It's hard to keep up with the changing trends in fashion -- one year skirts are short, the next they are long. Well, when it comes to dogs, people's tastes are just as fickle.
A few years back, celebrities like Paris Hilton (and her chihuahua Tinkerbell) made tiny toy dogs, also known as "purse dogs," all the rage.
More recently, "designer dogs" have become the hot new thing. These hybrids are the result of crossing two different purebred dogs, some of the more popular combinations being labradoodles (Labrador retriever/poodle), porkies (pug/yorkie), cockapoos (cocker spaniel/poodle), schnoodles (schnauzer/poodle) and puggles (pug/beagle).
Many designer dogs have a poodle in the mix because they are a non-shedding and very intelligent breed, plus they come in three different sizes, making them ideal for crossing with various breeds.
But despite all these canine fashion fads, the majority of North Americans are sticking to more traditional breeds, choosing the good old dog staples when it comes to picking their pup.
According to both the Canadian Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club, the Labrador retriever is the most popular dog in North America (based on the number of dogs registered by these clubs in 2007). And the Lab -- known for its intelligence, and gentle, eager-to-please nature -- has hung on to its first-place spot for eight consecutive years in Canada and a whopping 17 years on the American Kennel Club top 10 list.
In Canada, other familiar favourites are the golden retriever (in second place) and the German shepherd in third. In the U.S., the Yorkshire terrier takes second place on the top dog list, followed by the German shepherd. Golden retrievers are also a popular choice in the U.S., holding on to the fourth spot.
But changing dog choices are being reflected in kennel club registrations. For example, for the first time, the Bernese mountain dog has moved into the Canadian Kennel Club's 2007 top 10 list (at No. 10), bumping the beagle to No. 11.
The bulldog is also increasing in popularity, rising up the list to the 16th position in Canada and No. 10 in the U.S.
Some big breeds on the decline include the Rottweiler and the Dalmatian. During the '90s the Rottweiler placed in the American Kennel Club's top 10, but in recent years, the breed has received a bad rap because if abused or poorly trained, rotties can be extremely aggressive and destructive and a threat to humans and other animals. Dalmations experience an upsurge in popularity every time a new version of the 101 Dalmations movie is released (the last film version came out in 1991), but the dogs are very energetic and require a lot of exercise, causing many people to surrender their dogs to shelters.
Small dogs are steadily working up the American Kennel Club list.
The toy group of dogs has been on the rise since the 1970s (when the breed made up only 12 per cent of the club registry) and now accounts for 23 per cent of dogs registered in the U.S. . Chihuahas, for example, are sprinting up the chart and are now in 20th place on the American Kennel Club list.
But if you really want to be the trendy pet owner at the dog park, then the Havanese is the pooch of choice. A toy dog, the Havenese has become popular mainly because it does not shed and is great for people with allergies. Since 1997, this dog has experienced the greatest surge in popularity of any breed. It ranks 37th on the American Kennel Club list, but since 1997, registration numbers for this breed have increased 994 per cent.
Now that is one hot dog.
FFAS Fundraiser Today:
Friends Fundraising for Animal Shelters is hosting a garage sale today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 97 Hopwood Dr. in Tuxedo (just off West Taylor Blvd.), with proceeds benefiting local no-kill animal shelters.
cheryl.binning@freepress.mb.ca
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