BACK BY PUPULAR DEMAND

A Major Shakeup Disrupts Ranking of Favorite U.S. Dog Breeds

American Kennel Club’s latest rankings saw a big surprise in the race for America’s most popular dog.

America’s favorite pup isn’t budging. French bulldogs have once again claimed the top spot as the nation’s most popular dog breed, extending their four-year reign after overtaking the popular Labrador retriever breed, according to new rankings from the American Kennel Club. The real shake-up came further down the list. Dachshunds-the long-bodied, low-riding breed better known as wiener dogs-have surged into the top five for the first time in two decades, landing just behind German shepherds. The unexpected climb marks one of the biggest shifts in this year’s rankings, which track registrations across 202 breeds. At the other end of the spectrum, the Norwegian Lundehund once again ranked as the least popular breed. Despite the Frenchies dominance at the top of the list, researchers found that the compact, bat-eared dog’s popularity is starting to decline. Frenchies still added roughly 54,000 new registrations last year, but that marks a roughly 50 percent slowdown from the previous year. AKC spokesperson Brandi Hunter Munden told the AP that breed popularity often comes in waves, especially in the social media era, and noted that not all breeders participate in the club’s voluntary registry.