KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Kennel Club today released its annual list of the country's most popular pooches according to purebred dog registrations with the club.
The family favourite, labrador retriever, is number one for the second year in a row.
Over 1320 of these chocolate, yellow or black purebred dogs were registered last year -- up 9 per cent for the breed on 2005.
German shepherds come in second, with golden retrievers and border collies rounding out the top four -- all unchanged from 2005.
The breed favoured by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, the tiny chihuahua, comes in at number 10 for the second year in a row.
NZ Kennel Club president John Perfect said the labrador retriever was both a great family pet and working dog, often used for hunting game.
"Overall registrations of purebred dogs are the same as 2005," he said. "This is an increase of 4.5 per cent compared to 2004."
Mr Perfect said the quality of New Zealand dogs was proven not only by NZ-bred afghan and rottweiler dogs winning big at Crufts in Britain, one of the world's biggest dog shows, but also by 490 purebred dogs being exported around the world from New Zealand.
"Our purebred dogs rank with the best in the world," said Mr Perfect.
Over 10,200 dogs (mainly puppies) of 140 breeds were registered in 2006.
Most popular dogs registered in 2006:
1 Labrador retriever
2 German shepherd
3 Golden retrievers
4 Border collies
5 Rottweilers
6 Boxers
7 Bulldogs
8 Staffordshire bull terriers
9 Cavalier king charles spaniels
10 Chihuahuas (long coat)
- NZPA
