Top Dog: Why Americans love Labrador retrievers.
Not too long ago, Labrador retrievers
were considered a tad exotic. In the 1950s, the sporty mid-size breed
was a suburban rarity, popular mainly among upper-crust Anglophiles who
liked the idea of owning a dignified hunting dog. Today, however, Labs
are the Levi’s jeans of purebred dogs. They’ve topped the American
Kennel Club’s list of registered canines for 12 years straight. And not just topped, but dominated: The number of registered Labs is nearly three times the number of golden retrievers, the second most popular dog on the list.
