Ever wonder where your precious pooch's breed came from? It's good to know what the popularity of our known dog breeds were like in the past. You can brag about how Marilyn Monroe owned the same dog breed as you, maybe your dog came from the first breeders of that breed in the 1920's, or maybe you're a dog enthusiast of that breed. Whatever it is, here are the most popular dog breeds throughout 1900-2000 over a 100 year span.
1900's: THE COLLIE
Yes, that lovable breed that makes you think of Lassie when you first glance at it. During the turn of the new century, the Collie (both rough and smooth) gained popularity for seven decades of the 20th century. Prior to the past two centuries, these breeds were strictly working breeds without written pedigrees by their breeder. In the beginning of the 20th century, Collies were the number-one breed to own in the 1900's, often competing with the Boston Terrier up until the 1930's. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Boston Terriers, English Setters, Bull Terriers, Pointers, Cocker Spaniels, Bulldogs, Airedale Terriers, Beagles, and Irish Terriers.
1910's: THE BOSTON TERRIER
Crossed with an English Bulldog and the now extinct White English Terrier, Boston Terriers were very popular in the 1910's, competing with their rival, the Collie. This breed was the number-one breed in the 1910's, and it remained in the top-ten's for six decades. These cute little guys were an all American breed, and it was first named "Round Heads", until the Boston Terrier Club of America in 1891, changing it's name to what we now know it as the Boston Terrier after the city they originated in. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Airedale Terriers, Collies, Beagles, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, English Setters, Cocker Spaniels, Pekingeses, and Bull Terriers.
1920's: THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
With this breed gaining popularity thanks to the in-real-life German Shepherds at the time, Rin Tin Tin, and Strongheart, the German Shepherd overthrew the Boston Terrier's popularity in the number-one spot as more and more people wanted to own a dog much like the stars mentioned above, even naming their German Shepherds after them. For centuries, this breed's loyalty and companionship gained their career from herding to working dogs specifically for police work and therapy for the sick, and to this day this breed has stayed in the top-tens. However, this dog did experience a hiatus during the start and end of World War II, during which these breeds dropped from the top-ten rankings, until it's reappearance in the 1950's. It continues to stay there, probably for decades to come. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Boston Terriers, Chow Chows, Pekingeses, Wire Fox Terriers, Collies, Beagles, Airedale Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, and Bulldogs.
1930's: BOSTON TERRIERS (AGAIN!)
It's back! After the hiatus of the German Shepherd's place, the Boston Terrier takes back its number-one spot since the 1910's. Records say by the Boston Terrier Club of America states that this breed is impressive, being able to stay at number one or number two in the top-tens between 1905 to 1935, and it's been a top-ten breed since the 1890's. Along with that, Cocker Spaniels began to gain popularity, placing them in the number-two spot. During the Great Depression, many of the top-ten dogs to own then were companion breeds, often small or medium-sized. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Cocker Spaniels, Smooth Fox Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Beagles, Pekingeses, Chow Chows, English Springer Spaniels, Pomeranians, and Bulldogs.
1940's: THE COCKER SPANIEL
Thanks to the beautiful Ch. My Own Brucie, a Best In Show winner in the Westminster Kennel Club during the 1940's, many people during this decade picked up their own "My Own Brucie," making this breed the number-one dog breed in the country. The Cocker Spaniel remained in the top-tens for sixteen years. As far back as the 14th century, the "Spanyells" were divided into land and water spaniels based on size. The Cocker Spaniel was the smallest, and still remains the smallest, land spaniel to this day. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Beagles, Boston Terriers, Collies, Boxers, Dachshunds, Pekingeses, Smooth Fox Terriers, English Springer Spaniels, and Scottish Terriers.
1950's: THE BEAGLE
The lovable character in The Peanuts comics by Charles M. Schultz, Charlie Brown's companion Snoopy gained popularity during the 1950's, making Beagles the number-one breed during the time. Sadly, this ranking only lasted from 1953 to 1959 with the steady increase of the Boxer's popularity. While the breed's origins are unknown, the earliest documentation of American Beagles came from the 1860's, when well-bred Beagles were imported from England to create the lovable breed that we all know today. Other popular breeds in this decade include the Cocker Spaniels, Boxers, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles, Collies, Boston Terriers, and Pekingeses.
1960's-1970's: THE POODLE
Up until her death, Marilyn Monroe owned what she called a Poodle named Maf, a gift from Frank Sinatra. This glamorous and elegant show dog gained popularity in the 1960's, ranking it as number-one for two consecutive decades. To this day, the Poodle still remains in the top-tens, and has for twenty-two years. Supposedly originating in Germany, and originally called the Pudel, it's been named the national dog of France. This breed was bred to hunt and retrieve ducks in water. Ironically, the English word "poodle" comes from the German words, "pudel" or "pudelin," meaning to "splash in the water". Other popular dog breeds in the 1960's include the German Shepherd Dogs, Beagles, Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, Pekingeses, Collies, Miniature Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, and Basset Hounds. In the 1970's the list includes the German Shepherd Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Beagles, Dachshunds, Irish Setters, Cocker Spaniels, Miniature Schnauzers, Labrador Retrievers, and Collies.
1980's: THE RETURN OF THE COCKER SPANIEL
Making it's comeback since the 1940's, the Cocker Spaniel revisits it's rankings for the number-one dog in the 1980's, after forty years. To this day the breed is still in the top-tens. While the Poodle continues to fall in rankings, the Labrador Retriever is drastically increasing in the rankings to this day. Other popular dog breeds in this decade include the Poodles, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Beagles, Miniature Schnauzers, Dachshunds, and Chow Chows.
1990's-present: THE LABRADOR RETRIEVER
Since the 1990's, the Labrador Retriever righteously takes the number-one spot for the last three decades. Founded in Newfoundland, not Labrador, small water dogs were bred with Newfoundlands to produce what was called then the St. John's Water Dog, now called the Labrador Retriever. Its pedigrees go as far back as 1878. Today, this breed serves as both a hunting dog, and a guide-rescue dog. In the 1990's, other popular breeds included Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, Beagles, Dachshunds, Yorkshire Terriers, and Pomeranians. In the 2000's through present day, other popular breeds include German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Bulldogs, Yorkshire Terriers, Boxers, Poodles, Rottweilers, and Dachshunds.
Now you know a little bit about the history of these breeds. Who knows what breed will become most popular for the upcoming decades. Have any of these breeds surprised you?
