Top Dog Breeds of 2004Labrador Retriever Defends Title Again!

Petplace.netscape ^ | 2-26-2005

[Cagey]

For the 15th year in a row, the Labrador retriever is America’s favorite purebred, 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 second-most favorite – the golden retriever. For 2004, all the same breeds made the top 10, but four breeds switched positions. The German shepherd moved into third place, switching positions with the Beagle, and the Yorkshire terriers moved into fifth place, taking the Dachshund’s spot.

The Top 10 Breeds of 2004 are:

1. Labrador retrievers 149,692
2. Golden retrievers 52,550
3. German shepherds 46,046
4. Beagles 44,555
5. Yorkshire terriers 43,522
6. Dachshunds 40,770 7. Boxers 37,741
8. Poodles 32,671
9. Shih Tzus 28,958
10. Chihuahuas 24,850

At the other end of the spectrum, the English foxhound is again the least-registered purebred dog with 17 registrations followed by the otterhound 23, American Foxhound 42, Sussex Spaniel 45 and Harrier with 53 registrations.

Top Dogs in England

The United Kennel Club (UKC) also released their national statistics recently, which show that the Labrador Retriever also reigns in England. The lab is followed by the Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel.

The top 10 dogs in England are:

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Cocker Spaniel (English)
3. English Springer Spaniel
4. German Shepherd Dog
5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
7. Golden Retriever
8. West Highland White Terrier
9. Boxer
10. Border Terrier

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:

# Sporting – e.g. Labrador retriever
# Hound – e.g. beagle
# Working – e.g. boxers
# Terrier – e.g. miniature schnauzer
# Toy – e.g. Yorkshire terrier
# Non-sporting – e.g. poodles
# Herding – e.g. German shepherd

In 2004, the AKC registered 153 different breeds, including the newly recognized Black Russian Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier and Neapolitan Mastiff, for a total of nearly one million dogs (958,272) and 437,437 litters.

[msdrby]

Miss Sadie didn't make the list.

[Cagey]

I'd like to have something a little more docile next time around, and am thinking a Lab

I have a ten year old Chocolate Lab now and I don't know if docile is a good description of the breed. They are incredibly gentle and loving, but many stay puppies forever. Don't get me wrong, she is well behaved and is a great listener, but she still thinks she's 8 months old. If you are looking for a dog that will love you and almost anybody you introduce her too, a Lab is a perfect choice.

[LongElegantLegs]

Speaking of Corgis, does anyone on the DoggiePing list know anything about them or have one?

[HairOfTheDog]

I have known a few... and they have had a great clowning personality, very focused on playing ball, very attentive like a lab or a shepherd, without the size.

And yet they aren't so small that they are overly fragile for kids to play with. I think they're very fun dogs.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A Female neutered Golden may be a little more gentle and less lively than a Lab...

[AnAmericanMother]

I agree that Corgis are charming dogs with a lot of shepherd type characteristics.

Two things to watch out for: they are prone to back problems (though not as much so as, say, dachshunds), and some bloodlines do have a "snappish" temperament and will bite.

[LongElegantLegs]

That's the exact dog I'm looking for, then; We've been looking into rescues for awhile, but haven't decided on a breed; Mr. Legs doesn't like the Corgi; Apparently they're not manly enough...(Insert eyeroll here)

[Cagey]

I have to tell you something funny. I looked quickly at your post on this thread and I thought it read "LongElephantLegs". Thinking that an odd screen name I took a look at your profile and suddenly realized my error. Hahahaha

Anyway, my daughter is 70" tall ( I'm a shrimp compared, at 5'9") and she has similar problems as the ones you detail on your profile. I'll have to tell her about your store and she can see if they have anything similar in New York or New Jersey.

[HairOfTheDog]

The one that I have seen that was snappy was actually having a frustrated herding instinct, not remembering the difference between driving their handler and 'heeling'.

