Labrador Retrievers are no longer America’s most popular dog breed. What ended its 31-year run?
Labrador Retrievers are no longer America’s top dog.
According to the American Kennel Club, French Bulldogs have taken over as the most popular pure bread dog in the U.S. It replaced the Labrador Retriever, which had held the top spot for 31 years.
French Bulldogs, known as “Frenchies,” have been growing in popularity for the last 10 years. In 2012, the Frenchie was ranked at No. 14. Since then, registrations have increased by more than 1,000%, bringing it to No. 2 in 2021 and then No. 1 for 2022 registrations.
Rounding out the top 5 for 2022 were the Lab, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Poodle. Rottweilers moved from No. 8 to No. 7, while the Dachshund bumped the German Shorthaired Pointer from No. 9 in 2021 to No. 10 in 2022.
Other breeds that made major jumps from 2021 to 2022 are the American Hairless Terrier, Gordon Setter, Italian Greyhound, and Anatolian Shepherd Dog. Over the last decade, breeds like the Cane Corso, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, and English Cocker Spaniel have been making their way up the rankings in popularity, as well.
At the bottom of the list (Nos. 197 through 199) were the Sloughi, Norwegian Lundehund, and English Foxhound.