 |
| Löwchen | 143 | 137 | 135 | 133 |
| Ibizan Hounds | 144 | 134 | 141 | 136 |
| Curly-Coated Retrievers | 145 | 138 | 130 | 114 |
| German Pinschers | 146 | 141 | 144 | N/A |
| Beaucerons | 147 | 139 | N/A | N/A |
| Swedish Vallhunds | 148 | 149 | N/A | N/A |
| Pulik | 149 | 142 | 136 | 123 |
| Irish Water Spaniels | 150 | 144 | 137 | 130 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terriers | 151 | 146 | 147 | 137 |
| Pharaoh Hounds | 152 | 148 | 139 | 134 |
| Polish Lowland Sheepdogs | 153 | 145 | 133 | N/A |
| Komondorok | 154 | 151 | 143 | 132 |
| Skye Terriers | 155 | 143 | 149 | 131 |
| Canaan Dogs | 156 | 150 | 142 | 139 |
| Sealyham Terriers | 157 | 152 | 146 | 138 |
| Glen of Imaal Terriers | 158 | 156 | 104 | N/A |
| Sussex Spaniels | 159 | 147 | 151 | 135 |
| Finnish Spitz | 160 | 153 | 148 | 140 |
| Otterhounds | 161 | 154 | 153 | 144 |
| American Foxhounds | 162 | 158 | 152 | 141 |
| Harriers | 163 | 155 | 150 | 143 |
| English Foxhounds | 164 | 157 | 154 | 142 |
NOTES:
** – New breeds entered in AKC registry in 2009.
N/A – Breeds not yet AKC recognized during the year indicated.
Filed under: AKC, Amerikennels, Breeding, chocolate, Labrador Retriever, Pet Care, Puppies, Renee Badall, Training, Uncategorized, yellow
- Puppy-proof my new home. I will chew on anything and everything to help me cut my teeth ~ help us both out and buy me some good chew toys ~ hide everything that might be more important to you than I am at this moment (I’ll grow on you).
- Introduce me to your family, but not all at once. First the kennel ~ then a few rooms ~ next the house ~ then bring your friends and family over. I love a good party!
- Don’t feed me human food ~ it’s not good for me. Just like I’ll chew on anything, I’ll eat anything. It is up to you to choose a high quality dog food and designate my eating times and amount. I want to be fit and in shape ~ just like I’m going to make you!
- Potty train me and you’ll like me a whole lot more! Pay attention to me. I’ll give you signals ~ like walking to the door and sitting or whining. They’ll be brief, so act fast. Take me out to do my business whenever I wake up for a nap (I take a lot of them) and every hour or so. Praise me ~ I’m vain!
- Socialize me. After I settle in to my new surroundings and new family, I’m ready to meet the world. I’m a social creature you know. I didn’t get designated the most popular breed by accident! Take me to the park and on play dates. Let them pet me . . . woof . . . woof !
- Teach me some manners. Prove that you are the alpha dog and I’ll believe you! Teach me to sit, stay, not jump up on people, fetch . . . We’ll make a great team. I even like obedience school.
- Get me ‘fixed.’ If you’re not going to breed me, save me from ‘all that’ ~ make The Appointment.
- Exercise me. We’ll all be a lot healthier if you do. I like morning and evening walks, and don’t forget about those play dates!
- Play with me. I am a social pack animal and need your attention every day. Throw me a ball, teach me new tricks, and cuddle with me I’m a great stress reliever.
- Remember to reward my positive behavior ~ with healthy treats!
- Oh, and that kennel ~ I like it. It’s my safe haven ~ where I go to take naps and feel secure ~ you can keep me in there when you’re not home and know that I’ll be safe ~ even feed me in there. It’s cozy!

