For the 17th year in a row, the Labrador retriever is once again America's favorite purebred dog, according to registration numbers tallied by the American Kennel Club. The AKC released the figures and, as in past years, the Labrador far outstrips the other dogs in the top 10. For the first time, the bulldog made it into the top ten list since 1935.

Changes This Year

Last year, all breeds in the top 10 were the same as the prior year but not this year.
The bulldog made the list this year displacing the Miniature Schnauzer from the top 10 list. The boxer jumped one notch to #6 bumping the dachshund into the #7 position.

Two years ago, in 2005, one new breed joined the top 10 list and one got bumped off. The Miniature Schnauzer came in at #10 displacing the Chihuahua into the #11 position.

Large Vs. Small Breeds

Five out of the top ten AKC registered breeds are large breed dogs! These include the Labrador retriever, German shepherd, golden retriever,Boxer and Bulldog. The rest are smaller breed dogs which includes the Yorkie, Beagle, Dachshund, Poodle, and Shih Tzu.

The Top 10 Breeds of 2007 are:

1. Labrador retrievers
2. Yorkshire terriers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Bulldog

The Top 10 Breeds of 2006 were:

1. Labrador retrievers
2. Yorkshire terriers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Dachshunds
7. Boxers
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Miniature Schnauzer

2007 Rank Comparison to 2006

The boxer jumped one notch to #6 bumping out the dachshund into the #7 position. The Miniature Schnauzer was bumped off the top 10 list and replaced with the Bulldog.



AKC Categories

The AKC recognizes dogs in seven categories: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. The largest breed registration in each group is as follows:

Sporting – e.g. Labrador retriever

Hound – e.g. beagle

Working – e.g. boxers

Terrier – e.g. miniature schnauzer

Toy – e.g. Yorkshire terrier

Non-sporting – e.g. poodles

Herding – e.g. German shepherd

How Did YOUR Breed Score? Go to Top Dog Breeds of 2007 for the entire 2007 AKC ranking.