Labrador retrievers ranked first in the American Kennel Club’s 2016 ranking of its recognized breeds.
Once again, the Labrador retriever took Seattle’s top spot in the American Kennel Club’s 2016 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the United States.
The Lab was also recognized as the top pup in Raleigh, Washington, D.C., and Dallas.
The Havanese rose in the Seattle ranks, jumping from 12th to fifth, while the poodle fell out of favor, dropping from fifth to eighth.
“The Lab may be number one in Seattle, but 2016 was the year of the Havanese,” said AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo. “The outgoing, funny little dog broke into the top five and shows no signs of stopping.”
The five most popular breeds in Seattle for 2016 were Labrador retriever, golden retriever, German shepherd, French bulldog and Havanese.
The AKC also announced its nationwide rankings Tuesday. The intelligent, family-friendly Labrador retriever firmly held onto the top spot for a record-breaking 26th consecutive year.
But the Rottweiler has been slowly moving up the list over the past decade. It was the eighth-most-popular breed in 2016, its highest ranking since landing in second place in 1997.
Most popular breeds nationwide 2016: Labrador retriever, German shepherd, golden retriever, bulldog and beagle.