The American Kennel Club’s annual ranking of the most popular dog breeds found that the Labrador retriever once again is the nation’s top dog for the 28th year in a row.
The AKC released its 2018 rankings on Wednesday.
After Labs, the top five breeds nationwide are German shepherds, golden retrievers, French bulldogs and bulldogs. Rounding out the top 10 are beagles, poodles, Rottweilers, German shorthaired pointers and Yorkshire terriers.
All held their same positions on the top 10 with the exception of that German shorthaired pointer and Yorkshire terrier swapping the ninth and 10th position.
Labs have been on top since 1991 when they unseated Cocker Spaniels from the number one slot and their reign is the longest of any breed since the AKC began the popularity ranking in the 1880s.
At No. 9, the German shorthaired pointer notched its highest ranking since getting AKC recognition in 1930. These strikingly speckled hunting dogs are also versatile — some work as drug- and bomb-detectors — and active companions.
“I think people are learning about how fun the breed is,” AKC spokeswoman Brandi Hunter said.
The listings come from 2018 AKC registration data, and do not include mixed breeds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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