The AKC recognizes over 150 breeds of dogs, and each of these AKC dog breeds has its own distinctive temperament, appearance, level of playfulness and set of desires. It is advised that you should do some vigilant research to find out which AKC dog breed is right for you and your family. When deciding which breed you want, you should think clearly about which type of dog breed would be best suitable for you.

In the year of 1995, the top ten in AKC dog breeds registrations were the Labrador, Retriever, Rottweiler, German shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagle, Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Pomeranian and Yorkshire terrier. The Dalmatian fell onto the eleventh number, but when the cartoon movie 101 Dalmatians came out, the registration numbers for the Dalmatians grew up.

More than 130,000 Labradors were registered with AKC in 1995, rising up from approximately 106,000 in the year 1991.

The Labrador retriever achieved its repute as the best family companion, which is brilliant with children and extremely friendly towards people and other dogs. Moreover, this AKC dog breed is a dog that is easy to maintain and keep for an active-family. However, a Labrador retriever in a family that is not ready for a large, energetic and lively dog that has a habit of reclaiming everything that has not been nailed down and that which can clear a coffee table with a swing of its tail is definitely a dog that turns out to be more of a liability soon enough. This AKC dog breed, with little manners, ends up being in an animal shelter thus bring forth in their owners in a disillusion of liberation with the breed.

Almost every kind of dog meets the same fate, purebred and mixed, equally bring in a fate that can be avoided by a cautious selection of a breed, a source, and a dog that matches the family's needs and personal preferences.

Clearly all the AKC dog breeds come in many forms of shapes and sizes, with different coat types and variation of colours along with different temperaments. Therefore if a family truly wants a canine friend that should evidently be more of a family member, then there are definitely a wide variety of AKC dog breeds that will clearly fit the bill. Those people who simply put, are not able too or do not want to cope up with the Labrador's bulk, its destructive tail and frequent bustling topped with a cheery character should be able to find a numerous variety of smaller, less active dogs that are easy to handle and fit the family's needs perfectly.