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10 Photos of Adorable Puppies at the AKC
This morning, in the world's most adorable press conference, the American Kennel Club announced that, for the 23rd year in a row, the Labrador Retriever is America's most popular pup—the longest reign in AKC history. (The Poodle has the second longest run at the top, with 22 years.) The AKC brought the top five breeds to their offices in Manhattan for a meet and greet; we were there to partake in the photo opps and cuddles. Here's what we learned.
All images courtesy of Getty unless otherwise noted.
1. The Lab nabbed the top spot; German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Bulldogs, Yorkshire Terriers, Boxers, Poodles, Rottweilers, and Dachsunds round out the top 10.
2. French Bulldogs haven't cracked the Top 10, but with a 323 percent increase in registrations since 2003, they managed nab the number 11 spot—its highest position since it was recognized as a breed in 1898. We got to play with six sweet puppies and their grandfather, Omar.
3. New York City's most popular pup is ... the bulldog! (Photo by Erin McCarthy.)
4. They're also number one in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Newark.
5. NYC's neighborhoods also had a few favorite pups: Upper East Siders favor the Havanese, while Chelsea's top dog is the Beagle; Tribeca residents love Portuguese Water Dogs, but Astorians prefer the German Shepherd; people living in Staten Island's New Dorp 'hood are into Labs, and Park Slopers love Pugs.
6. The Golden Retriever is becoming more popular in New York, rising from 9th place last year to number five this year.
7. Bigger breeds have been on the rise for the past five years. "As the economy has improved, people are turning back to the big dogs they love, which cost more to feed and care for than the smaller breeds that saw a rise in popularity in 2007 and 2008," AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson said in a press release.
8. Show dogs can have two names: Their registered name and a simpler call name (for example, the Best in Show winner of the 2009 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show's registered name was CH Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot, while her call name was Sadie). There are a whole slew of regulations a dog's registered name must fit. (Photo by Erin McCarthy.)
9. Even as puppies, German Shepherds have really big paws. This fuzzy little pup's owner said that she'll be around 75 pounds when she's fully grown. (Photo by Erin McCarthy.)
10. Beagles don't drool!
