DogBoston’s Dog Blog

The AKC pushed out a press release with some interesting stats regarding Boston dog ownership versus the rest of the country. Although AKC honored the rise of the bulldog as a key data point in their findings (bulldogs made their way into the Top 10 registered breeds both nationally and locally), I found it more interesting that the friendly beagle… a truly “mid-sized dog” fell from 4th to 26th. I also was shocked to learned that the Pomeranian and Yorkshire Terriers toy breeds were so popular. Not surprised that the black Lab is the most popular breed in the country.

Here’s the stats:

BOSTON 2007

1. Labrador Retriever

2. German Shepherd

3. Yorkshire Terrier

4. Golden Retriever

5. Boxer

6. Bulldog

7. Pug

8. Dachshund

9. Poodle

10. Pomeranian

NATIONWIDE 2007

1. Labrador Retriever

2. Yorkshire Terrier

3. German Shepherd

4. Golden Retriever

5. Beagle

6. Boxer

7. Dachshund

8. Poodle

9. Shih Tzu

10. Bulldog

Remember all of this data comes from AKC registration stats - many of which don’t get reported… so with all of this information… what surprises you? Anything?

Other data points:

• The Bulldog’s national increase in popularity was reflected in Boston where it rose from 8th to 6th place.
• The tiny Yorkshire Terrier marched from 6th place to 3rd on the local list.
• The Beagle took a tumble in Beantown, falling from the 4th spot on the 2006 list to 23rd this year.
• Equally surprising was the surge in popularity of the Pomeranian—this tiny but formidable toy breed leapt all the way from 23rd to the 10th on Boston’s list.
• The Boston Terrier ranks 18th on this year’s local list, down from the 11th spot in 2006.

“Boston’s list mirrored the national top ten with the exception of the Pomeranian and Pug,” said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “These two toy breeds make great pets for cosmopolitan dog owners who want canine companionship in a small package.”