I saw a little girl with one in Obedience who nipped her ankles during heeling, so she wore thick socks till she got it stopped ;~D

My friend's dog was not anything like that though.

[LongElegantLegs]

Do you know if there's a great difference in personality between the Pembroke and the Cardigan?

[LongElegantLegs]

That's the second time someone thought it said elephant! Dang it, I guess I should have chosen better. :'P
Longelegantlegs.com has a good selection of clothes, and tallwomen.org has a whole bunch of links to different stores. Tell your daughter tall women rule. ;')

[Professional Engineer]

She is one special animal. Abby is 11, and sometimes I swear she's human! :-)

We've got the lab and an Australian Shepard. Both of them are sweethearts.

[AnAmericanMother]

You CAN get a docile Lab - but, it won't be a Chocolate Lab.

There are really two strains of Labrador - the conformation or show type, and the field trial type. If you want something docile, go with the conformation type, they are much calmer couch potato type dogs. They are also shorter in stature than the field trial dogs, and heavier in build. They are usually perfectly content to just "hang out" - at least once they get past the puppy stage (and Labs tend to be puppy-like at LEAST until age 2).

The field trial dogs are bred to demonstrate flair and drive under the difficult and grueling conditions of a field trial or hunt test, and to hunt all day in swamp or cornfields and still be brisk enough to run down a wounded bird. They are brim full of go and energy, and your average home doesn't give them near enough work to do. We took up agility and hunt tests in self defense, just so Shelley would be plumb worn out by the end of the day.

Chocolates tend to be of the field trial type, because the gene pool of chocolates is relatively small. So if you want a quiet dog, I would go with a black or yellow conformation type Lab.

Shelley is a hybrid - her sire is a conformation champion, her dam is the daughter of the only Chocolate Lab ever to win a national field trial title. She has some characteristics of the conformation type - she is of very short stature and has a fairly short muzzle as well as the true "otter tail" (which many field trial dogs have lost) - but her slenderness, her birdiness, and her personality are all field trial.

Conformation dog - Shelley's dad.

Field trial dog - Shelley's (famous) maternal grandfather. When you mention at hunt tests that Shelley is a "Rascal granddaughter", people go "ah!"

[LongElegantLegs]

The one that I have seen that was snappy was actually having a frustrated herding instinct, not remembering the difference between driving their handler and 'heeling'.

When I was little, we had a Blue Heeler mix...She used to chase us kids into a corner, then bark till my Mom came down to rescue us; I hope to find a dog with similar instincts.

[Professional Engineer]

Miss Sadie didn't make the list.

Could it be that Australian Sheperd breeders and owners know to run from AKC like the plague?

[AnAmericanMother]

Most of the Corgis I see (the ones who run agility) are Pembrokes. I don't believe I've ever seen a Cardigan.

They are much more "manly" than your husband would think (they're a herding dog) - I guess it's the short legs that make them look a little toy-like.

If I got a herding dog, though, I believe I'd get a Border Collie (I'm used to high energy dogs, now . . . )

[LongElegantLegs]

I was really considering a Border Collie for awhile, because I wanted a running companion. However, from the pictures I've seen, they look a little too slender. I've got some little kids (the oldest is three) and I'd like a thick, sturdy dog that will be able to withstand any unintentional damage... I've pretty much narrowed my options down to a Bull Terrier, an Australian Shepherd or a Corgi.

[HairOfTheDog]

Labrador should definately be on the list if you want a dog great with kids and not fragile that can run with you.

While I don't recommend letting kids tug and poke, I've never met a Lab that didn't love it.

[LongElegantLegs]

My Dad's a big lab fan; They are sweet dogs, but they're pretty big, aren't they?

[HairOfTheDog]

Why a size limit?

They aren't much bigger than some Aussies. Males should be 60-80 pounds, females 50-70. AAM's little lab is pretty small. The classic Labrador should be no more than 24 inches at the shoulder. Some of the field lines are bigger, but you can usually get a feel from the parents.