The AKC Most Popular Dog List Is Out–What’s Illinois’ Pick?

"The more things change, the more they stay the same" is a perfect description of the American Kennel Club's (AKC) annual announcement of the most popular dog breeds in America.

If you want the dog voted most popular for the last 31 consecutive years, you've got some choices...sort of.

Black lab, Chocolate lab, Yellow lab...you get the idea.

Getty Images

31 Years And Going Strong, The Labrador Retriever Is America's Favorite...But Not Necessarily In Illinois

It's gotten to the point that when the AKC list of the most popular dogs rolls out each year, most of the interest about which dogs fill out the list after Labradors take the number-one spot again.

Here's how the AKC ranks the top ten most popular dog breeds:

Labrador Retriever
French Bulldog
Golden Retriever
German Shepherd
Poodle
Bulldog
Beagle
Rottweiler
German Shorthaired Pointer
Dachshund

Rottweiler, Getty Images

German Shepherd, Getty Images

Golden Retriever, Getty Images

Determining Which Dog Breed Is Illinois' Favorite Depends On Who You Ask

It took a bit of searching around, but I found a few places that have looked into what we Illinoisans prefer when it comes to dog breeds. The problem is, none of the various sources seem to agree with each other.

Chihuahua puppies, Getty Images

WagWalking.com has the Golden Retriever, the Golden Doodle, and the Chihuahua at numbers 1-3 in Illinois.

Golden Doodles, Getty Images

ReadersDigest.com, in their rundown of the most popular dog breeds state-by-state, has Labradors atop the Illinois favorites, followed by Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds. They also say that French Bulldogs and Doberman Pinschers are climbing the charts.

French Bulldog puppy, Getty Images

IHeart.com gives the nod for Illinois' favorite dog breed to the French Bulldog. Looking no farther than my own backyard, I find the favorite breed at my house is the Weimaraner--of which we have two, Buddy and Lucy:

Buddy Weim, Riley O'Neil, Townsquare Media

Lucy Weim, Riley O'Neil, Townsquare Media

RANKED: Here Are the 63 Smartest Dog Breeds

Does your loyal pup's breed make the list? Read on to see if you'll be bragging to the neighbors about your dog's intellectual prowess the next time you take your fur baby out for a walk. Don't worry: Even if your dog's breed doesn't land on the list, that doesn't mean he's not a good boy--some traits simply can't be measured.