What predicts puppy popularity? Health, life span, and behavior are important, of course, but they don’t matter as much as movie roles, says Stefano Ghirlanda, a Brooklyn College psychology professor who has led studies on dog popularity. A breed starring in a successful film can enjoy a boost that lasts a decade, says Ghirlanda. “We were surprised the movie effect was so strong.”

Clash of the canines

The American Kennel Club currently recognizes 187 different breeds of dogs, but only an elite group has always ranked in the top 100 since the AKC started recording the number of each breed’s registrations in 1935. Select two elite breeds to see how they compare over time.

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