The American Kennel Club announced its nationwide registration statistics today, revealing that for the 20th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in America.

Though there were a couple of shake-ups in the top 10, no breed was able to unseat the perennial top dog. For the 20th consecutive year, the much-beloved Labrador retriever leads the pack when it comes to registrations.


According to the American Kennel Club these were the most popular dog breeds in 2010:

The AKC’s Most Popular Dogs in 2010

1. Labrador retriever
2. German shepherd
3. Yorkshire terrier
4. Beagle
5. Golden retriever
6. Bulldog
7. Boxer
8. Dachshund
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu

Outside of the top 10, the AKC spotted a few other trends emerging from the past decade of breed statistics. For example, the French bulldog has undergone a renaissance in the last 10 years, jumping 50 spots — from 71st to 21st! Likewise, the diminutive Havanese jumped from 86th to 31st place.

In addition, the AKC expanded its litter of registered breeds on January 1 to welcome the Norwegian Lundehund, the Xoloitzcuintli and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog – growing next year’s list of Most Popular Breeds to 170 dogs.