The German Shepherd catapulted to popularity in the 1920s following the film Man from Hell’s River, featuring the famed Rin Tin Tin. The German Shepherd is an excellent companion dog, but it’s also one that is consistently used in service — either as a police or military dog. TIME even named a German Shepherd its distinguished “Animal of the Year” for helping to take down Osama bin Laden with Seal Team Six. (To be fair, the breed also could have been a Belgian Malinois.) If that’s not a breed to love, we don’t know what is.
America’s 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds
For 21 years, the beloved Labrador Retriever has sat atop the American Kennel Club's most-popular list. But this past year, it received some stiff competition from some other adored (and adorable) breeds. See what breeds were named top dog this year.