The Labrador Retriever remains the number one most popular breed in the U.S., according to the American Kennel Club.
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi, meanwhile, has ascended the list over the past decade. The lively little herder landed at No. 10, its highest ranking since becoming recognized by the AKC in 1934. Moreover, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi knocked the Yorkshire Terrier out of the top 10, where the breed had been a fixture since 1995.
The Labrador Retriever is also No. 1 in Atlanta, Denver and Raleigh, while New York City, San Francisco and Miami are French Bulldog lovers.
In addition to the country’s most popular, there were some rare and unique breeds on the rise in 2019. The Boykin Spaniel rose 11 spots (100 to 89), the Lowchen rose 10 spots (168 to 158), the Swedish Vallhund rose 10 spots (169 to 159), and the Lagotto Romagnolo rose nine spots (99 to 90). Looking back over the past decade, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon made quite a jump, rising 46 spots from 108th in 2009 to 62nd in 2019.
See below for AKC’s top 10 most popular breeds in 2019, along with the 2018 comparison: