For the first time in a generation the U.S. has a new favorite dog breed.
The American Kennel Club announced Wednesday the French Bulldog has ousted Labrador Retrievers as top dog after the latter’s record 31 years at the summit of the public’s affections.
“They’re comical, friendly, loving little dogs,” French Bull Dog Club of America spokesperson Patty Sosa told AP. City-friendly, with modest grooming and exercise needs, she says, “they offer a lot in a small package.”
The Frenchie wasn’t even a top-75 breed a quarter-century ago but has now confounded its critics to claim a place in America’s heart.
Last November it even won over the judges by carrying off the Best in Show award at the 2022 National Dog Show, as Breitbart News reported.
With the fame has come an equal measure of trouble for the breed – and its owners.
The AP report sets out bulldogs have been targeted in thefts including last month’s fatal shooting of a 76-year-old South Carolina breeder and the 2021 shooting of a California dog walker who was squiring singer Lady Gaga’s pets.
Her French Bulldogs were later found and returned unharmed.
Overall the French Bulldog has moved into the number one position in America after climbing the ranks in popularity over the last ten years.
In 2012, the Frenchie was ranked at No. 14. Since then, registrations have increased by over 1,000 percent, bringing this playful breed to the top. French Bulldogs held the No. 2 spot in 2021.
The British Veterinary Association however has urged people not to buy flat-faced breeds such as Frenchies because of the health risks it believes they involve.
The Netherlands has gone further and prohibited breeding very short-snouted dog, and the country’s agriculture minister aims to outlaw even owning them.
Perry Payson wins the National Dog Show with Winston, 3, a French Bulldog, on November 19, 2022 in Oaks, Pennsylvania. (Mark Makela/Getty)
“French bulldogs can be a polarizing topic,” Dr. Carrie Stefaniak, a Glendale, Wisconsin-based veterinarian who’s on the Frenchie club’s health committee told AP.
For all that negativity, the French bulldog is now riding high and ready for a treat to celebrate its place as America’s number one favorite.
Good dog.
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