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TOP Ten Most
Popular Dog Breeds!
Knowing all of the minute details of
each type of dog breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC)
may not be number one on your great list of to-do’s. In fact, only
a small percentage of experts in the country can spout off the
intricacies of each breed. After all, the AKC recognizes over 150
breeds of dogs, each boasting unique and exceptional qualities. Of
them all, an average person might recognize ten percent, a dog-lover
could identify as many as a quarter. But the simple fact is that
not many Americans are presented with too wide a variety of dog
breeds in their lifetimes. While dogs are growing in popularity as
an American pet, the variety of dog breeds which we welcome as
popular has not changed much in the past ten years.
The AKC
separates recognized dog breeds into seven categories, or groupings:
Sporting, Herding, Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-sporting. Of
these, the most popular dog breeds in America consistently hail from
the Sporting group. These include the setters, spaniels, pointers,
and retrievers. Specifically, the Labrador and Golden Retrievers
were the most popular registered dogs in the majority of states in
2005. Their combination of agility, intelligence, and unusually
friendly demeanor help them maintain their status.
Dog breeds
from the Toy group are also starting to dominate American homes. In
fact, eight of the most popular registered dog breeds in the United
States in 2005 came from this group, including the Yorkshire
terrier, poodle, Shih Tzu, and Chihuahua. The small size and
playful nature of these dogs make them ideal for living in a big
city. Specifically, poodles are now the most popular dog breed
registered in New York City.
The Working
group also contains some popular dogs among Americans. This list
includes dog breeds like the Boxer, Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher,
and Siberian Husky. These dogs tend to be more popular outside of
cities, as their nature requires a great deal of training and they
are not as naturally friendly or easy to control as some of the
other dog groups.
One of the
most popular dog breeds in the country is the German Shepherd Dog, a
member of the Herding Group. These dogs are large and powerful but
also extremely loyal and protective.
The two
groupings with the least number of dog breeds on the published list
are the Terrier group and the Hound Group. This is not too
surprising, as most of these breeds serve specific purposes that are
not playful ones. However, the Minuature Schnauzer, a member of the
Terrier group, is growing in popularity in different regions around
the country. And both the loud beagle and the slow dachshund, of
the Hound group, remain in the top ten registered dog breeds in
America. Below is the 2005 list of the ten most popular registered
dog breeds released by the AKC. For the complete listing, see
www.akc.org.
1.
Retriever (Labrador)
2.
Retriever (Golden)
3.
Yorkshire Terrier
4.
German Shepherd Dog
5.
Beagle
6.
Dachshund
7.
Boxer
8.
Poodle
9.
Shih Tzu
10.
Miniature Schnauzer
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