French bulldog

Move over, Labrador Retrievers. The American Kennel Club says there's a new top dog in town -- the cute and compact French Bulldog.

- Bulldogs The AKC recognizes 200 dog breeds. This has led some veterinarians to warn [against buying such dogs](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/15/health/english-bulldogs-scn-scli-intl-gbr/index.html), which have been bred to exhibit such characteristics. Flat-faced breeds, which include the English Bulldog and Pugs, are particularly French Bulldogs aren’t typically prone to barking and don’t need as much exercise as larger dogs, making them a good fit for those living in apartments or smaller homes. [the American Kennel Club’s 2022 registration statistics](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/most-popular-dog-breeds-2022/).

After more than three decades as the most popular dog breed in the US, the Labrador retriever has been dethroned.

They have a typical life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, which is [on the shorter end](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10341-6). Per the [favored target for thieves](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/us/french-bulldog-armed-robbery.html) who then resell the animals. Even [Lady Gaga’s two Frenchies were stolen](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/lady-gaga-dog-walker-shot-stolen?bfsource=relatedmanual) (and eventually [recovered](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonwells/lady-gaga-dogs-safely-returned?bfsource=relatedmanual)) in a violent 2021 incident in which her dog walker was shot. “These results identified ultra-predispositions with worryingly higher odds in French Bulldogs for several disorders, suggesting that the health of French Bulldogs has diverged substantially from, and may be lower than, the health of the wider non-French Bulldog population,” the study found. The breed can be a controversial one. The dogs can’t swim, because of their front-heavy build. But the Frenchies’ popularity comes at a price. “I think COVID kind of helped increasing the popularity of smaller breeds that are good for apartments.” (The assailant was subsequently [sentenced to 21 years in prison](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/lady-gaga-dog-walker-shooter-prison).) “They think they’re big dogs. “They’re a big dog in a small dog package,” he added.

There's a new top dog in town, and we mean that quite literally. For three decades straight, the Labrador Retriever was named the favorite dog breed by the ...

“The French Bulldog doesn’t naturally breed because of the size and the structure of the dog,” Dowdell said. The French Bulldog and the English Bulldog.” America has gone French, and the new fan fave is the French Bulldog. Butttttttttttttttt imagine my glee when I was assigned to the story Wednesday (March 15) that the French Bulldog is now America’s No.1 dog, and I got to go to the home of a Metro Detroit breeder. “If I was sitting on the couch, Ladybug would hop on the couch with me,” Dowdell said. His full belief is that I’ll get busy with work, forget the dog is in my purse, and he’ll be the one to clean up the mess.