The Top 10 Dog Breeds -
By Popularity and Intelligence

By Becky Turner

Discuss This Article at our Sheltie Forums

What are the top 10 dog breeds in America - and do Shelties feature in this list?

It depends how you measure it. The most common methods are by popularity among pet owners (judged by dog registrations) and by intelligence.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes 167 dog breeds, each boasting unique qualities. Interestingly, the average person can only identify about 10% of dog breeds, while dog lovers may recognize around 25%.

The truth is, Americans are not presented with a huge variety of dog breed choices, and there remains a select bunch of common breeds which remain most popular...

What Are The Top 10 Dog Breeds?

Top 10 Dog Breeds - By Popularity

Here are the top ten dog breeds in 2010, ranked by popularity among pet owners, based on dog registrations with the American Kennel Club:

1. Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador, or Lab for short) is one of several kinds of retriever and a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets, and their use as hunting companions gave them the name retriever. Labrador Retrievers are loving, loyal and compassionate. The Labrador is the now most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the UK, and the USA.

2. German Shepherd

The German Shepherd Dog (or Alsatian) is a large dog breed that originated in Germany. It is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding group, it is a working dog developed originally for herding and guarding sheep. Because of its strength, intelligence and obedience training it is often employed in police and military roles around the world. Loyal and protective nature, German Shepherds are the second most popular dog in America today.

3. Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed developed in England in the 19th century to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its small size (less than 7.03 lbs or 3.2 kg) and its silky blue and tan coat. The breed is nicknamed Yorkie and is placed in the Toy Group or Companion Group by many kennel clubs. A winning show dog and a popular companion dog, the Yorkshire terrier has been used to develop other breeds, such as the Australian Silky Terrier.

4. Beagle

The Beagle is a small to medium-sized dog breed. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed for tracking hare, rabbit and other game, and are used as detection dogs for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine. Beagles are intelligent and are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.

5. Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth and have an instinctive love of water. The Golden Retriever has a dense inner coat to keep it warm, and a sleek outer coat that is water repellent. They are used as guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for deaf people, hunting dogs, illegal drug detectors, and search and rescue participants. Loyal and with a gentle temperament, Golden Retrievers are popular family pets.

6. Bulldog

The Bulldog (also known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog) is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. It has characteristically thick shoulders and a matching head, typically weighing around 45 lbs. While some dog breeds have their tails docked after birth, Bulldogs are one of the few breeds whose tail is naturally short. Other bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog and the French Bulldog.

7. Boxer

Developed in Germany, the Boxer is a stocky, medium size, short-haired dog breed. The coat is smooth and fawn, brindled, white, or even reverse brindled with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic (they have broad, short skulls), with a square muzzle, an under bite, very strong jaws and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser breed.

8. Daschund

The Dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the Hound family, and a possible ancestor of the Shetland Sheepdog. The standard size Dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the Miniature Dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits. In the American West they have also been used to hunt prairie dogs. There are long and short-haired variations of the breed.

9. Poodle

The Standard Poodle is regarded as the second most intelligent breed of dog after the Border Collie, and before the German Shepherd. The Poodle breed is found officially in toy, miniature, and standard sizes, with many coat colors. Originally bred as a type of water dog, the Poodle is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding. Poodles are elegant in the conformation ring, having taken top honors in many shows.

10. Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is a small dog breed with long silky hair. This ancient breed originated in China and was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969. It has a short muzzle and large deep dark eyes, with a soft long, double coat, the Shih Tzu stands no more than 10.5 in (26.7 cm) at the withers. Drop ears are covered with long fur, and the heavily furred tail is carried curled over the back. The coat may be of any color, although a blaze of white on the forehead and tail-tip is common.

Wondering where our dear Sheltie friends feature on the AKC's dog breeds list? The Shetland Sheepdog comes in at #19, while the Collie comes in at #38.

Top 10 Dog Breeds - By Intelligence

What Are The Top 10 Smartest Dog Breeds?

So the Shetland Sheepdog doesn't feature in the top ten most popular dog breeds... But they are in the top ten for intelligence. Here's a quick rundown of the top 10 smartest dog breeds in the world:

1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillion
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

Thanks to its Collie ancestry, the Shetland Sheepdog makes a surprisingly intelligent small dog breed, which excels in agility and obedience and is easy to train with the correct dog training methods. However, a smart dog also needs lots of stimulation and must not be left cooped up for hours, or they will indulge in obsessive and even destructive behaviors. Border Collies are especially known for this!