Posted on 01/28/2010 1:38:35 PM PST by JoeProBono
For the 19th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever has held on to its title as America's "Top Dog," according to the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2009 registration statistics.
In a nod to watchdog breeds, the German Shepherd Dog overtook the Yorkshire Terrier to claim the spot of "second most popular pooch" for the first time in more than three decades. An American favorite since the time of Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd Dog became the number one breed of the 1920s, but then slipped in popularity until after World War II.
The German Shepherd Dog isn't the only working canine to sniff out a place in the Top 10. Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Beagles have all been employed by law enforcement military and homeland security personnel to help with border patrol, bomb and narcotics detection and searching for missing persons.
Here is the AKC's Top 10 list of most popular dogs for 2009:
* 1. Labrador Retriever* * 2. German Shepherd Dog * 3. Yorkshire Terrier * 4. Golden Retriever * 5. Beagle * 6. Boxer * 7. Bulldog * 8. Dachshund * 9. Poodle * 10. Shih Tzu*
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Lots of German Shorthairs end up in shelters too...for the same reason...and they have SO much energy. The best thing I ever did was to pick up a couple of frisbies at Petsmart one day when Belle was about six months old. She is a "natural," and just loves it...especially when I am tossing two or three at a time.
We don't have a disc dog club around here, but the neighbor kids all show up to watch. We've taught her a few tricks to go along with the routine. The hubby decided to have her launch off of his back one day...that was the same day he discovered that the professionals on TV wear protective clothing...LOL!
We have a departed Belgian sheepdog, Shadow, who also had sharper features. Shadow climbed probably 40 of the 14,000 ft peaks in Colorado with me. He was amazingly agile.
Going coyote hunting.
ping
They are amazingly agile, and have exceptional turning/cornering skills- all instinctual herding. My boy has ninja like agility. Had I thought about it, Ninja would have been his name. Maybe my next one. ;)
Labs pick up the game. Setters point them out. I disagree.
Ihad a portuguese water dog when I was a kid over fifty years ago and adored him.
We have had standard pooodles and they are smart, loving, protective and fabulous.
Labs are dumb as can be,,I had a brown one, a trial reject who came from a top line of dogs and he was so dumb it was amazing but man could he retrieve.
Standard poodles are the top dog ever.
Not if you have a pointing foxred lab!
ps, look at my pic again.
I love the pics of the gorgeous dogs. Thanks to all.
Man’s best friend is his dog I do believe.
Me too, as you can tell :) I think they are the best family dog.
Your boy looks very much like Shadow. I had a harness and rope when we climbed. He knew to wait until I was set to start climbing. Often he could climb 75 ft of difficult climbing and never ever slipped. He learned to be lowered by rope before I would rappel down. He was such a good boy. When I loaded gear into the SUV he would get so excited.
He sounds like he was an amazing dog and companion! Did he pace in the SUV? Mine does that whenever we go anywhere.
This past Monday we lost one of our cockers, a 6 year old male, to canine dilative cardiomyopathy. Our 11 year old female who is blind can’t figure out where he went. He was her guide dog and she is lost with out him. This has been a tough week for me too. He was a wonderful friend and losing him less than two weeks after I lost my mother was about all I could take.
Our hearts are broken but we are already thinking about another dog, a Cavalier King Charles. No dog will replace our Toby, but every heart and home needs a special dog or two.
Anyone have any advice or recommendations for a cavalier breeder, please FReepmail me. THANKS!
He would generally sit in the passenger seat and look for things to bark at. He really did not like beggars or hippies. Or cows? Also bighorn sheep and mountain goats on climbs. He really hated black bears after one broke out a window trying to get in the house. Shadow chased it out. Rihght next to Roosevelt National Forest and lots of bears.
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