Checking out dog breeds? There are over 150 registered dog breeds listed by the American Kennel Club (AKA). They include all types of dogs including small dog breeds, large dogs, and those recently popularized by President Obama’s search for non shedding dogs and hypoallergenic dogs.

The AKC lists the top ten registered dog breeds for 2008 as Labrador Retrievers, Yorkshire Terriers, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Beagles, Boxers, Dachshunds, Bulldogs, Poodles and Shih Tzu. Because these ten are the most popular, we’ll tell you a little bit about each one here. However, if none of these particular dog breeds interest you, there are at least 146 more.

LABRADOR RETRIEVERS are larger dogs, generally have good temperament, are very intelligent and trainable, and generally do equally well as “inside” or “out side” dogs. In general they do well with families and children, which is probably at least one of the reasons that may attribute to their popularity as pets. They are bred in several colors, with the black lab being very popular. To get more detailed information on Labrador Retrievers, go here.

YORKSHIRE TERRIERS are small dogs and popular house pets. “Yorkies” as they’re affectionately called, are very affectionate, and tend to form strong attachments to their owners. They make good companions and travel well.

The Yorkshire Terrier dog breed we’re familiar with today originated in the mid-late 1800’s from the terrier breed in Yorkshire, England. “Yorkies” come from a combination of terriers including the Clydesdale Terrier (blue and tan coloring of the Skye Terrier); the Waterside Terrier and the Old English Terrier (toy rough or broken-haired terrier).

The originating breeds of Yorkshire Terrier are well recorded from approximately 1846. They were larger than the Yorkshire, which was bred smaller and appealed to working class people.

In 1861, the “broken-haired Scotch Terrier made its show debut in England. By 1870, the dog breed became known as the Yorkshire Terrier. The breed has been included in all shows since 1878, with classes for earl y shows separated by weight. In later years, Yorkies were bred to a size range averaging 3 - 7 lbs, resulting in only one show class.

The first recorded Yorkshire Terrier born in the United States came in 1872. 1878 was the first year a Yorkshire Terrier was registered with the American Kennel Club. It was one of the first 25 dog breeds approved by that organization for registration.

Healthy Yorkies typically have life spans of 10 - 15 years. Those that are very small, less than 3 pounds, may have shorter life spans due to increased health issues, and the fact that they can more easily be injured than larger dogs. Common health issues with Yorkshire Terriers include skin allergies and sensitivity to injections (hair loss and/or inflammation) cataracts, bronchitis, keratitis sicca (eye disease caused by decreased tear production also known as “dry eyes”), lymphangiectasia (intestinal disease/chronic diarrhea) , and portosystemic shunt (an abnormal vessel that allows blood to bypass the liver, preventing blood from being cleansed by the liver).

Sources: American Kennel Club AKC.org; Wikipedia.org; Jacque Lynn Schultz, “The Terrier Tyke With a Big Attitude” (2004); , Robert L. Linville, “Breed Predisposition to Disease and Congenital Conditions” (2006)