Top Dog Breeds of 2008 – Most Popular Dogs

This year the AKC celebrates its 125th anniversary and for the 18th 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. Last year, for the first time the bulldog made it into the top ten list since 1935 and has continued to increase and jumped up to 8th place this year.

Changes This Year

Last year, all breeds in the top 10 were the same as the prior year but not this year. The bulldog jumped 2 spots from # 10 to #8 position.

The poodle moved up one notch from # 9 to #8 bumping the Shih Tzus from the #9 position to #10.

Over the past several years, the top 10 list has been relatively stable. However three 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. Last year – the Miniature Schnauzer was dropped from the top 10 list.

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 2008 are:

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

The Top 10 Breeds of 2007 were:

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

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 2008 AKC ranking.