These Are the Top 10 Dog Breeds in America, According to the American Kennel Club

Kelly Vaughan
·2 min read

Every dog owner thinks that their pooch is the most popular on the block, but how does it really stack up against other breeds? The American Kennel Club recently revealed the most popular purebred dog breeds in America, based on AKC registration statistics. Taking the prize for top dog is the Labrador Retriever, and that should come as little surprise to those who consider one of these active and able dogs a member of their family. In fact, Labrador Retrievers have been popular for nearly three decades—the Lab has been ranked the most popular dog breed for the last 29 years. The least popular, out of the 193 breeds recognized by the AKC, is the English Foxhound.

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"Labs are an all-around dog. It really doesn't matter what kind of lifestyle you have," Brandi Hunter, the AKC's vice president of public relations and communications, told CNN. "They're great for families that have kids but also if you have a really active lifestyle and like to hike...They have a lot of functions even outside the home, so I think that's the reason why they stay pretty popular."

Related: The Best Dog Breed for You, Based on Your Personality Type

Though Labs have held the top spot for many years in a row, there's still room on the list for new breeds. Thanks to pop culture, including the hit Netflix series The Crown, as well as the popularity of the British royal family as a whole, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi made it into the top 10 for the first time ever this year. "They are a lot of dog in a little package. They're very adaptable, very smart, and people tend to really fall in love with them," Hunter said.

German Shepards, which are characterized as being confident, courageous, and smart, took second place, followed by the ever-friendly Golden Retrievers, French Bulldogs, calm and courageous Bulldogs, Standard Poodles, Beagles, Rottweilers, and Pointers (German Shorthaired). The AKC also noted that the playful and inquisitive Icelandic Sheepdog jumped up 24 spots since last year to 132.