Top Dog Breeds of 2009 – Most Popular Dogs

This year the AKC celebrates its 126th anniversary and for the 19th 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.

In 2008, for the first time the bulldog made it into the top ten list since 1935 and has continued to increase and jumped up to 7th place this year.

Another big change this year is that the German Shepherd Dog came in at #2 knocking the Yorkshire Terrier down one notch to #2 dog. The is the first time the German Shephered has ranked #2 in over 30 years.

Changes This Year

Last year, all breeds in the top 10 were the same as the prior year. Changes in this ranking include that the Bulldog increased from #8 to #7 bumping the Dachshund down one notch as well as the German Shepherd Dog jump from #3 to #2.

Over the past several years, the top 10 list has been relatively stable. The biggest chnges are that 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. In 2007, the Miniature Schnauzer was dropped from the top 10 list. And in 2008, the Bulldog jumped on 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 2009 are:

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

The Top Breeds of 2008 were:

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:

The Entire Ranking of 2009 AKC Dog Registrations

Rank Breed

1. Labrador Retrievers
2. German Shepherd Dogs
3. Yorkshire Terriers
4. Golden Retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Bulldogs
8. Dachshunds
9. Poodles
10. Shih Tzu
11. Miniature Schnauzers
12. Chihuahuas
13. Rottweilers
14. Pomeranians
15. Doberman Pinschers
16. German Shorthaired Pointers
17. Pugs
18. Shetland Sheepdogs
19. Boston Terriers
20. Maltese
21. Great Danes
22. Siberian Huskies
23. Cocker Spaniels
24. French Bulldogs
25. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
26. Pembroke Welsh Corgis
27. Mastiffs
28. Australian Shepherds
29. English Springer Spaniels
30. Brittanys
31. Weimaraners
32. Havanese
33. Miniature Pinschers
34. Basset Hounds
35. Bichon Frises
36. West Highland White Terriers
37. Papillons
38. Collies
39. Bernese Mountain Dogs
40. Bullmastiffs
41. Redbone Coonhounds*
42. Vizslas
43. Bloodhounds
44. Bluetick Coonhounds*

45. St. Bernards
46. Newfoundlands
47. Chinese Shar-Pei
48. Rhodesian Ridgebacks
49. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
50. Akitas
51. Scottish Terriers
52. Border Collies
53. Pekingese
54. Lhasa Apsos
55. Chinese Crested
56. Cairn Terriers
57. Bull Terriers
58. Alaskan Malamutes
59. Airedale Terriers
60. Portuguese Water Dogs
61. Whippets
62. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
63. Chow Chows
64. Great Pyrenees
65. Shiba Inu
66. English Cocker Spaniels
67. Australian Cattle Dogs
68. Italian Greyhounds
69. Dogues de Bordeaux
70. American Staffordshire Terriers
71. Japanese Chin
72. Brussels Griffons
73. Irish Setters
74. German Wirehaired Pointers
75. Dalmatians
76. Samoyeds
77. Staffordshire Bull Terriers
78. Silky Terriers
79. Old English Sheepdogs

Rank Breed

80. Irish Red and White Setters*
81. Belgian Malinois
82. Border Terriers
83. Cardigan Welsh Corgis
84. Irish Wolfhounds
85. Bouviers des Flandres
86. Black and Tan Coonhounds
87. Parson Russell Terriers
88. Basenjis
89. Giant Schnauzers
90. Borzois
91. Afghan Hounds
92. Boykin Spaniels*
93. Schipperkes
94. Wire Fox Terriers
95. English Setters
96. Tibetan Terriers
97. Gordon Setters
98. Norwich Terriers
99. Standard Schnauzers
100. Toy Fox Terriers
101. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
102. Keeshonden
103. Welsh Terriers
104. Norwegian Buhunds**
105. Norwegian Elkhounds
106. Flat-Coated Retrievers
107. Pyrenean Shepherds*
108. Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
109. Belgian Tervuren
110. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
111. Tibetan Spaniels
112. Salukis
113. Neapolitan Mastiffs
114. Pointers
115. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
116. Bearded Collies
117. Manchester Terriers

118. American Eskimo Dogs
119. Spinoni Italiani
120. Belgian Sheepdogs
121. Kerry Blue Terriers
122. Norfolk Terriers
123. Smooth-Coated Fox Terriers
124. Australian Terriers
125. Miniature Bull Terriers
126. Plotts
127. Briards
128. Clumber Spaniels
129. English Toy Spaniels
130. Black Russian Terriers
131. Tibetan Mastiffs
132. Irish Terriers
133. Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens
134. Affenpinschers
135. Bedlington Terriers
136. Welsh Springer Spaniels
137. Field Spaniels
138. Lakeland Terriers
139. American Water Spaniels
140. Greyhounds
141. Kuvaszok
142. Scottish Deerhounds
143. Löwchen
144. Ibizan Hounds
145. Curly-Coated Retrievers
146. German Pinschers
147. Beaucerons
148. Swedish Vallhunds
149. Pulik
150. Irish Water Spaniels
151. Dandie Dinmont Terriers
152. Pharaoh Hounds
153. Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
154. Komondorok
155. Skye Terriers
156. Canaan Dogs
157. Sealyham Terriers
158. Glen of Imaal Terriers
159. Sussex Spaniels
160. Finnish Spitz
161. Otterhounds
162. American Foxhounds
163. Harriers
164. English Foxhounds

* New breeds entered in AKC registry in 2009.
** Data from AKC website: http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg\\_stats.cfm