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This year the AKC celebrates its 131st anniversary and for the 24th 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.
Changes in the Top Dog Breeds in 2014
The big change in the top 10 dog list is that the bulldog is working its way up the list and currently resides in the #4 position, its highest ranking ever! The other big change was the Dachshund was knocked out of the top 10 list and now is ranked in the #11 spot for this first time since 1985. New in the top 10 list is the French bulldog, affectionately nicknamed the “Frenchie”.
The Top 10 Dog Breeds of 2014 are:
- Labrador retrievers
- German shepherds
- Golden retrievers
- Bulldogs
- Beagles
- Yorkshire terriers
- Poodles
- Boxers
- French Bulldogs
- Rottweilers
Changes in the Top Dog Breeds 2008 – 2013
Here are the trends of the past several years:
Last year, there were no changes from 2012 to 2013! The top 10 list stayed exactly the same.
In 2012 – the biggest change was that large breeds bumped out several of the smaller dog breeds.
Here was the rundown of changes in the 2012 numbers. The Bulldog has climbed his way in to #5 dog which bumped the Yorkshire terrier in to #6 spot. The Golden Retriever has also pushed himself into the #3 spot – overtaking the Beagle. The Rottweiler also climbed in to 9th place – displacing the Dachshund.
In 2011, The Beagle jumped into 3rd place from fourth knocking out the Yorkshire Terrier to #5. The Golden Retriever also jumped into 4th place. The Shih Tzu was knocked off the top 10 list and a new breed was added – the Rottweiler.
In 2010, the biggest change was that the Beagle jumped into 4th place from fifth knocking out the Golden Retriever to 5th. The bulldog also jumped into 6th place knocking out the boxer.
In 2009, the biggest change was that the German Shepherd Dog came in at #2 knocking the Yorkshire Terrier down one notch to #2 dog. The was first time the German shepherd ranked #2 in over 30 years. In 2011, the German Shepherd Dog retains it’s second place spot.
If you look at to 2008, it was the first time the bulldog made it into the top ten list since 1935 and has continued to increase and maintained his spot in 6th again this year.
Over the past several years, the top 10 list has been relatively stable. The biggest changes was six 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. In 2007, the Miniature Schnauzer was dropped from the top 10 list. And in 2008, the Bulldog jumped on the top 10 list. In 2010, the Rottweiler jumped on the top 10 list bumping the Shih Tzu off the list.
Popularity of Large Vs. Small Dog Breeds in the Top 10
Six out of the top ten AKC registered breeds are large breed dogs! These include the Labrador retriever, German shepherd, golden retriever, Bulldog, Boxer, and Rottweiler,. The rest are smaller breed dogs which includes the Beagle, Yorkie, Poodle and Frenchie.
The Top 10 Breeds of 2013 were:
- Labrador retrievers
- German shepherds
- Golden retrievers
- Beagles
- Bulldogs
- Yorkshire terriers
- Boxers
- Poodles
- Rottweilers
- Dachshunds
AKC Dog 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:
The Entire Ranking of 2014 AKC Dog Registrations
Rank Breed
- RETRIEVERS (LABRADOR)
- GERMAN SHEPHERDS
- RETRIEVERS (GOLDEN)
- BULLDOGS
- BEAGLES
- YORKSHIRE TERRIERS
- POODLES
- BOXERS
- FRENCH BULLDOGS
- ROTTWEILERS
- DACHSHUNDS
- POINTERS (GERMAN SHORTHAIRED)
- SIBERIAN HUSKIES
- DOBERMAN PINSCHERS
- GREAT DANES
- MINIATURE SCHNAUZERS
- SHIH TZU
- AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS
- CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS
- POMERANIANS
- SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS
- PEMBROKE WELSH CORGIS
- BOSTON TERRIERS
- CHIHUAHUAS
- HAVANESE
- MASTIFFS
- BRITTANYS
- SPANIELS (ENGLISH SPRINGER)
- MALTESE
- SPANIELS (COCKER)
- BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOGS
- PUGS
- VIZSLAS
- WEIMARANERS
- COLLIES
- NEWFOUNDLANDS
- WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS
- RHODESIAN RIDGEBACKS
- BORDER COLLIES
- RETRIEVERS (CHESAPEAKE BAY)
- BASSET HOUNDS
- PAPILLONS
- BICHONS FRISES
- BULLMASTIFFS
- AKITAS
- SHIBA INU
- CANE CORSO
- SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIERS
- BLOODHOUNDS
- ST. BERNARDS
- PORTUGUESE WATER DOGS
- BULL TERRIERS
- ALASKAN MALAMUTES
- AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS
- WHIPPETS
- AIREDALE TERRIERS
- CHINESE SHAR-PEI
- SCOTTISH TERRIERS
- BELGIAN MALINOIS
- MINIATURE PINSCHER
- SPANIELS (ENGLISH COCKER)
- DOGUES DE BORDEAUX
- CHINESE CRESTED
- DALMATIANS
- LHASA APSOS
- SAMOYEDS
- CAIRN TERRIERS
- CHOW CHOWS
- POINTERS (GERMAN WIREHAIRED)
- IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
- SETTERS (IRISH)
- ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS
- GREAT PYRENEES
- WIREHAIRED POINTING GRIFFONS
- OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS
- CARDIGAN WELSH CORGIS
- STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS
- GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOGS
- BOUVIERS DES FLANDRES
- PEKINGESE
- GIANT SCHNAUZERS
- AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIERS
- BORDER TERRIERS
- BASENJIS
- KEESHONDEN
- TIBETAN TERRIERS
- SETTERS (ENGLISH)
- STANDARD SCHNAUZERS
- BRUSSELS GRIFFONS
- RETRIEVERS (FLAT-COATED)
- JAPANESE CHIN
- ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD DOGS
- FOX TERRIERS (WIRE)
- NORWICH TERRIERS
- AFGHAN HOUNDS
- RETRIEVERS (NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING)
- SETTERS (GORDON)
- SILKY TERRIERS
- BORZOIS
- NORWEGIAN ELKHOUNDS
- LEONBERGERS
- RUSSELL TERRIERS
- WELSH TERRIERS
- SPANIELS (BOYKIN)
- SCHIPPERKES
- BELGIAN TERVUREN
- RAT TERRIERS
- TREEING WALKER COONHOUNDS
- NEAPOLITAN MASTIFFS
- TOY FOX TERRIERS
- PARSON RUSSELL TERRIERS
- SPINONI ITALIANI
- POINTERS
- AMERICAN ESKIMO DOGS
- BEARDED COLLIES
- TIBETAN SPANIELS
- BELGIAN SHEEPDOGS
- FOX TERRIERS (SMOOTH)
- IRISH TERRIERS
- BLACK AND TAN COONHOUNDS
- BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIERS
- KERRY BLUE TERRIERS
- MINIATURE BULL TERRIERS
- BLUETICK COONHOUNDS
- NORFOLK TERRIERS
- BRIARDS
- SPANIELS (WELSH SPRINGER)
- SALUKIS
- TIBETAN MASTIFFS
- MANCHESTER TERRIERS
- SPANIELS (FIELD)
- ENGLISH TOY SPANIELS
- AUSTRALIAN TERRIERS
- BEDLINGTON TERRIERS
- GERMAN PINSCHERS
- XOLOITZCUINTLI
- SPANIELS (CLUMBER)
- AFFENPINSCHERS
- BEAUCERONS
- ICELANDIC SHEEPDOGS
- GREYHOUNDS
- REDBONE COONHOUNDS
- LAKELAND TERRIERS
- PETITS BASSETS GRIFFONS VENDEENS
- PULIK
- SPANIELS (IRISH WATER)
- ENTLEBUCHER MOUNTAIN DOGS
- PLOTTS
- SETTERS (IRISH RED AND WHITE)
- AMERICAN ENGLISH COONHOUNDS
- SCOTTISH DEERHOUNDS
- SWEDISH VALLHUNDS
- IBIZAN HOUNDS
- SPANIELS (AMERICAN WATER)
- KUVASZOK
- GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIERS
- RETRIEVERS (CURLY-COATED)
- PHARAOH HOUNDS
- LOWCHEN
- PORTUGUESE PODENGO PEQUENOS
- DANDIE DINMONT TERRIERS
- KOMONDOROK
- SEALYHAM TERRIERS
- POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOGS
- CHINOOKS
- NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
- FINNISH LAPPHUNDS
- FINNISH SPITZ
- SPANIELS (SUSSEX)
- CANAAN DOGS
- SKYE TERRIERS
- PYRENEAN SHEPHERDS
- OTTERHOUNDS
- AMERICAN FOXHOUNDS
- HARRIERS
- CESKY TERRIERS
- ENGLISH FOXHOUNDS
- NORWEGIAN LUNDEHUNDS
NOTES:
Data from AKC website: http://www.akc.org
