Posted on 01/16/2008 10:30:23 AM PST by decimon
NEW YORK - For the first time in 72 years, the bulldog has muscled its way back into the Top 10 most popular breeds in the nation.
The top dog for the 17th consecutive year was the Labrador retriever, the American Kennel Club said Wednesday. The bulldog was selected 10th in a survey of the 50 largest cities in 2007.
"The bulldog is both docile and adaptive and can thrive in small or large homes," the AKC said. "It's an excellent all-around family pet."
The thickset canine, with its low-swung body, sagging snout and wide shoulders, last made the Top 10 list in 1935, when it placed 10th. With the ascent of the bulldog, the miniature Schnauzer dropped off the list.
The beagle, the only breed that has been consistently included on the Top 10 since 1915, came in fifth.
Other purebreds that made the most popular dogs list were the Yorkshire terrier at No. 2, followed by the German shepherd, golden retriever, the boxer at No. 6, dachshund, poodle and Shih Tzu.
The AKC maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and sets the standards for 157 breeds.
Austrailian Cattle Dog aka Blue Heeler didn’t make the list?
oh well what do they know?
I tell you what, that black lab will watch those kids when they’re outside and make sure nothing happens to them. They are very protective. We had a neighborhood black lab and I was learning to ride my bike, and he would always put himself between me and the street side of the sidewalk.
I miss good ol’ Sage.
As I recall you posted a thread when Sage passed on.
Both our dogs are great with the kids, I'm not sure how either would react if the children were threatened since we live in the sticks and there has not been such a situation.
I will say when we had a Beagle and she would camp out by our son protecting and watching over him.
It was sweet and quite amusing considering she was fixed and never gave birth.
Otherwise he is quiet and rests with me in the afternoon.
Love that dog!
It would be interesting to see the regional variations on that list.
Locally, it seems like there are very few German Shepherds, Yorkies, Beagles or Boxers, but there are a lot of Shelties, Border Collies and Flat-coated retrievers.
Ha. We had a black Lab mix for 14 years. We were traveling one summer and got out at a rest area to walk, she was doing her usual hopping and prancing around on the end of the leash. The guy parked next to us started talking to me about Labs, great dogs, he’s always had one etc etc. He then says “She’ll calm down when she gets a little older. They stay puppies a long time. How old is she anyway?”
I truthfully replied “11 years old.”
I truthfully replied “11 years old.”
Labs (or maybe even a mix) calm down when arthritis sets in or their dead.
You have to live with the energy to appreciate the demeanor.
You’re exactly right. She did great up until that last year, when the arthritis set in and she slowed down a bit. She’d always slept on the foot of the bed and then that got to be too hard for her to get up (even when I picked her up, she didn’t like being ‘stuck’ there all night) and then had a hard time getting in the bedside chair, so I got a nice dog bed for her which she loved.
We took her to Maine with us every year and she was in the water before we’d all gotten out of the van. That last spring, my oldest son said “I hope she gets one more year in Maine, she’s always loved it so much up there.” And she did, passing away a few weeks after we got back. Just collapsed in the back yard one afternoon and was gone. She’s buried in my flower garden. We loved the energy. With 2 boys (6 and 1 when we got her as a 10 week old pupply), she needed it to keep up with them, God love her.
The 2 dogs we have now are great companions (although my son keeps telling them they’re not ‘Rascal’ (the Lab). And they’re both anti-water...the wusses. H didn’t want a BL because we would feel it was a ‘replacement’ but if I ever get another dog, it’ll be a Lab. I love ‘em.
He's my "ex-buddy" because he was my ex-girlfriend's dog before we met... I really miss Jack. Don't miss her at all...
Jack's a big English Bully, about 65 pounds of personality, bone, muscle, and jowls. One of the funniest things about them is that they're smart, but get bored easily. When I brought over a frisbee to play with Jack, my ex told me that she didn't think he'd be interested in it. He had never seen one, and he was thrilled! He even caught it a few times. But then he got bored with an "OK, I've seen it fly, and I've caught it. Is that it? I'm going back inside to watch TV" sort of attitude.
The only down side to English Bulldogs is that they have some very serious skin problems, and you can see all the "hot spots" that Jack had on his face. Just trying to keep them clean and happy is some work. But if you have the time, they're really worth it.
Mark
What type is the top photo? That looks exactly like my dog except for the white chest. But the same black and tan elsewhere. I always considered my dog to be a Kelpie mix with maybe a little Border Collie in there.
Same here, we had a mini Dachshund and a 11" Beagle. The Dachshund was so smart he was almost human, the Beagle was just a joy but dumb as a box of rocks.
The Dachshund passed on before my daughter was born and the Beagle about 2 1/2 years ago. I had a Lab when I was in my twenties and what a great dog!
Too much energy for most people but great with kids.
We waited 6 mos. until getting the Lab and Golden, I was also of the mind not to get same breed, who wants to compare the old dogs with the new ones?
The Lab is a real free spirit, we have 7 ft. stockade fence and she still manages to get over in now and again.(I suspect the Fisher cat who frequents the back of the property to be the culprit)
The Golden is much calmer, they both listen very well and love the children as well the wife and I.
Good to see beagle people here. :)
We got him from the local pound as a puppy and were told his mother was an Australian Shepherd. The rest is all a guess, maybe some blue heeler, maybe some Doberman... Whatever it is he is a great dog.
Yorkies and Shih Tzus are not real dogs.
If my cat can eat it, it’s not a dog.
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