NEW YORK — For the first time in three decades, the U.S. has a new favorite dog breed, according to the American Kennel Club.
Adorable in some eyes, deplorable in others, the sturdy, push-faced, perky-eared, world-weary-looking and distinctively droll French bulldog became the nation’s most prevalent purebred dog last year, the club announced Wednesday. Frenchies ousted Labrador retrievers from the top spot after a record 31 years.
Why?
“They’re comical, friendly, loving little dogs,” said French Bull Dog Club of America spokesperson Patty Sosa. City-friendly, with modest grooming and exercise needs, she said, “they offer a lot in a small package.”
Yet the Frenchie’s dizzying rise — it wasn’t even a top-75 breed a quarter-century ago — worries its fans, to say nothing of its critics.