"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.

Portrait of a beautiful dog
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Seven dogs of diverse breeds looking up.
Getty Images
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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:

  1. Labrador Retriever
  2. French Bulldog
  3. Golden Retriever
  4. German Shepherd
  5. Poodle
  6. Bulldog
  7. Beagle
  8. Rottweiler
  9. German Shorthaired Pointer
  10. Dachshund
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Rottweiler, Getty Images
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a german shepherd puppy sitting in a middle of a footpath
German Shepherd, Getty Images
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Photo taken in Milan, Italy
Golden Retriever, Getty Images
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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.

2,5-month-old Chihuahua puppies
Chihuahua puppies, Getty Images
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WagWalking.com has the Golden Retriever, the Golden Doodle, and the Chihuahua at numbers 1-3 in Illinois.

Golden Doodles, Getty Images
Golden Doodles, Getty Images
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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.

A baby french bulldog
French Bulldog puppy, Getty Images
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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
Buddy Weim, Riley O'Neil, Townsquare Media
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Lucy Weim, Riley O'Neil, Townsquare Media
Lucy Weim, Riley O'Neil, Townsquare Media
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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.

 

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