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Long Live the Lab! The AKC names the 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds for 2012

Jan. 31, 20130

1. Labrador Retriever

Peter Sprosty / LuckyPix / Corbis

For the 22nd consecutive year, the loyal Lab has taken the top spot on the AKC’s annual list. Gentle, playful and family-friendly, the Labrador Retriever loves to live an active lifestyle. They’re easily trained and are known to be constant companions to every member of the family.

2011 Ranking: 1

Famous Friends: Marley (Marley and Me), Old Yeller (Old Yeller), Brian Griffin (Family Guy)

More Photography from Time

47 comments
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chazzman44
chazzman44

Our Dobie/Lab was born 8/8/88 and died 01/7/2006.  He had a good run and we love and miss him to this day.  We recently acquire a Choc/Yellow ab.  He is pure chock. in  color.  We named him Chewy for "Chewbaca" and he chews every thing.  We hope to get him acccepted for therapy training. 

RobertBuxton
RobertBuxton

1. In the book, Old Yeller was a Black Mouth Cur. The dog in the movie was a Lab/Mastiff mix.

2. Buck, from The Call of the Wild had a St. Bernard father and Scotch Sheperd mother.

PizzaPower
PizzaPower

Decent list. Should've cut the whiny, yappy, snappy feeder dogs though...

KimTerry
KimTerry

This is really hard to believe since about 30 % of the dogs at the pound, and more in some areas, 

are pit bulls.  I guess they just euthanize all the pits, that sure keeps them from being in the top ten.

slick50joe
slick50joe like.author.displayName 1 Like

This is the AKC's list, and they don't register the APBT.  If the ADBA or UKC were to put out a list, it would have some variations.  They would be fairly high in ownership, should those numbers ever be gathered.

Toshiko
Toshiko like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

My 2 shelter sourced shepherd-mix dogs are smart, beautiful and have never been sick a day in their lives. They love to play, learn tricks, go for hikes, and they are protective of me and my house. The $80 adoption fee I paid supported the shelter. Want a great dog? Visit your local animal shelter or petfinder. com.

BarbaraSimpson
BarbaraSimpson

Australian Shepherds!  Goldens!  Border Collies! 

JohnSpencer
JohnSpencer

Goldens only #3 ?  Someone made a mistake.

pallnorse
pallnorse

Arf arf! Toto from the Wizard of Oz was not a Yorkshire Terrier. Toto was a Cairn Terrier! Please double check your facts before barking up the wrong breed.

GloriaHiggs1
GloriaHiggs1

til I looked at the draft of $8413, I did not believe that my best friend could realie receiving money in there spare time from their laptop.. there aunts neighbour started doing this less than 11 months and just cleard the morgage on there mini mansion and got a great new Ford. I went here,Great60.comCHECK IT OUT

psuedoknot
psuedoknot

"Strong and sharp, the German Shepherd a breed beloved by Adolf Hitler..." 

What the heck did I just read? There are plenty of people OTHER than Hitler who love GSDs. Sheesh. 

What's next? "The Schnauzer, a breed loved by brutal dictator and mass murderer Josef Stalin, has broken down the iron curtain of our hearts and has sown capitalism in our spirits."

Who writes this garbage? 


traderjim7
traderjim7

@psuedoknot  I agree with you it is garbage.  Maybe Hitler should not have been mentioned, but the least the author could have done is used proper English.

kevharris
kevharris

Oh goodie, the Whippet didn't make it again. Gotta keep the best kept secret a secret.

southernscotts
southernscotts

This is all horse hockey..... Scottish Terriers rule. Roweillers? Beagles? PLLUUUUZZZEEE. From FDR, Eisenhower to Bushes and Bette Davis, Ali McGraw and least not to mention the Big B...Humphrey Bogart have exquiste taste.

All had Scottish Terriers. The grandest breed in British and American history.

