New Top Dog Surpasses The English Bulldog As LA's Favorite

LOS ANGELES, CA — The French bulldog is the most popular breed of pooch in Los Angeles, as well as in New York City and Honolulu, the American Kennel Club announced Wednesday in releasing its latest rankings of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S.

"The French bulldog has taken the country by storm," said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. "The Frenchie has unseated its English cousin the bulldog as the number one most popular in Los Angeles, a spot it has held for many years."

The bulldog fell to the number two spot, with Labrador retriever, golden retriever and German shepherd rounding out the top five favorite breeds among Angelenos, according to the AKC, which tracks registration data nationwide by ZIP codes.

After landing in L.A.'s top five in 2016, Yorkshire terriers fell to ninth in 2017. German shepherds fell one spot to number five.

The AKC announced its nationwide rankings in a news conference at its New York City headquarters. The family-friendly Labrador retriever held onto the number one spot on the most popular list for a record-breaking 27th consecutive year. But the big mover and shaker in 2017 was the French bulldog breed, which jumped two spots to number four and knocked beagles out of the top five for the first time since 1998.

The number two most popular breed nationwide was the German shepherd, followed by golden retriever at number three and bulldog at number five.

City News Service; Freddie, a two-year-old French bulldog (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)