The Bulldog Growing in Popularity in America

For the 18th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America, according to 2008 registration statistics released today by the American Kennel Club(R) (AKC). But, while more than twice as many Labs were registered last year than any other breed, making it a likely leader for many years to come, the Bulldog continues to amble its way up the list.

The breed made news last year by returning to the AKC’s Top 10 for the first time in more than 70 years and now has jumped 6%, advancing two spots to land in 8th place.

2008 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Bulldog
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu

Comparisons

AKC Registered Breeds in 1884 Rank in 2008

Pointer 111
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 48
English Setter 86
Gordon Setter 92
Irish Setter 69
Clumber Spaniel 117
Cocker Spaniel* 21
Irish Water Spaniel 144
Sussex Spaniel 147

*In 1884 the English Cocker Spaniel and the Cocker Spaniel were registered as the same breed. They were separated in 1946. Today the English Cocker Spaniel is ranked 70th.

POPULAR PEDIGREES: CITY by CITY

While time periods are indicators for the popularity of certain pets, so is geography. Each year, AKC looks at the most popular breeds in each of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. Some highlights:

– While the Bulldog continues to climb the national list, it’s really
marking its territory in a number of western cities — Las Vegas, Long
Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego — where it comes in 2nd, right
after the Lab.
– Only Honolulu, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, Raleigh, and Salt Lake
City snubbed the Bulldog — opting for a wide variety of other breeds
in their Top 10.
– Detroit and Miami are the only cities that do not have the Labrador
Retriever in the top spot, both favoring the German Shepherd Dog.
– The Boxer is muscling its way to the top in a few cities, ranking
second in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Louisville, Omaha and
Kansas City. It’s 3rd in Atlanta, Cleveland, New Orleans,
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and even Philadelphia –
where like its boxing brethren “Rocky” it’s still a literal underdog,
but if movie plots are any indication, perhaps not for long.
– Californians seem to love the Miniature Pinscher (ranked 32nd
nationally). It came in 6th (up from 15 last year) in San Diego and
also ranked 8th in Sacramento.
– The Vizsla is tied for 10th with the Shih Tzu in Chicago. Ranked 44th
nationally, the Vizsla has long been a favorite in the Windy City,
having made the local top 10 list in 2007 and 2003.
– Unusual breeds on local top ten lists including the Great Dane (10th
in St. Louis), the Mastiff (10th in Indianapolis), the Brittany (10th
in Minneapolis), the Belgian Malinois (8th in Kansas City) and the
Siberian Husky (9th in Long Beach).

PET PREFERENCES: 1998- 2008

Some of the most notable recent trends in the past decade include:
– The Bulldog (+69%) and four of its relatives are among the breeds that
have increased most significantly over the last decade: Miniature Bull
Terrier (+109%), Bull Terrier (+102%), Staffordshire Bull Terrier
(+69%) and the Bullmastiff (+22%).
– The French Bulldog (+467%), the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (+209%)
and the Brussels Griffon (+73%) continue to be among the breeds with
the largest increases, likely due to their popularity with urban dog
owners who favor portable, apartment-sized dogs.
– The Border Collie, often considered among the most intelligent and
trainable breeds, and known for its mastery of the highly popular
canine sport of agility, saw a significant increase (+50%).
– Lesser known breeds that saw an increase include the Ibizan Hound
(+74%), Norwich Terrier (+39%) and Bedlington Terrier (+28%).
– Large dogs with notable increases are two Swiss breeds – the Bernese
Mountain Dog (+78%) and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (+88%) – as
well as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (+117%), which hails from
France.
– Among breeds on the decline are the Lhasa Apso (-80%), Rottweiler
(-76%), Schipperke (-75%) the Basset Hound (-66 %) and, despite its
popularity in Sacramento and San Diego, the Miniature Pinscher (-75%).
– Portuguese Water Dogs, in the news recently due to the Obama family’s
interest in this mid-sized, hypoallergenic breed, is currently ranked
64th and has increased 44% in the past decade–especially appropriate
considering Obama is our 44th president.
– However another famous presidential pet – the American Foxhound (-75%)
- is on the decline. George Washington is credited with developing the
breed.

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