Lifestyle

Do You Have One of the AKC’s Most Popular Dog Breeds?

Labrador Retrievers stay on top of the American Kennel Club's list. Frenchies are up. Pugs are down. Where does your favorite breed stand?

By Carolyn Coile

, February 27, 2015

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The American Kennel Club‘s annual list of most popular breeds is out, and the Labrador Retriever once again fetched the top spot in 2014. It’s been America’s most popular AKC breed since 1991, longer than any other breed, eclipsing the former top-spot longevity records held by the Poodle and Cocker Spaniel. The Top 10 breeds of last year are the Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Bulldog, Beagle, Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Boxer, French Bulldog, and Rottweiler.

The Lab is followed by long-time favorites the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever, but No. 4 is a mover and shaker, the Bulldog, which has rocketed in popularity the past few years. This year it shuffled from up from No. 5, displacing the ever-favorite Beagle. America seems to be in the midst of a bully love affair, with the French Bulldog entering the Top 10 for the first time in nearly 100 years, at No. 9. The Frenchie’s been on the rise faster than any other breed; five years ago it was the No. 24 most popular breed.

Other breeds on the fast track are the Siberian Husky (No. 13 compared to No. 22 five years ago), Great Dane (No. 15 from No. 21); Australian Shepherd (No. 18 from No. 28); Havanese (No. 25 from No. 32); Vizsla (No. 33 from No. 42); Shiba Inu (No. 46 from No. 65); Belgian Malinois (No. 59 from No. 81), and Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (No. 74 from No. 108).

But if some breeds move up, it means others must move down. Breeds on the downward trend are led by the Yorkshire Terrier. Though still popular at No. 6, it was No. 3 five years ago, and movement in the top 10 reflects large changes in registration numbers. The Dachshund fell out of the Top 10 for the first time since 1985. It’s now No. 11 compared to No. 8 five years ago. Other breeds on the downturn are the Shih Tzu (No. 18 from No. 10), Pomeranian (No. 20 from No. 14), Chihuahua (No. 24 from No. 12); Pug (No. 32 from No. 17), Miniature Pinscher (No. 60 from No. 33), and Pekingese (No. 80 from No. 53). For whatever reason, America’s infatuation with toy dogs seems to be over.

Of the breeds AKC has recognized in the last five years, only the Cane Corso, at the No. 47 spot, is in the top 100. The Leonberger is at 101 and the Russell Terrier at 102. Two newcomers are at the bottom of the list; the Norwegian Lundehund is again the least popular AKC breed, ranked at No. 175, with the Cesky Terrier at No. 173. The English Foxhound, at No. 174, is used to being near the bottom, but is probably actually more popular than the statistics suggest, as most Foxhounds are in non-AKC hunting packs.

The bottom 10 AKC breeds (from least popular to more) are the Norwegian Lundehund, English Foxhound, Cesky Terrier, Harrier, American Foxhound, Otterhound, Pyrenean Shepherd, Skye Terrier, Canaan Dog, and Sussex Spaniel.

Here’s the complete list:

