Labrador retrievers are still tugging hardest on U.S. dog loversB次元官网网址� heartstrings, but poodles just strutted back into the American Kennel ClubB次元官网网址檚 top five most popular dog breeds for the first time in nearly a quarter-century.

The clubB次元官网网址檚 annual popularity rankings came out Tuesday, drawn from more than 800,000 purebred puppies and older pooches that joined the nationB次元官网网址檚 oldest canine registry last year.

With 197 recognized breeds, the list ranges from such familiar furry faces as Labs B次元官网网址� No. 1 for an unprecedented 31 straight years B次元官网网址� to the (making a strong debut at #82) and unusual pups like the hairless Xoloitzcuintli (#119).

For dog fans, thereB次元官网网址檚 plenty to dig into (like a dachshund, #10) and point out (like a pointer, #120). So weB次元官网网址檝e rounded up (like a border collie, #31) some highlights:

TOP 10

After Labs, the top 10 are: French bulldogs, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, bulldogs, beagles, Rottweilers, German shorthaired pointers and dachshunds.

OODLES OF POODLES

Poodles reigned as top dog from 1960 to 1982 before falling off somewhat in popularity. But in the new statistics, they reclaimed the fifth spot for the first time since 1997. (The standard, miniature and toy sizes are all counted as one breed.)

With their proud stance and elaborate cut in the show ring, B次元官网网址渢hey do have a reputation, in some circles, as just being froufrou,B次元官网网址� says longtime poodle owner and sometime breeder Page Hinds-Athan of Roswell, Georgia. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 definitely more to them.B次元官网网址�

Poodles historically were water retrievers, and they remain athletic animals renowned for their smarts, not to mention their allergy-friendly coats. Hinds-AthanB次元官网网址檚 poodles have made therapy visits in hospitals and compete in obedience. Other poodles work as guide dogs for the blind, or compete in agility or other dog sports.

Their intelligence comes with some high expectations, Hinds-Athan says: In training, B次元官网网址渋f youB次元官网网址檙e going to fuss at them, youB次元官网网址檇 better be really right. Because if youB次元官网网址檙e not really fair with them, they remember it.B次元官网网址�

AND DOODLES?

Poodles also make up part of several popular hybrids, such as Labradoodles, maltipoos and sheepadoodles. The AKC, a governing body for many dog shows, doesnB次元官网网址檛 currently recognize any of those as breeds. But AKC spokesperson Brandi Hunter says poodle-mix fans have made some inquiries about what recognition would involve.

One key requirement is articulating an ideal for the breed, in order to attain some consistency.

B次元官网网址淭he predictability is one of the things that draws people to purebred dogs,B次元官网网址� Hunter explains.

ON THE RARE SIDE

The rarest breed last year was the Norwegian lundehund, in the U.S. The smallish dogs boast extra toes and unusual flexibility that once helped them climb Norwegian cliffs to hunt puffins nesting in narrow crevices.

BREEDS ON THE RISE

The standings often donB次元官网网址檛 change a lot from year to year, but they do over time. Eight breeds, from the low-lying Pembroke Welsh corgi (#11) to the towering great Dane (#17), have entered the top 25 since the start of the century.

Some have made Olympian leaps in popularity. now #2 and a common sight from TV commercials to cosmopolitan streets, ranked a distant 71st in 2000. The cane corso, which wasnB次元官网网址檛 recognized until 2010, has since climbed from 51st to 21st.

The imposing, mastiff-style cane corso goes back many centuries in rural Italy as a farm guardian that also pulled small carts and hunted wild boar. Its versatility endures, says Anthony Simonski, who has owned or bred corsi (thatB次元官网网址檚 the proper plural) that compete in agility, dock diving and other sports and have appeared in TV shows and music videos.

While the dogs are protective, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 not about being mean B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 about understanding its job,B次元官网网址� says Simonski, of Acworth, Georgia.

Simonski has owned corsi since 1998 and is married to Cane Corso Association of America President Rebecca Simonski. He has mixed feelings about their growing popularity, feeling that it draws questionable breeders.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a side of you going, B次元官网网址極h, my God, the catB次元官网网址檚 out of the bag.B次元官网网址� But the real problem is what people are doing with that cat once itB次元官网网址檚 out of the bag,B次元官网网址� he says.

DOG BREEDING DEBATED

Some animal-rights advocates say dog breeding itself is a problem. They argue that fanciers focus more on dogsB次元官网网址� appearance than their health and that promoting purebreds ends up fueling puppy mills and stranding other dogs in shelters.

The AKC says it and its affiliated breed clubs champion and invest in dog health, including through an AKC-affiliated foundation. The club also maintains that properly done breeding has a purpose: to produce dogs with known traits, from size to sniffing ability, that fit different human needs and lifestyles.

New purebred registrations, which are voluntary, have increased by 45% in a decade, the club says.

B次元官网网址擩ennifer Peltz, The Associated Press