--- description: The Labrador Retriever snagged the top spot again in the American Kennel Club’s latest ranking of most popular dog breeds. title: Labrador Retriever Is Still the Most Popular Dog Breed in America image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01cecce055d39058/6988bf32cd1bba349e704614/labrador.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [animals](/tag/animals/) ## animals Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Labrador Retriever Is Still the Most Popular Dog Breed in America  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 21, 2017 2:13 PM CUT  A yellow Labrador Retriever dog smiles as it lays on a wooden bench outdoors on a sunny day. A yellow Labrador Retriever dog smiles as it lays on a wooden bench outdoors on a sunny day.Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 21, 2017 2:13 PM CUT The [Labrador Retriever](http://time.com/4232356/labrador-retrievers-most-popular-breed/ "undefined") kept its title as top dog in the country, snagging the highest ranking in the American Kennel Club’s [latest list](http://www.akc.org/content/news/articles/the-labrador-retriever-wins-top-breed-for-the-26th-year-in-a-row/ "undefined") of most popular dog breeds. It’s the [26th consecutive year](http://time.com/3724199/most-popular-dog-in-america/ "undefined") that the Lab has claimed the top spot on the list, according to [AKC registration statistics](http://www.akc.org/content/entertainment/articles/7-reasons-the-lab-is-so-popular/ "undefined"). The AKC said Tuesday that the Labrador Retriever has continued to win over hearts because it’s a smart, athletic and family-friendly dog. “The Labrador Retriever has a strong hold on the top spot, and doesn’t show signs of giving it up anytime soon,” AKC Vice President Gina DiNardo said in a statement. “The Lab is such a versatile dog that it’s no wonder it makes a great companion for a variety of lifestyles.” The Labrador Retriever is trailed by the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever. The AKC said the Rottweiler, which came in eighth, has been slowly climbing the ranks in the last decade. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4707809/labrador-retriever-most-popular-dog-breed-akc/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4707809/labrador-retriever-most-popular-dog-breed-akc/"},"headline":"Labrador Retriever Is Still the Most Popular Dog Breed in America","datePublished":"2017-03-21T14:13:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:49:02.266Z","description":"It's the top dog for the 26th consecutive year","url":"https://time.com/4707809/labrador-retriever-most-popular-dog-breed-akc/","keywords":["animals","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01cecce055d39058/6988bf32cd1bba349e704614/labrador.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01cecce055d39058/6988bf32cd1bba349e704614/labrador.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Labrador Retriever Dog Smiles on Bench Outdoors","caption":"Labrador Retriever Dog Smiles on Bench Outdoors","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4707809/labrador-retriever-most-popular-dog-breed-akc/","name":"Labrador Retriever Is Still the Most Popular Dog Breed in America"}}]}] ```