Breed	2014	2013	2009
Retrievers (Labrador)	1	1	1
German Shepherds	2	2	2
Retrievers (Golden)	3	3	4
Bulldogs	4	5	7
Beagles	5	4	5
Yorkshire Terriers	6	6	3
Poodles	7	8	9
Boxers	8	7	6
French Bulldogs	9	11	24
Rottweilers	10	9	13
Dachshunds	11	10	8
Pointers (German Shorthaired)	12	13	16
Siberian Huskies	13	14	22
Doberman Pinschers	14	12	15
Great Danes	15	16	21
Miniature Schnauzers	16	17	11
Shih Tzu	17	15	10
Australian Shepherds	18	20	28
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels	19	18	25
Pomeranians	20	19	14
Shetland Sheepdogs	21	21	18
Pembroke Welsh Corgis	22	24	26
Boston Terriers	23	23	19
Chihuahuas	24	22	12
Havanese	25	25	32
Mastiffs	26	26	27
Brittanys	27	30	30
Spaniels (English Springer)	28	28	29
Maltese	29	27	20
Spaniels (Cocker)	30	29	23
Bernese Mountain Dogs	31	32	39
Pugs	32	31	17
Vizslas	33	34	42
Weimaraners	34	33	31
Collies	35	35	38
Newfoundlands	36	37	46
West Highland White Terriers	37	36	36
Rhodesian Ridgebacks	38	39	48
Border Collies	39	44	52
Newfoundlands Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)	40	43	49
Basset Hounds	41	41	34
Papillons	42	38	37
Bichons Frises	43	40	35
Bullmastiffs	44	40	42
Akitas	45	45	50
Shiba Inu	46	46	65
Cane Corso	47	50	–
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers	48	51	62
Bloodhounds	49	48	43
St. Bernards	50	47	45
Portuguese Water Dogs	51	49	60
Bull Terriers	52	52	57
Alaskan Malamutes	53	57	58
Australian Cattle Dogs	54	58	67
Whippets	55	59	61
Airedale Terriers	56	56	59
Chinese Shar-Pei	57	54	47
Scottish Terriers	58	55	51
Belgian Malinois	59	60	81
Miniature Pinscher	60	53	33
Spaniels (English Cocker)	61	62	66
Dogues de Bordeaux	62	65	69
Chinese Crested	63	68	55
Dalmatians	64	64	75
Lhasa Apsos	65	63	54
Samoyeds	66	67	76
Cairn Terriers	67	61	56
Chow Chows	68	70	63
Pointers (German Wirehaired)	69	71	74
Irish Wolfhounds	70	73	84
Setters (Irish)	71	72	73
Italian Greyhounds	72	66	68
Great Pyrenees	73	69	64
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons	74	80	108
Old English Sheepdogs	75	78	79
Cardigan Welsh Corgis	76	75	83
Staffordshire Bull Terriers	77	79	77
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs	78	74	101
Bouviers des Flandres	79	82	85
Pekingese	80	77	53
Giant Schnauzers	81	83	89
American Staffordshire Terriers	82	76	70
Border Terriers	83	81	82
Basenjis	84	85	88
Keeshonden	85	86	102
Tibetan Terriers	86	88	96
Setters (English)	87	91	94
Standard Schnauzers	88	90	99
Brussels Griffons	89	84	72
Retrievers (Flat-Coated)	90	94	106
Japanese Chin	91	87	71
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs	92	93	115
Fox Terriers (Wire)	93	96	95
Norwich Terriers	94	89	98
Afghan Hounds	95	95	91
Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)	96	97	110
Setters (Gordon)	97	105	97
Silky Terriers	98	92	78
Borzois	99	99	90
Norwegian Elkhounds	100	103	105
Leonbergers	101	98	–
Russell Terriers	102	102	–
Welsh Terriers	103	104	103
Spaniels (Boykin)	104	121	92
Schipperkes	105	109	93
Belgian Tervuren	106	108	109
Rat Terriers	107	–	–
Treeing Walker Coonhounds	108	101	–
Neapolitan Mastiffs	109	111	113
Toy Fox Terriers	110	107	100
Parson Russell Terriers	111	100	87
Spinoni Italiani	112	117	119
Pointers	113	114	114
American Eskimo Dogs	114	110	118
Bearded Collies	115	112	116
Tibetan Spaniels	116	106	111
Belgian Sheepdogs	117	119	120
Fox Terriers (Smooth)	118	116	123
Irish Terriers	119	123	132
Black and Tan Coonhounds	120	113	86
Black Russian Terriers	121	118	130
Kerry Blue Terriers	122	126	121
Miniature Bull Terriers	123	125	125
Bluetick Coonhounds	124	128	44
Norfolk Terriers	125	129	122
Briards	126	127	127
Spaniels (Welsh Springer)	127	124	136
Salukis	128	115	112
Tibetan Mastiffs	129	132	131
Manchester Terriers	130	120	117
Spaniels (Field)	131	140	137
English Toy Spaniels	132	135	129
Australian Terriers	133	122	124
Bedlington Terriers	134	137	135
German Pinschers	135	130	146
Xoloitzcuintli	136	139	–
Spaniels (Clumber)	137	131	128
Affenpinschers	138	143	133
Beaucerons	139	152	148
Icelandic Sheepdogs	140	142	–
Greyhounds	141	148	140
Redbone Coonhounds	142	133	41
Lakeland Terriers	143	134	138
Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens	144	138	134
Pulik	145	136	149
Spaniels (Irish Water)	146	141	150
Entlebucher Mountain Dogs	147	155	–
Plotts	148	149	126
Setters (Irish Red and White)	149	145	80
American English Coonhounds	150	146	–
Scottish Deerhounds	151	165	142
Swedish Vallhunds	152	147	147
Ibizan Hounds	153	151	144
Spaniels (American Water)	154	144	139
Kuvaszok	155	150	141
Glen of Imaal Terriers	156	167	158
Retrievers (Curly-Coated)	157	163	145
Pharaoh Hounds	158	160	152
Lowchen	159	154	143
Portuguese Podengo Pequenos	160	153	–
Dandie Dinmont Terriers	161	168	151
Komondorok	162	159	154
Sealyham Terriers	163	158	157
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs	164	157	153
Chinooks	165	156	–
Norwegian Buhunds	166	166	104
Finnish Lapphunds	167	171	–
Finnish Spitz	168	170	160
Spaniels (Sussex)	169	162	159
Canaan Dogs	170	164	156
Skye Terriers	171	161	155
Pyrenean Shepherds	172	169	107
Otterhounds	173	172	161
American Foxhounds	174	176	162
Harriers	175	173	163
Cesky Terriers	176	174	–
English Foxhounds	177	177	164
Norwegian Lundehunds	178	175	–

Interested in learning more about these breeds? Find dozens of breed profiles here.

Tags: Breeds

Carolyn Coile

Caroline Coile is the author of 34 dog books, including the top-selling Barron’s Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She has written for various publications and is currently a columnist for AKC Family Dog. She shares her home with three naughty Salukis and one Jack Russell Terrier.

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