VictoriaNelson
VictoriaNelson

Our Alaskan  Malamute 15 years old and still going strong!

taborkimzey
taborkimzey like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Too bad the AKC is slowly destroying all of our beloved breeds.  Look at a the most recent #1 ranked AKC Lab.  It looks like a fat pig dog.  That animal couldn't hunt for five minutes, and is going to have serious health and joint problems later in life.  Really AKC?  That is the best representation of the breed?  That is what we should be looking for in a Labrador Retriever?  I don't think so.  Watch hunting dog trials and see real Labs doing what they are meant to do.  If you wnat to buy a lab, BUY A WORKING LAB- don't worry about "AKC" registration.  Same for German Shepherds.  English bulldogs can't even give birth without a C-section (heads ar too big, because that's what the AKC wants for looks), is that really a healthy dog?  It can't even give birth naturally!!

P.J.
P.J.

@taborkimzey Keep spreading the word.  King Charles Spaniels and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are being in-bred to extinction.  The AKC should be banning the genetic mutilation of dogs.  I could go on and on.  Please google some of these breeds and find out what the AKC has been up to.

JanWarrenMoore
JanWarrenMoore like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Toto was not a Yorkie! He was a Cairn Terrier and looked nothing like a Yorkie.

Mr.Chips
Mr.Chips like.author.displayName 1 Like

And while we're at it please don't drive with your dog in your lap.  You would not drive with your baby in your lap so if you love your dog why would you want it to become your air bag

Mr.Chips
Mr.Chips like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

We have three pound puppies and they really appreciate that you saved their lives.. Pound puppies are the best breed.

P.J.
P.J. like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Mr.Chips Agreed.  Rescue a pet and give them a loving home.  Boycott pet stores who get their dogs from puppy mills.

JFox
JFox like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

Look, just skip the pure bred dogs (which are probably raised in puppy mills) and go straight to petfinder.com or your local shelter/rescue society. There are plenty of cute and cuddly dogs just waiting for homes. 


I should know -- I foster puppies for my local city shelter. Puppies less than 6 weeks old cannot be vaccinated for parvo and will die if left at the shelter. I have puppies all the time at my home, and I am not the busiest foster they have. Seriously, folks -- if you want a dog, get a rescued one. If you don't want the commitment of a dog, then foster, like I do. It's a win-win that way.

Interitus
Interitus like.author.displayName 1 Like

@JFox  Sorry I'll just get from a breeder like I have in the past. A few years ago my roommate tried to get a dog from a puppy rescue site, lets go through his disasters.

SPCA,  -  My friend found the perfect dog. I tried to show him others, he didn't want to see it, it was love at first sight. Filled out all information, was told the dog was his but to come back Monday because they were having a fundraiser on Sunday. Monday morning he wanted to leave a 7 in the morning he was so excited. We get there. They sold the dog during the fundraiser.

Older Golden Retriever rescue - After multiple back and forth proving that both of us had own large dogs, ( I had even owned a Golden retriever). We were finally given a yes. We met the dog a few times, it went great. The woman in charge of my friends adoption went on vacation. The dog my friend was matched with was sold to a different family, and they didn't even have to go through the 2 month vetting process. Turns out it was the owners dentist who got the dog as a favour.

Taiwanese Dog rescue - He found a dog he liked. After many of the typical questions he was approved. He went to the airport to pick it up, upon arrival the dogs brother was also there. The other family (that had the brother) was promised both dogs.  They were distressed because they didn't know my roommate was promised one of the dogs. Not wanting to separate the family my roommate let them keep both dogs.

At this point he game up. This is utterly ridiculous. The gall of the people that run these rescue sites, between no communication or getting favours. These people don't care about the dog or the emotional impact it has on potential owners. Especially after you already approve them. The idea of rescue places is nice, but they don't work as advertised.

Bonus story. A friend of mine tried to adopt form the SPCA (same one as above). The dog was listed as not being good with kids. It was perfect for him and his girlfriend. On the day they went to finalize the adoption a family with a young daughter arrived. They left with the dog. They were told that a married couple with kids were more likely to be responsible owners and to be able to better provide for the dog. Despite the dog being listed as not suitable for children.

JFox
JFox like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Interitus @JFox  I see. So you skip doing the right thing because it's more difficult. Got it.  That's why nothing changes. That's why more perfectly lovely dogs will be killed in your city.

