The American Kennel Club has used registration data to compile the list of 2021's most popular breeds. As always, the Labrador Retriever tops the list — this time for the 31st year!
The Labrador Retriever holds the top spot, and this friendly favorite has been No. 1 since 1991. Below, find ranked annual lists of AKC-recognized breeds.
1. Golden Retriever. It's safe to say that this breed is one of the most personable around. Golden Retrievers are always eager to please and have a calm temperament, which means they will be happy to socialise with everyone – even with other pets!
The high price of an Azawakh often stems from its bloodline. They make terrific show dogs and are also very rare. Azawakhs hail from Western Africa where they hunt gazelle, running as long and as fast as they can.
The Samoyed is a pure white sled dog that originated from Siberia. It got its name from the Samoyedic people who once used them to pull their sleds and guard their reindeer. Prices for Samoyed pups vary, but on average, you can expect to pay up to $3,000.
If the price of a dog were based on weight, pound for pound, the Tibetan Mastiff would be a front runner for sure. Case in point, a Red Tibetan Mastiff named Big Splash is the most expensive dog ever sold. His new owner shelled out some $1.5 million to take home a then 11-month-old, 180-pound puppy.
In 2014, a Tibetan mastiff puppy was sold for nearly $2 million in China, according to AFP, which cited a report in Chinese newspaper Qianjiang Evening News. The dog was sold at a premium pet fair in the eastern province of Zhejiang for 12 million yuan, around $1.95 million, to a property developer.
Dating back to the Ice Age, the Norwegian Lundehund is recognised as one of the rarest dog breeds on the planet due to its unique characteristics, which aren't shared by any other breed.
In fact, a golden-haired Tibetan Mastiff puppy was sold Tuesday at a luxury pet fair in China's eastern province of Zhejiang for a whopping $2 million USD. A prominent Chinese property developer and aspiring dog breeder from Qingdao was the lucky bidder.
But among dogs, which are well known for their hybrid (or mongrel) varieties, different breeds can mate and have viable offspring, so they are all found under the umbrella of a single species, Canis familiaris. Dogs are highly unusual in their variation, from the Chihuahua to the Great Dane.
The archaeological record and genetic analysis show the remains of the Bonn-Oberkassel dog buried beside humans 14,200 years ago to be the first undisputed dog, with disputed remains occurring 36,000 years ago.
Most experienced shelter workers will tell you that black dogs are often adopted less than any other coat color. Be it black Labrador Retrievers, Shepherds, Rottweilers, etc., they are often passed over by potential adopters. This discrepancy in adoptions is referred to as “Black Dog Syndrome.”
