AKC: Labrador top dog in U.S. for 23rd year

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The American Kennel Club in New York announced the Labrador retriever kept its spot as the United States' top dog for the 23rd year in a row.

The group said its tally of registered canines during the past year indicates the Labrador is the most popular breed in the country for the 23rd consecutive year, followed by the German shepherd, the golden retriever, the beagle and the bulldog.

The Yorkshire terrier, boxer, poodle, Rottweiler and dachshund rounded out the AKC's top 10.

Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the AKC, said the group has noticed some correlation between dog ownership and the economy.

"Owning bigger breeds -- an economic indicator of sorts -- have been on the rise during the past five years," Peterson said. "As the economy has improved, people are turning back to the big dogs they love, which cost more to feed and care for than the smaller breeds that saw a rise in popularity in 2007 and 2008."