Lots of people like "lists" (I know I do). Lists of top 10 holiday spots, top 10 fastest cars, top 10 best songs, top 10 baby names - many of us just can't help ourselves from stopping and taking a look at a good list. Sure, we all know that often the lists are subjective, and don't really mean a great deal, but we humans like order in our lives, and lists help us keep things in order.

Recently, the American Kennel Club  ( the AKC) released the "Top 10 Most Popular Breeds in the USA 2009".   According to the AKC's records, these are the top 10 most popular dog breeds last year:

1. Labrador Retriever

2. German Shepherd Dog

3. Yorkshire Terrier

4. Golden Retriever

5. Beagle

6. Boxer

7. Bulldog

8. Dachshund

9. Poodle

10. Shih Tzu

To those of us that keep track of these sorts of lists, it comes as no surprise that Labrador's come first again! They are a very popular dog, and indeed I had one myself as a kid. They've been "top dog" for the last 20 years in the US (and Australian figures are similar).

If you'd like to read more about the list and how it was compiled, click here.