• The Bulldog is most popular in Los Angeles where is it currently ranked 2nd right after the Lab.
  
  
• Atlanta, GA did not include the Bulldog in its top 10, despite being the home to University of Georgia's "Bulldogs".
  
  
• The Poodle and Dachshund, who each once enjoyed the top spot in Manhattan (2006, 2005 for the Poodle and 2004 for the Dachshund) now share a tie for 3rd place, ousted by America's top choice, the Labrador Retriever.
  
  
• Detroit, Knoxville, Miami, Honolulu and Orlando are the only cities that do not have the Labrador Retriever in the top spot. Detroit and Miami favor the German Shepherd, Orlando puts the Yorkie in 1st place, Honolulu the Golden Retriever and Knoxville the Boxer.
  
  
• Salt Lake City is the only city to place the Shih Tzu in one of its top two spots. It moved from 3rd in 2006 to 2nd in 2007.
  
  
• The only cities to not have the Yorkie on their lists are Buffalo, Milwaukee and Des Moines.
  
  
• Des Moines had the most unique list of all 50 cities, considering that it shared only four dogs with the national Top 10.
  
  
• The Miniature Schnauzer, which was displaced on the national list this year by the Bulldog, still claims top dog status in Oklahoma City where it ranks 3rd, higher than in any other U.S. city.
  
  
• San Francisco and Los Angeles were the only cities in the nation to include the French Bulldog in their Top 10 lists.

• The Miniature Schnauzer was bumped off the Top 10 list in 2007 to make room for the Bulldog.
  
  
• The Yorkshire Terrier held steady in 2nd place, after making news last year by displacing the Golden Retriever and German Shepherd.
  
  
• The Havanese, a small dog with a coat type that is a good choice for people with allergies, has enjoyed the greatest surge in popularity since 1997, increasing 994%. It now ranks as the 37th most popular breed.
  
  
• Other small dogs (under 20 lbs.) that have gained popularity in the past decade include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (+406%), the French Bulldog (+404%) and the Brussels Griffon (+157%).
  
  
• Large dogs with notable increases are two Swiss breeds -- the Bernese Mountain Dog (+74%) and the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (+127%) -- as well as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (+130%).
  
  
• Breeds on the decline include the Rottweiler (-81%) and the Dalmatian (-96%). Many breeds of Asian origins are also waning in popularity: Chow Chows (-84%), Pekingese (-79%), Akitas (-76%), Lhasa Apso (-75%), Chinese Shar-Pei (-73%) and Shiba Inu (-38%).
  
  
• The Beagle is the only breed that has consistently been included in the Top 10 list since 1915. It reigned as the most popular breed from 1954 to 1959.
  
  
• Poodles enjoyed a long reign as the most popular dog for 23 years (1960–1982), the longest any breed has held that position consecutively.
  
  
• Cocker Spaniels ranked number one from 1936-1953 (replaced by the Beagle in 1954). Cocker Spaniels made a comeback and were number one again from 1983-1990, making them the dog with the longest total reign in the top spot at 25 years.
  
  
• The Toy group has been steadily on the rise since the 1970s, when it made up only 12% of the registry versus 23% today.
  
  
• The Working group peaked in the 1990's at 17%, most notably due to the Rottweiler being in the Top 10 at that time, including several years in 2nd place.

Dogs have specific nutritional needs, but most pet owners do not realize that all dogs and most pet foods are not alike. Many commercial dog food brands are lacking in key nutrients, so reading the labels is a must. Price and brand names are not good gages of quality when it comes to food.

Dogs are carnivorous so they need meat and protein, along with carbohydrates, vitamins, fat, minerals, and water. The manufacturers have choices as to the types and amounts of proteins, minerals, and vitamins that they put into their products. Higher levels of animal protein like chicken, lamb, and beef are needed by active dogs, while proteins found in plants or grains such as corn, soy, wheat, and rice are sufficient for less active dogs.

Puppy foods generally contain more protein than adult or maintenance foods. What you are looking for is a food that has two animal proteins in the first three ingredients listing. This is a good rule of thumb that applies to all dogs and breeds, not just puppies.

Carbohydrates are important buy only in small amounts. You should avoid foods that contain soy, because altogether soy is high in protein, it is also a carbohydrate that slows down digestion and prevents other vitamins and minerals in the food from being absorbed.

Vitamins come in two types, water soluble, and fat soluble. Vitamins B and C are water soluble, while vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble. The B and C vitamins are lost through urination and need to be included in every meal, while vitamins A, D, E and K are stored up in the fatty tissues of the body and liver.

The type of dog food is important, because of digestion time. Raw foods, such as meat, vegetables, and even fruit are the easiest foods to digest, and usually in about 4 hours. Semi moist processed dog foods take longer, usually around 9 hours to pass through the stomach, and dry dog foods take up to 16 hours before the dog is receiving energy from the food.

For more information, please consult your veterinarian, as they are the best judge of your dogs individual needs. But it is up to us, the pet owners to care for our four legged friends by continuing to read those labels!