I was surprised to see German shepherds at number three. I hardly ever see this breed anymore.
I'm surprised a ~little~ too... because they do seem rarer than that. I'm really surprised that Yorkies are so high on the list, higher even than the little poodles that are everywhere in over 60 parks ;~D
These are registered dogs... it's probably good to keep the perspective that there are a majority of dogs that are not registered, they are "some kind of lab mix" or "some kind of small terrier mix". So, with retriever types dominating the pack, German shepherds are the next-most registered of dogs.
GS are hugely popular at shows and always have been. Never mind all the working dogs there are (of course, most are not American types tho).
Add to this the non-registered dogs (yes, there are such things as purebred non-registered dogs!), and the totals are actually higher.
Also consider alot of German/Euro GS are here who are NEVER registered w/AKC - mostly undoubtedly the working dogs. Because that's abhorent to them. ;-)
GS are still very popular. I don't see them as much as Labs but I probably see them almost as much as Goldens overall (in real life, I mean). I see plenty ads in the classifieds when I bother to look. Besides mine, I've seen at least 2 different GS in my new neighborhood. Also, I've seen a real Collie (no, not a big Sheltie!)! Of course, we also have a big pot-bellied pig roaming around.....
It may depend on where you live.