Labrador retriever fetches top dog spot in U.S.
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Happy National Dog Day to all the good boys and girls out there — including a breed that Americans truly labr-adore.
The big picture: The Labrador retriever is the top dog breed in the U.S., according to a new U.S. News & World Report analysis.
The fine print: The annual report relies on pet insurance data, so it doesn't account for all dogs in the country.
- Last year, the Chihuahua was No. 1, but analysts had separated "Labs" (then No. 2) and "black Labs" (then No. 10) into separate categories. This year, the Labrador category includes Labs of all colors.
The national ranking:
- Labrador retriever
- Chihuahua
- Golden retriever
- American pit bull terrier
- German shepherd
- French bulldog
- Goldendoodle
- Shih tzu
- Yorkshire terrier
- Dachshund
Between the lines: It's tricky to track mutt popularity.
- The study counted "mixed breed," "pit bull," and labels like "German shepherd mix" as separate categories. The goldendoodle was the only mixed breed to crack the top 10.
Zoom out: At the state level, there are some other top dogs.
What we're watching: Dachshunds have seen a recent rise in popularity: They made their debut on the top 10 list this year after also reaching their highest American Kennel Club breed ranking in 20 years.
