The most popular dog breeds of 2019

The most popular dog breeds of 2019 wraps up with the top dogs of them all.

No. 2 – German Shepherd

Group: Herding Group

2018 rank – No. 2

2019 British rank – No. 8

The German Shepherd is among the best guard dogs out there, which is part of why they’re instantly associated with police work. But they can also make great family pets, as staff dog Emma or Dog Twitter’s PeytonReads can demonstrate.

Some drawbacks can be that they are extremely vocal and mouthy, which won’t work too well if you live in a city apartment, for example. But they do well in rural areas, as they originally were herding dogs, which is why they’re (really oddly on first glance) placed into the Herding Group.

Also, arguably the most famous onscreen canine ever, silent movie star Rin Tin TIn, was a German Shepherd, so that’s pretty impressive.

No. 1 – Labrador Retriever

Group: Sporting Group

2018 rank – No. 1

2019 British rank – No. 1

How can you not love the Labrador Retriever? They’re pretty much the perfect dog – if you’re into hunting, they’re down to help, if you prefer chilling on the couch, they excel at that. They are often used as guide dogs, and they’re fantastic at everything dog sports from flyball to agility to dock diving.

They’ve inspired books by authors like John Grogan (Marley and Me) and Jon Katz, and often work in public spaces in airports doing important work like scent detection, since they’re generally friendly and non-threatening. They love to please people and are fairly smart, which makes them easy to train, and even their stuffed animal versions are extremely popular – they were by far the most popular Webkinz animal, not just dog, in the late 2000s.

Basically, they’re the best breed ever, which is why they’ve led the most popular dog breeds lists for the past thirty years, which is about 170 years in dog years.

So, there you have it – the most popular dog breeds of 2019. Which one is your favorite? Were you surprised by any of the rankings?