I didn't like the way some of the rescue organizations in my city were working, either. THAT'S WHY I GOT INVOLVED.


amity.allcock
amity.allcock

I'm with you, Interitus.  Rescue is a total mess.  It's full of great people with great intentions who do noble things, but it's also full of greed, drama, and people who think it's better to warehouse dogs in cages for the rest of their lives than euthanize them humanely.  There's some happy medium there, and many good rescues, but the bad rescues are really making things difficult for everyone.  I too have had several bad rescue experiences, both with cats and dogs.

Ultimately there are responsible breeders out there and responsible rescues too.  As long as people make informed, educated choices about the dog breed that best suits their lifestyle, I think it's fine to choose to get one from a responsible breeder.  People willing to take the time to research their breed and deciding whether it's best to adopt or get a dog from a good breeder are good owners.  If great breeders and great rescues worked together more they could do amazing things for one another.

ag3
ag3 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Interitus   Ignorance is bliss....  You are way wrong.  There  are plenty of great rescue organizations. It is sad you couldnt find one.

Juan'tAjob
Juan'tAjob like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Interitus @ag3 Dude...what you fail to see is that Rescue has the best interests of the DOGS at heart, not yours!  Yes, an active, committed family has to have better odds of taking care of a dog than two roommates.  Roommates don't typically buy homes together and they are more transient than families with kids.

All your anecdotal evidence notwithstanding, Rescue groups save untold thousands of dogs every year.  They accept dogs only vaguely reminiscent of the breeds they rescue, evaluate each dog for medical/behavioral issues, and work toward addressing them.  Then they tirelessly work to find the best human for the dog.


Have you considered the possibility, that all these Rescue passed on your friend because he is NOT "Forever Friend" material?

Interitus
Interitus like.author.displayName 1 Like

@ag3 @Interitus How is that ignorance? My roommate searched for 2 rescue sites that had good ratings and figured the SPCA is actually concerned who receives animals and doesn't let them get adopted in a single day during a fundraiser. It slices both ways. There are good dog breeders out there and there are bad rescue sites. In not a single scenario did my roommate do anything to jeopardize his chances. In fact he could have taken the Taiwanese rescue but felt that the brothers should be kept together as the other people had planned to do.

There are BAD rescue sites, people run them, and guess what, now and then human nature kicks in and people make mistakes, or want more money or want a favour. Talk about ignorance...

MonicaHepker
MonicaHepker

Toto was not a Yorkie..... homework people.... Toto was a Cairn Terrier, they dont really even look that much alike........

DJColinC
DJColinC like.author.displayName 1 Like

No Pittbulls or staffies?  I see them everywhere. Cant imagine they are not in he top 10. 

Lawdog1521
Lawdog1521

@DJColinC I'm sure they'll be number one when Ghetto Monthly makes it's list.

KimTerry
KimTerry like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Lawdog1521 @DJColinC Wow.  That was so rude and completely wrong.  It may surprise you know that most pitbull owners are women.  We have a heart for animals that are so abused by a certain segment of the poulation-people who love dig fighting.  Because of TV shows people(like you) think those are the only people who own pitbulls.  You couldn't be further from the truth.  They live in all the upscale neighborhoods too.  BTW I have owned many different registered breeds through my lifetime, but until I owned an American Pit Bull Terrier, ABPT, I became thoroughly devoted to the breed.  Its the love and devotion and TRAINING that you give your animal, that completes the breed.  Any abused animal, no matter what the breed, will fight, bite, and kill just to survive.  That's the nature of any animal that's been mistreated.  Please reconsider your flawed thinking.



SuperDoop
SuperDoop like.author.displayName 1 Like

Lawdog, I was going to compliment you on your beautiful Bordeaux profile pic, but your insinuation that pitbulls are ghetto made me retract it.

amity.allcock
amity.allcock like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

This is an AKC list, the AKC doesn't tend to want you to think that there are any other breeds besides those registered by their kennel club.  They only recognize the AmStaff and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, they do not recognize American Pit Bull Terrier.  The APBT registry is the ADBA.  My guess is most people get bully breeds which aren't papered with either club, and thus they aren't taken into account for this list.