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The following is a press release from the American
Kennel Club announcing the top dogs in America according to 2004
registration statistics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 12, 2005
LABRADOR RETRIEVER TOPS ACCORDING TO AKC'S 2004
REGISTRATION STATISTICS – Small Breeds Continue to Make Largest
Percentage Gains over Past Decade.
New York, NY - For the 15th consecutive year, the
Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America,
according to registration figures released today by the American Kennel
Club (AKC). Nearly three times as many Labs were registered in 2004 as
any other breed.
The AKC released the figures in conjunction with
the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Tampa, Fla. on January 15th
and 16th. The event will give the public the opportunity to view all 153
breeds registered by the AKC – from the universally loved Lab
(#1) to the lesser known English Foxhound (#153) – In a
two-night live simulcast on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel,
beginning at 8pm both nights.
Golden Retrievers came in behind the Lab, followed
by German Shepherds, Beagles, and Yorkshire Terriers to round out the
top five spots. In 2004, the German Shepherd reclaimed third place by
displacing the Beagle, which held that position in 2003. The Yorkshire
Terrier also edged out the Dachshund this year, reclaiming its former
position as the fifth most popular dog.
The top 10 most popular dogs in 2004 are:
1. Labrador Retriever (146,692)
2. Golden Retriever (52,550)
3. German Shepherd Dog (46,046)
4. Beagle (44,555)
5. Yorkshire Terrier (43,522)
6. Dachshund (40,770)
7. Boxer (37,741)
8. Poodle (32,671)
9. Shih Tzu (28,958)
10. Chihuahua (24,850)
At the other end of the list, the English Foxhound
is again the least-registered purebred dog (17 registrations) followed
by the Otter hound (23), American Foxhound (42), Sussex Spaniel
(45) and Harrier (53).
In 2004, the AKC registered 153 different breeds
– including the newly recognized Black Russian Terrier, Glen of Imaal
Terrier and Neapolitan Mastiff – for a total of nearly one million
dogs (958,272) and 437,437 litters.
Registrations increased or remained the same in
2004 for 107 breeds, including the French Bulldog (+53%), Havanese (+37
%) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (+34%).
Some lesser-known breeds also saw significant increases in AKC
registrations, particularly the Anatolian Shepherd (+83%), which entered
the registry in 1996. The Spinone Italiano (+36%) and the Curly-Coated
Retriever (+44%) also experienced substantial growth.
"Whether the Ibizan Hound in 2003 or the
Anatolian Shepherd this year, it's great to see relatively rare breeds
increasing in popularity," said Gina Lash, spokesperson for the AKC.
"It indicates that people are becoming more aware of the
diversity within purebred dogs and selecting a pet that best fits their
lifestyle, which is the ideal first step in becoming a responsible dog
owner."
A Decade of Dogs
Despite the fact that the top three most popular
dogs in 2004 are large dogs, over the past 10 decades, the popularity of
small dogs has steadily risen. Breeds showing the most significant
increases in registrations since 1994 are mostly small dogs such as the
French Bulldog (increase of 252%), Brussels Griffon (234%), Chinese
Crested (134%), Staffordshire Bull Terrier (120%), and the Papillon
(122%). Conversely, some breeds with the largest declines in the past
ten years are Dalmatians (-98%), Chow Chows (-93%), Rottweilers (-83%)
and Akitas (-72%).
On the Other Side of the Pond
The AKC's counterpart in the U.K., the Kennel Club,
recently released their national statistics, which show that the
Labrador Retriever also reigns in England. As in the U.S., there are
almost three times as many Labs registered as any other breed. Together
with the Lab, the English Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer
Spaniel - ranked 75th and 28th respectively in the U.S. – round out
the top three spots.
The top 10 most popular dogs in England are:
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Cocker Spaniel (English)
3. English Springer Spaniel
4. German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian)
5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
7. Golden Retriever
8. West Highland White Terrier
9. Boxer
10. Border Terrier
A complete listing of 2004 registration statistics
is available on the AKC web site at http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm
and will be published in the March issue of the AKC Gazette. For more
information about the Kennel Club of the U.K., go to http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/
The American Kennel Club (AKC), founded in 1884, is
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred
dogs. The AKC maintains the
largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, oversees the sport of
purebred dogs in the United States, and along with its 4,500 licensed
and member clubs, educates the general public about responsible dog
ownership. More than 16,000 competitions for purebred dogs are held
under AKC rules each year, including conformation, agility, obedience,
tracking, herding, lure coursing, hunt tests, and field and earthdog
trials. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health
Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog.
For more information, visit www.akc.org. |
