Top Dog Breeds of 2008 – Most Popular Dogs

This year the AKC celebrates its 125th anniversary and for the 18th year in a row, the Labrador retriever is once again America’s favorite purebred dog, according to registration numbers tallied by the American Kennel Club. The AKC released the figures and, as in past years, the Labrador far outstrips the other dogs in the top 10. Last year, for the first time the bulldog made it into the top ten list since 1935 and has continued to increase and jumped up to 8th place this year.

Changes This Year

Last year, all breeds in the top 10 were the same as the prior year but not this year. The bulldog jumped 2 spots from # 10 to #8 position.

The poodle moved up one notch from # 9 to #8 bumping the Shih Tzus from the #9 position to #10.

Over the past several years, the top 10 list has been relatively stable. However three years ago, in 2005, one new breed joined the top 10 list and one got bumped off. The Miniature Schnauzer came in at #10 displacing the Chihuahua into the #11 position. Last year – the Miniature Schnauzer was dropped from the top 10 list.

Large Vs. Small Breeds

Five out of the top ten AKC registered breeds are large breed dogs! These include the Labrador retriever, German shepherd, golden retriever, Boxer and Bulldog. The rest are smaller breed dogs which includes the Yorkie, Beagle, Dachshund, Poodle, and Shih Tzu.

The Top 10 Breeds of 2008 are:

1. Labrador retrievers
2. Yorkshire terriers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Bulldog
9. Poodles
10. Shih Tzus

The Top 10 Breeds of 2007 were:

1. Labrador retrievers
2. Yorkshire terriers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Bulldog

The Top 10 Breeds of 2006 were:

1. Labrador retrievers
2. Yorkshire terriers
3. German shepherds
4. Golden retrievers
5. Beagles
6. Dachshunds
7. Boxers
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Miniature Schnauzer

AKC Categories

The AKC recognizes dogs in seven categories: sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. The largest breed registration in each group is as follows:

The Entire Ranking of 2008 AKC Dog Registrations

Rank Breed

1. Retrievers (Labrador)
2. Yorkshire Terriers
3. German Shepherd Dogs
4. Retrievers (Golden)
5. Beagles
6. Boxers
7. Dachshunds
8. Bulldogs
9. Poodles
10. Shih Tzu
11. Miniature Schnauzers
12. Chihuahuas
13. Pomeranians
14. Rottweilers
15. Pugs
16. Pointers (German Shorthaired)
17. Boston Terriers
18. Doberman Pinschers
19. Shetland Sheepdogs
20. Maltese
21. Spaniels (Cocker)
22. Great Danes
23. Siberian Huskies
24. Pembroke Welsh Corgis
25. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
26. French Bulldogs
27. Spaniels (English Springer)
28. Mastiffs
29. Australian Shepherds
30. Brittanys
31. Weimaraners
32. Miniature Pinschers
33. Basset Hounds
34. West Highland White Terriers
35. Bichons Frises
36. Havanese
37. Papillons
38. Collies
39. Bullmastiffs
40. Bernese Mountain Dogs
41. Bloodhounds
42. Vizslas
43. St. Bernards

44. Newfoundlands
45. Chinese Shar-Pei
46. Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay)
47. Scottish Terriers
48. Rhodesian Ridgebacks
49. Cairn Terriers
50. Akitas
51. Border Collies
52. Chinese Crested
53. Pekingese
54. Lhasa Apsos
55. Bull Terriers
56. Airedale Terriers
57. Alaskan Malamutes
58. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers
59. Italian Greyhounds
60. Great Pyrenees
61. Whippets
62. Portuguese Water Dogs
63. Shiba Inu
64. Chow Chows
65. Brussels Griffons
66. Australian Cattle Dogs
67. Setters (Irish)
68. Spaniels (English Cocker)
69. American Staffordshire Terriers
70. Pointers (German Wirehaired)
71. Samoyeds
72. Japanese Chin
73. Old English Sheepdogs
74. Dalmatians
75. Silky Terriers

Rank Breed

76. Staffordshire Bull Terriers
77. Belgian Malinois
78. Border Terriers
79. Irish Wolfhounds
80. Cardigan Welsh Corgis
81. Bouviers des Flandres
82. Parson Russell Terriers
83. Basenjis
84. Setters (English)
85. Giant Schnauzers
86. Toy Fox Terriers
87. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs
88. Fox Terriers (Wire)
89. Schipperkes
90. Setters (Gordon)
91. Afghan Hounds
92. Borzois
93. Keeshonden
94. Tibetan Terriers
95. Norwich Terriers
96. Retrievers (Flat-Coated)
97. Standard Schnauzers
98. Norwegian Elkhounds
99. Welsh Terriers
100. Retrievers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)
101. Belgian Tervuren
102. Tibetan Spaniels
103. Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
104. Fox Terriers (Smooth)
105. Manchester Terriers
106. American Eskimo Dogs
107. Bearded Collies
108. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
109. Pointers
110. Neapolitan Mastiffs
111. Australian Terriers
112. Spinoni Italiani

113. Norfolk Terriers
114. Belgian Sheepdogs
115. Spaniels (Clumber)
116. Salukis
117. Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens
118. Kerry Blue Terriers
119. Black Russian Terriers
120. Spaniels (Welsh Springer)
121. Briards
122. Miniature Bull Terriers
123. English Toy Spaniels
124. Bedlington Terriers
125. Plotts
126. Tibetan Mastiffs
127. Greyhounds
128. Irish Terriers
129. Lakeland Terriers
130. Affenpinschers
131. Scottish Deerhounds
132. Ibizan Hounds
133. Kuvaszok
134. Spaniels (American Water)
135. Lowchen
136. Retrievers (Curly-Coated)
137. Beaucerons
138. Spaniels (Field)
139. German Pinschers
140. Pulik
141. Skye Terriers
142. Spaniels (Irish Water)
143. Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
144. Dandie Dinmont Terriers
145. Spaniels (Sussex)
146. Pharaoh Hounds
147. Swedish Vallhunds
148. Canaan Dogs
149. Komondorok
150. Sealyham Terriers
151. Finnish Spitz
152. Otterhounds
153. Harriers
154. Glen of Imaal Terriers
155. Foxhounds (English)
156. Foxhounds (American)