French bulldogs. U.S. dog owners. C含羞草研究社檈st l含羞草研究社檃mour.

Frenchies remained the United States含羞草研究社� most commonly registered purebred dogs last year, according to American Kennel Club rankings released Wednesday. The club calls the Frenchie the most popular breed, though other canine constituencies may beg to differ.

Is it a coup to be celebrated? Au contraire, say longtime fans who rue what popularity is doing to the breed. Nevertheless, after lapping Labrador retrievers to , the bat-eared, scaled-down bulldogs held on in the new standings, which reflect puppies and other dogs that were added last year to the United States含羞草研究社� oldest dog registry.

Meanwhile, dachshunds are at a nearly two-decade peak, the cane corso is making moves, and there含羞草研究社檚 a new breed in the mix.

Of course, purebreds are only part of the canine population in the U.S., where animal of all sorts of dogs last year. Here含羞草研究社檚 a snapshot:

TOP 10

After Frenchies, the most common breeds registered were Labs, golden retrievers, German shepherds and poodles. Then came dachshunds, bulldogs, beagles, Rottweilers and German shorthaired pointers.

All were also in the top 10 in 2022. A decade ago, Yorkshire terriers and boxers were in the group. Go back a half-century, and the third most popular breed was the Irish setter 含羞草研究社� now 76th.

Pooch preferences shift for reasons ranging from (social and otherwise) to changing lifestyles as more Americans have moved to cities.

The statistics have limits. Registration is voluntary, the AKC releases few raw numbers, and the popularity rankings measure only the club含羞草研究社檚 roughly 200 recognized breeds. They don含羞草研究社檛 include doodles, other deliberate hybrids or everyday mixed-breed dogs, though those can be registered as 含羞草研究社渁ll-American dogs含羞草研究社� for such sports as and .

THE FRENCHIE MALAISE

Nearly 98,500 French bulldogs joined the AKC pack last year, after a whopping 108,000 in 2022.

The small, solidly built, push-faced dogs have a penchant for comically pensive expressions and often take city living in stride. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e interesting little beings,含羞草研究社� says Naneice Bucci, who has owned and shown them for decades.

The breed is now are a lightning rod for .

There are the foreshortened snouts that can result in labored breathing, gagging, difficulty with exercise and other ills 含羞草研究社� concerns that prompted the Netherlands to ban breeding certain individual dogs with muzzles deemed too short. There are pet-store heists and violent robberies, at least . There含羞草研究社檚 a proliferation of Frenchies with unusual coat colors and textures, which have over longtime standards.

And there含羞草研究社檚 concern among long-timers that the hot market for puppies is incentivizing people who are in it for greed, not the breed.

To Bucci, 含羞草研究社渋t含羞草研究社檚 a very scary time.含羞草研究社�

As a 含羞草研究社減reservation breeder含羞草研究社� who follows AKC standards and conducts a battery of internationally recommended health tests before her dogs reproduce, she dreads that breeders who don含羞草研究社檛 do likewise may lead to crackdowns on everyone. And as a founder of Nevada French Bulldog Rescue, she also sees 含羞草研究社渁ll of the underbelly of the people who breed indiscriminately.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淓very time we take in a Frenchie that含羞草研究社檚 in terrible condition, yes, I get angry,含羞草研究社� says Bucci, who lives near Reno. 含羞草研究社淏ut at the same time, I don含羞草研究社檛 want to be punished for trying to do it right.含羞草研究社�

DACHSHUND REDUX

Among other breeds, the unmistakable, low-slung dachshund is riding high at No. 6, its highest ranking since 2004. The dogs ranked as high as third at times in the 1950s-70s.

Their combination of sprightly cuteness, small size and determination 含羞草研究社� they were originally bred to roust badgers 含羞草研究社� . They also have a full-sized bark and a tendency toward stubbornness.

含羞草研究社淓ven though they含羞草研究社檙e small, people have to remember: They are hounds,含羞草研究社� says Carole Krivanich of Milton, Delaware, whose nearly 15-year-old dachshund Mo is an agility and show champion. A longtime Rottweiler owner, she含羞草研究社檚 found dachshunds to be 含羞草研究社渧ery versatile含羞草研究社� and good companions.

ON A COURSE FOR PUP-ULARITY

The cane corso (pronounced CAH含羞草研究社�-neh COOR含羞草研究社�-soh) is now 16th in the rankings, remarkable for a breed the AKC first started counting as recently as 2010. (Perhaps it helped that owners have included such figures as NBA great LeBron James and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback .)

The dogs are praised as protective, trainable and attached to their people. But the strong breed is 含羞草研究社渘ot for somebody that doesn含羞草研究社檛 know how to control a dog,含羞草研究社� AKC spokesperson Brandi Hunter Munden says.

WHO含羞草研究社橲 NEW?

The debuts in the standings at 152nd most popular. But the large, long-eared bird-hunters aren含羞草研究社檛 exactly obscure. Country music power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have shared the antics of their bracchi Italiani (that含羞草研究社檚 the proper plural) on social media. A notched a first-round 含羞草研究社渂est of breed含羞草研究社� win at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show last year.

WHO含羞草研究社橲 FEW?

The was rarest among last year含羞草研究社檚 registrations. Sometimes called Arabian greyhounds, the fleet, somewhat shy dogs .

GIMME SHELTER

While dogs from affenpinschers to Xoloitzcuintlis were bred last year, U.S. animal shelters were already . Shelters and rescue groups took in about 3.2 million dogs, while 2.2 million dogs were adopted, according to Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit that gathers shelter data.

There含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁 need for a renewed effort to make adoption a priority for the community,含羞草研究社� says the group含羞草研究社檚 executive director, Stephanie Filer. Shelters have a wide variety of dogs to offer, including specific breeds, she notes.

Hunter Munden, the AKC含羞草研究社檚 spokesperson, has two rescue dogs and a purebred herself.

含羞草研究社淩escue is wonderful,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淗owever, we do understand that people want specific characteristics to fit their lifestyle, when it comes to dog ownership, and that含羞草研究社檚 where purebred dogs come in.含羞草研究社�

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