The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Leaders of the pack
Labs still lead but French bulldogs leap in popularity in U.S.
NEW YORK » Americans still love Labrador retrievers, but the nation’s flirtation with French bulldogs has reached new heights.
Labs remain the country’s most popular purebred dog for a 27th year, while German shepherds and golden retrievers have hung onto the second and third spots in new American Kennel Club rankings released Wednesday.
But Frenchies hit a highest-ever No. 4, and German shorthaired pointers cracked the top 10 for the first time.
THE REST OF THE TOP 10
The bulldog is fifth, after notching a record No. 4 ranking last year. Sixth through 10th are the beagle, the poodle, the Rottweiler, the Yorkshire terrier and the German shorthaired pointer.
Initially bred for hunting, the handsome, athletic “GSP” is increasingly visible as a bomb-sniffing dog and in agility and other canine sports. A GSP also won the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 2016.
“They’re a dog that will do anything you want, except lay around,” says Jeffrey Drogin, a longtime owner in New York.
The versatile, sociable Lab has had the longest-ever reign as top dog. It broke the record in 2013.
But you can’t beat the beagle for consistency. It’s the only breed to make the top 10 for every decade since the AKC’s 1884 founding.
THE FRENCHIE SURGE
The French bulldog has bolted from 76th to fourth in just 20 years. It previously peaked at sixth in the 1910s and again in 2015-2016.
Frenchie aficionados appreciate the interest but worry that it’s drawing unscrupulous breeders and under-informed owners.
“It scares me that because it’s popular, everybody wants it. But not every family is right for a French bulldog,” says Kerry Boyd, a Natick, Massachusetts-based dog handler who breeds Frenchies.
The downsized bulldogs with the pointed ears and funny expressions have become favorites of city dwellers who value compact, relatively quiet dogs. They’ve enjoyed exposure from movies, ads and celebrity owners. The late Carrie Fisher’s Frenchie even inspired an alien creature in last year’s “Star Wars: The