Labrador again tops list of most popular breeds in America

For 27 years in a row, the lovable Labrador Retriever has ranked as the number one breed of dog in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club.

This year the lab takes the top spot again with the the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever in their familiar second and third places. Rounding out the list of the top 10 are the French Bulldog, Bulldog, Beagle, Poodle, Rottweiler, Yorkshire Terrier, and German Shorthaired Pointer.

According to Marketwatch, trends among popular dog breeds have changed over the years as different kinds of dogs have enjoyed the media spotlight in movies and pop culture. Beagles, for instance, held the number one spot during the heyday of the Peanut’s Snoopy character and has never fallen below ninth since then. In 1943, the movie ‘Lassie Come Home,’ meanwhile, cemented the Collie in the top 10 for the next 30 years.

Despite their lofty positions now, 2017’s top three breeds held the 42nd, 18th, and 65th positions when the AKC started tracking popularity back in 1935.

To find a sneak peak of future nationwide trends, look at trend-setters like those in New York City to see which breeds have been increasing in popularity before they are picked up by others, according to USA Today. The French Bulldog, for instance, is the most popular pick overall in the Big Apple and has been seen with many celebrities around town. Not surprisingly, different areas of the city have their own microtrends, and these include Great Danes in the uptown Washington Heights, Havanese in Tribeca, and the Yorkshire Terrier in the Bronx.

According to the , about 44 percent of all households in the United States have a dog, adding up to approximately 78 million dogs nationwide.