Poodles claim spot in top 5 most popular dogs for first time since 1997

Poodles are officially rising in popularity

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Poodles are currently making a comeback, as they are now in the top five of American Kennel Club’s list of most popular dogs, for the first time in over two decades.

American Kennel Club released their annual popularity ranking on 15 March, with 197 dog breeds included on the list.

Ranging from Labrador Retrievers to German Shepherds, many beloved best friends once again made it to the top 10. In fact, labs have been ranked number one on the list for 31 years, since they took the top place in 1991.

However, this isn’t to say that labs are the only breed that receives a lot of love. This year, poodles are officially rising to the occasion, after falling in popularity.

From 1960 to 1982, poodles were at the top of the list of most popular breeds. More recently, they’ve gradually made their way up again, as they were ranked number eight in 2013 and number six by 2020.

In AKC’s most recent statistics, poodles have now claimed the fifth spot, breaking into the top five for the first time since 1997.

Outside of the show ring, poodles can be quite affectionate. As noted by AKC, poodles are considered very “lovey-dovey” with humans and are “good with children,” which makes it no surprise that they are one of America’s favourite pets.

In between labs and poodles, French bulldogs were ranked as the second most popular breeds in the US, with Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds in the third and fourth spot.

The rest of the dog breeds on this year’s top 10 list include: bulldogs, beagles, rottweilers, German shorthaired pointers, and dachshunds.