DAILY DIRT: ‘Frenchies’ are the new favorite kind of dogs for Americans

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024

Milo, Luna are the favorite dog names … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,125 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Sorry, Labrador lovers. But the streak has ended.

Those sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retrievers no longer rank as America’s favorite dog breed. Labs have been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldogs as America’s favorite pet.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years the Labrador Retriever was the nation’s favorite dog — but they have been eclipsed by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 newly registered dogs, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. 

The French Bulldog’s popularity has grown exponentially over the past decade-plus. They were ranked No. 14 back in 2012.

The growing popularity of the Frenchie is partly based on several celebrities who have gone public with their love of the breed, most notably Leonardo DiCaprio, Megan Thee Stallion, Reese Witherspoon and Lady Gaga.

Here are the AKC’s top 10 most popular breeds in 2024:

• 1. French Bulldog.
• 2. Labrador Retriever.
• 3. Golden Retriever.
• 4. German Shepherd.
• 5. Standard Poodle.
• 6. Dachsund.
• 7. Bulldog.
• 8. Beagle.
• 9. Rottweiler.
• 10. German Shorthaired Pointer.

The AKC says that the American Hairless Terrier, Gordon Setter, Italian Greyhound and Anatolian Shepherd Dog have also grown in popularity.

Also according to the AKC, here are the most popular names for dogs:

Males

• 1. Milo
• 2. Max
• 3. Teddy
• 4. Charlie
• 5. Cooper
• 6. Bear
• 7. Toby
• 8. Finn
• 9. Tucker
• 10. Ollie

Females

• 1. Luna
• 2. Bella
• 3. Daisy
• 4. Lucy
• 5. Willow
• 6. Stella
• 7. Maggie
• 8. Sadie
• 9. Lola
• 10. Rosie

2. Did you know (Part 199)

• That the top speed of the common garden snail is 0.03 mph.
• That a group of hedgehogs is called a prickle.
• That Subway will soon be offering a foot-long Oreo cookie.
• That when Joe Cocker released “Feelin’ Alright” in 1969, it was actually a remake of a 1968 version by Traffic.
• That Byrds’ 1965 sensation “Turn, Turn, Turn” was a remake of the Limeliters’ 1962 song of the same name, but a much different kind of sound.

3. Where has the time gone? It’s the final week of the regular season for college football, and here are our latest rankings:

1. Oregon (11-0): If the Ducks go on to play Ohio State in the Big 10 title game, it would be the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in college football since November 2022 when Georgia played Tennessee.

2. Ohio State (10-1): Assuming Ohio State delivers a haymaker Saturday vs. Michigan and goes on to play Oregon a week later, it will be the first time since 2008 when the Buckeyes were involved in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash. LSU beat Ohio State that season in the old BCS national championship game.

3. Texas (10-1): Don’t sleep on Texas A&M’s upset bid vs. the Longhorns on Saturday. Only the Ohio State-Michigan game may be more bitter than this Lone Star matchup. 

4. Georgia (9-2): Bulldogs will get the Texas-Texas A&M winner in the SEC championship game. As strange as it may sound, Georgia may have to win that game to make the playoff field. (On that front, several national media figures have called out Georgia coach Kirby Smart for “whining” concerning the possibility of his team not making the CFB playoffs. A note to Kirby: You might want to think about playing an opponent a bit stronger than UMass the 11th week of the season.)

5. Penn State (10-1): If the Nittany Lions defeat Maryland on Saturday — which they should, of course — it will mark James Franklin’s first 11-win regular season as Penn State coach.

6. Notre Dame (10-1): Ah, what might have been if not for that Northern Illinois game. (And did you see Hannibal’s Aneyas Williams score that late touchdown against Army?)

7. Tennessee (9-2): Speaking of woeful late-season opponents … come on, Tennessee. UTEP? Really?

8. SMU (10-1): This just might be the most underrated club in the country.

9. Miami, Fla. (10-1): Hurricanes have 10 wins for the first time since 2017.

10. Boise State (10-1): Ashton Jeanty, who has an outstanding chance to win the Heisman Trophy, has rushed for 125-plus yards in the first 11 games of the season. It’s the first time that’s been done since Iowa State’s Troy Davis turned the trick in 1996.

On the bubble: Arizona State (9-2).

Bums of the week: Alabama (8-3), Ole Miss (8-3), Colorado (8-3), Indiana (10-1).

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Who would’ve thought that Paramount shows Yellowstone, Landman and Lioness would be the top three shows currently on TV?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. I’d pay to watch Steve race a garden snail.