Comments on: AKC's Top Ten is Bull

By: Caveat

Caveat — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The APBT is the most popular registered purebred dog in the USA, outstripping the Lab quite considerably with over 200,000 registrations annually (ADBA, UKC, AADR). Some of those are international but most are in the US. (Source: ADBA)

Over 75% of all dogs are, of course, mutts, so it gives you an idea of how many dogs there really are in North America.

The AKC top ten is just that - the AKC top ten.

And Jan is right, popularity is the kiss of death for a breed.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:19:00 +0000

Yeah, pit bulls are way way up there. They are the UKC's #2 breed. According to BadRap back in 2006 the ADBA registered 200,000 pit bulls a year. And those are just the dogs who are registered.

Sigh.

I wouldn't wish popularity on any breed.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:55:00 +0000

Yeah, I’ve seen at least 5 to 1 Pitts versus Bull Dogs, and I live in a Denver suburb, so there’s already a suppression of pibbles as it is.

By: dogstaracademy

dogstaracademy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:51:00 +0000

I’d agree with the other ocmmenters about the benefits of obscurity, but I’d also suspect that there are very, very large populations of unregistered dogs of many other breeds. And while I couldn’t find any stats in a quick google (it’s 2AM, my brain is not good with search terms), I’d bet that UKC’s and ADBA’s pibble registrations quite possibly would put them in the top 10 as well.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:28:00 +0000

Oh I couldn't agree more. It's actually a very good thing that the BCs are under the radar of the AKC's list. I don't think the breed needs a higher profile.

And despite the political snarkyness I brought to the Dear Mr. Obama post, I did mention the very real downside of what greater exposure for a breed can bring.

You do have to wonder though, when you read these reports (from all kinds of sources), what glaring errors exist, like the missing BCs in this one. Anyone who doesn't realize the one small detail that it's AKC registrations and that those aren't really representative, would be mislead.

By: jan

jan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:36:00 +0000

Being “popular” is not a good thing for a breed unfortunately when it brings out the impulse buyers and puppy mills.