After three decades of leadership, the French bulldog dethrones the Labrador retriever as the most popular breed in the U.S.
“To wrest from the Labrador its status as the most popular dog for more than three decades is no small feat,” said the American Kennel Club in the press release in which they presented the list of the most popular dog breeds in the American country, corresponding to the year 2022. And the fact is that the French bulldog has increased its popularity by 1000% in the last decade., rising from 14th in 2012 to first, as stated by AKC, the canine organization that collects data on the breeding and purchasing of purebred dog breeds in the United States.
The explanation for the popularity of this breed, which has seen an increase in demand in general terms worldwide, is easy to recognize: thanks to neoteny, French bulldogs retain youthful traits that make them particularly attractive and arouse tenderness in people, which contributes to their success. It is a breed very adaptable to any environment, Their size is manageable and they do not require much exercise.This makes them desirable for living in the city and not having to devote a lot of effort and time to satisfying their physical activity.
However, this popularity is not without controversy and numerous veterinary and animal welfare associations have long warned of. the specific health problems that brachycephalic breeds develop.. This, on the other hand, does not seem to be adequately understood in view of the results of this ranking and of some studies. In 2020, research led by the Royal Veterinary College stated that 93% of owners of flat-faced dogs would opt for the same breed again.despite having information about the implications for their health. Also, 66% of holders would also recommend these brachycephalic breeds. to others interested in living with a dog. The study included more than 2000 French bulldog, English bulldog and pug owners.
The most popular breeds in Spain and Europe.
While waiting for the Royal Canine Society of Spain to publish the list corresponding to 2022 of the dog breeds preferred by Spaniards, that of 2021 revealed that here the unbeatable German shepherd continues to triumph, followed by the English setter, the Labrador retriever and the poodle, another breed that has been in the top ten for decades in almost all countries. It should be clarified, however, that these data are based on the breed dog registrations in the canine association, and do not take into account the breed dogs that are exchanged, adopted, ceded and the illegal sale and purchase at a private level without pedigree processing.
For Europe as a whole we do not have comparative listings but. Protectivity Insurancea British insurance company, conducted a study measuring the volume of dog breed searches on the Internet for each country. Samples from their research showed that in Spain, the most searched dog breed on the Internet was the border collie.which is compatible with the increase of dogs of this herding breed in our parks. However, this result is far from being representative of the whole continent, where the breed most searched for by surfers of the virtual network is the cane corso, being the most searched for in 12 countries. It is followed by the Rottweiler, the most searched breed in 10 other countries. The French bulldog also occupies the first position in the United Kingdom, which has seen its popularity increase by 38% in the last year.
