The Lab Rules Once Again – For Record 28th Straight Year!

There just seems to be no stopping the Labrador Retriever!

For a record 28th year (2018), the versatile sporting breed reigns supreme on the American Kennel Club registry list, a run like no other breed has seen in the record books.

Changes in the Top Ten

Little changed in the Top Ten standings from 2017. Following the Lab are: 2, German Shepherd Dog; 3, Golden Retriever; 4, French Bulldog; 5, Bulldog; 6, Beagle; 7, Poodle; 8, Rottweiler; 9, German Shorthaired Pointer; 10, Yorkshire Terrier. All remained in their same spots from the previous year other than the last two, which swapped positions.

Breaking into the Top Ten ranks as a monumental move for the German Shorthaired Pointer, which has been quietly edging its way up the popularity list the past decade. The ninth-place position is its highest since becoming recognized in 1930. Conversely, the Yorkie dropped from No. 2 in 2008.

While Labs aren’t No. 1 in all major U.S. cities, here are a few where they hold the top spot: Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Kansas City (Missouri), Jacksonville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oregon), Raleigh-Durham (North Carolina), San Antonio, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.

The 1970s marked the first appearance of the Labrador Retriever in the country’s Top Ten, and it has remained there since.

If you like statistical comparisons, here’s another good one: The No. 1 breed of the 1940s, the Cocker Spaniel, enjoyed a renaissance in ’80s, climbing back into the top spot from 1983-1990. That feat meant that it held the No. 1 position historically – 23 times – more than any other breed. Beginning in 1991, the Labrador Retriever began its uninterrupted reign atop the registry.