NEW YORK — It’s puppy love for the record books: The Labrador retriever was the nation’s most popular dog breed last year for the 23rd year in a row, the American Kennel Club announced Friday.
That’s the longest any breed has been top dog since the organization’s 1884 founding.
German shepherds, golden retrievers, beagles and bulldogs are holding steady in the top-five pack, with Yorkshire terriers, boxers, poodles, Rottweilers and dachshunds rounding out the leading 10, which mirrors last year. But the French bulldog is newly on their heels after a decade-long popularity spurt.
The rankings reflect newly registered dogs, mostly puppies. The AKC doesn’t release exact numbers but estimates its registry has included more than 40 million purebred dogs over its history.
